Tent pegs and snow/frozen ground conditions

  • Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.

Imagedude

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 24, 2011
2,005
47
Gwynedd
What tent pegs (if any) do you use in winter conditions? Do you like the penetrating power of round pegs or prefer the rigidity of channel or Y-shaped pegs? Any thoughts on snow anchors?
 
I use a combination of Exped snow anchors and some v pegs. The anchors are filled with a snowball or a rock and buried. Before I put in the pegs I stamp down the snow, then fully insert the pegs at an angle, put some snow on top and stamp down again. They aren't going any where ;)
Served me well in Norway.
 
This is the benefit of a geodisic tent, it holds itself up, so doesn't the shape forming of pegs to tension it. I have a Decathlon mountain tent doesn't need pegs if there is snow about as it has snow valences and bags, filled with snow, that are guyed for weighting.
 
I use 12" common nails and 24" rods depending on the wind, In sub zero conditions the cold will follow the peg down into the ground and freeze it there, so leave enough sticking up to give them a tap further in to break them loose before pulling.
IMGP0548.jpg
 
When it is enough snow on the ground I just use long light pegs (made of wood, about a foot long) or fashion a snow anchor out of any stick or log available.

I have actually not put up a tent in conditions that we have at the moment (no snow, cold weather), but I imagine one would have to use something like the one EssexMonk suggest and a big hammer or an axe.
The problem is to actually get the pegs into the ground as the ground is rock hard and will be that way until summer.
 
If you're going to use branches as snow-pegs, make sure that your tent stake loops are big enough, or make some additional loops out of paracord etc to get round the problem.
 
I use 12" common nails and 24" rods depending on the wind, In sub zero conditions the cold will follow the peg down into the ground and freeze it there, so leave enough sticking up to give them a tap further in to break them loose before pulling.
IMGP0548.jpg

Range tipi with a porch; nice set-up Monk.
 
-25'c outside 30'c inside with the stove going. If there is snow on the ground I find it is often not frozen. but freezes after the pegs go in, they hold better when frozen in.
Logs if you can find them make good "Dead Men" use para cord to tie them to your guy lines If its windy like it was were my tent was set up you better have it anchored well.
 
Is there any chance of a pic of your tent from the other side so we can see how it hangs on that side. I made something similar a couple of years ago but it was not a success.
Please excuse the thread hi-jack, ID.
 
I really like that setup.
12" common nails will always do fine in frozen ground. When we camp on snow, we usually try to get down to the harder stuff to get some purchase with the pegs, I've seen us clearing an area of 10 x 8 feet of soft snow with shovels - by headtorch light to get onto to the hard pack below.
Glenshee in January...
Glensheejan2010034.jpg
 
Last edited:
It would seem Ian that I have no pix of the other side strangly enough. One of the reasons for the long pegs/stakes is if the is ground is saturated and thaws a 12' common nail will not hold much and the shape of my tent sends any rain directly to the pegs! guy ropes put you out in dryer ground. if you have 6" of frost though its like driving them into tarmac, of course everything changes with deep and hard snow.
 
It would seem Ian that I have no pix of the other side strangly enough.

Not to worry; looking at your pic, the door appears to offset from the centreline of that panel of the tent. I was curious as to how the side of the door/porch and the panel came together on the hidden side.
Does that make sense?
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE