A Primer on Winter Camping: Part 1 - The Tent

We touched on how to choose a tent in my previous post, but I want to go into further detail on the things that you should look for and the things that you need to avoid when you choose a tent for your winter expedition.

First off, let's talk seasons. We are winter camping, and in my previous post, I mentioned that I had a few friends that tried cold weather camping with a 3-season tent. This doesn't work, especially if there is going to be heavy rain or snow involved. You will end up cold, wet, and miserable - we want this to be a fun and enjoyable experience. While the 4-season tent is more expensive, it offers more protection from the winter elements. With most material goods, the more expensive doesn't always mean better. Unfortunately, with tents, this is not true, the more you pay, the better tent you will get. It will be able to withstand stronger winds, be made of stronger material, and be able to withstand colder temperatures. However, you may not always need stronger and warmer. For instance, you may choose to spend more on a nice sleeping bag that will keep you warm and opt for a tent made with thinner material.

Let's Talk Tent Poles

(Photo: via) Eureka/One Man Tent

There are 5 kinds of tent poles (bet you didn't see that coming).

1. Plastic: Yes, plastic. Don't. Because plastic. 
2. Aluminum: Aluminum tent poles are often very good. They are typically used with smaller tents and are very lightweight. I would recommend the aluminum pole if you are looking at the one-man tube tent pictured to the right.
3. Steel:  These tent poles are mainly to be used when building semi-permanent structures like heavy-duty tents or huge shelters. They are not to be used when backpacking or camping. 
4. Fiberglass: Fiberglass is generally weaker and less durable than aluminum and carbon fiber. I'm going to say it, fiberglass is almost as bad as plastic. I've had a fiberglass pole crack after the third use, it's not fun. The only time that I would recommend fiberglass poles is when you are buying a backyard tent. 
5. Carbon Fiber: Carbon fiber tent poles are the bees knees. They are the most flexible and lightweight poles on the market while still maintaining plenty of durability. I highly recommend this kind of pole. 

Enough About the Poles, What About the Tent?

Tents vary in size and shape, there isn't a good size or bad size. It just depends on how many people you plan on sharing the tent with. You can buy a tent that fits anywhere from a one person to ten people. Shape also doesn't matter too much, I recommend trying to read as many reviews on the tent you are looking to buy as you can. 

(Photo: via) 4-Season/Full Fly/2 Man Tent

There are two types of 4-season tents: single-walled tents and doubled-walled tents. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. The single-walled tent is colder but easier to setup and lightweight compared to the double-walled tent which will be warmer, but bulkier. Another thing to consider is the setup time. When you're in sub 32 degree weather, you don't want to have a lengthy setup time. With a double-walled tent, you will have a longer setup time, however, as stated above, the double-wall will stand up against stronger winds and heavier rain. A tent be made of either a ripstop nylon material or a cotton canvas material. I would recommend getting the nylon tent even though the canvas tent would be warmer. The reason for this is that canvas will be lighter. And as for warmth, your sleeping bag will take care of you, not your tent. Look for more details on what kind of sleeping bag to buy in my next post on winter clothing and sleeping bags. 

What About the Fly?

The fly is the waterproof cover-like material that you see covering the exposed tent poles. When you buy a tent based on what kind of fly the tent comes with, the only thing you need to think about is the season in which you will be camping in. Since this is a series on winter camping, I would advise you to never get a tent without a full fly. It will be more expensive, but even in the summer a full fly will block out the rain much better than a half. An easy way to tell a full fly from half fly is if the fly itself comes right up to the ground, covering every inch of the tent.

Setting up the Tent

Before you begin setting up the tent, you need to make sure that you have a tent pad (usually a tarp) to lay cover the ground where your tent is going to be set up. This will protect your tent from the wet ground and help your tent last longer. Be sure to fold the excess tarp underneath the tent so that the footprint of the tarp is slightly smaller than the footprint of the tent. This will keep rain from getting in between your tent and the tarp.

When setting up a tent on the snow, consider is the wind. If there are strong winds, be sure to find a campsite that is shielded from the wind. If there are no natural shields (a boulder, cliff, or wall), dig out at least a foot of snow and then wait about an hour for the snow to harden. This will ensure two things: 1) that the top layer of snow is not full of bushes or soft spots that could cause the area you putting your tent on to collapse and 2) Your tent will be in a small hole which will block gusts of wind from getting under the tent and picking it up.

Staking down a tent in the snow is always tough if you have the wrong tools. Be sure to bring an avalanche shovel, ice axe, and snow stakes. Don't be afraid to get creative when tethering a tent to the ground. Aside from snow stakes, you can also use ski poles or heavy rocks in conjunction with snow stakes to keep your tent down. As for setting up the actual tent, every tent comes with an instruction manual that guides you through the process of putting the poles together, how to latch the tent to the poles, etc. This process should be straightforward with the manual. Now get out of the office, head to the mountains, and have some fun!