3 season tent in snow?

[DouglasR]

Hey you guys!

This might’ve already been discussed but...

I’m hoping to make it back out west this January to do some skiing and maybe some cold weather camping and I was wondering if Anybody on here has any experience using a 3 season tent in snow storms?
As long as I’m with the tent, in theory I should be able to get up and brush the snow off through the night if it’s storming to avoid a collapse? Right?

I’m mainly gonna be using this as a cheap form of shelter so I don’t plan on being super far away from the car so in theory if it did collapse I could prob just make a run for it.

Anybody got any good tips for how to stake out a tent on snow?
I’m thinking about making some dead man’s stakes out of pvc pipe

Thanks for any help!

 

[maconbacon]

Hey you guys!

This might’ve already been discussed but...

I’m hoping to make it back out west this January to do some skiing and maybe some cold weather camping and I was wondering if Anybody on here has any experience using a 3 season tent in snow storms?
As long as I’m with the tent, in theory I should be able to get up and brush the snow off through the night if it’s storming to avoid a collapse? Right?

I’m mainly gonna be using this as a cheap form of shelter so I don’t plan on being super far away from the car so in theory if it did collapse I could prob just make a run for it.

Anybody got any good tips for how to stake out a tent on snow?
I’m thinking about making some dead man’s stakes out of pvc pipe

Thanks for any help!

Don’t have much experience in deep snow but many companies make tent stakes designed for use in deep snow. I have some from seek outside that are longer, flatter, and have a twist to them like a screw that provides better anchorage in snow or sand. I’m sure there are many different designs out there for this application.

 

[Werty]

You will be fine with a 3 season tent. As for stakes, I would use a round stake, that way you can twist it to get it to come out.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Any average sized groundhog or V style stake deadman style has always worked for me. Physically pack down snow after burying. I like to slide the guy lines back and forth a little after things are buried so I can still tension them as needed later.

 

[MTLabrador]

I’ve weathered some pretty good storms in a BA Fly Creek and a Copper Spur. Haven’t had any experience with deep snow stakes because I’m a wimp when it comes to deep snow camping.

 

[blaire458]

Love that quote. Elk hunting is a vision quest...

 

[MikeyA3]

A good 3 season tent should do fine in the snow. Staking down and making sure its solid to the ground is important. Also use a footprint or something like it. Moisture loves to come up from the bottom of the tent always!

 

[ponderosa11]

I grew up camping in 3 season tents in the winter. This was in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado back in my boy scout days. Site selection is key, as is vigilance if the snow is really coming down. I am saving up to someday own a Hilleberg tent or something like it, but I have plenty of memories of sub zero nights out in an REI Nitelite in the early 00's.

You can make a dead man's stake out of anything ... sticks, shoes, summer sausage. Depending on where you are, it might be simplest to dig down to bare ground.

 

[DouglasR]

I tried setting up my north face storm break 2 in 30mph winds with 60mph gusts last week and it pretty much got flattened like a pancake.
Since I’ve been vibing on this backpacking/skiing thing for the past couple years and I really want a bomber shelter for winter I said yolo and bought a nammatj 2.
I figure Worse case scenario someone on here will get it for a good deal in the classifieds someday.

Hilleberg has some cool videos about winter camping and pitching tents in snow.

These are the snow stakes I made out of a piece of pvc pipe.

 

[glass eye]

It will be much colder in a 3 season vs winter tent.

 

[ponderosa11]

There are also cheaper 4 season tents that aren't as bombproof as a Hilleberg, but you almost never have to camp on a ridge top or anything. Eureka has a few options that are basically three season tents but have solid fabric inner tents, like their Mountain Pass tents. Honestly probably a fine choice for car camping.