Winter Shelters

Beginner's Guide to Backpacking

Winter Shelters
The summer tent you have been using will probably work fine for many winter excursions if you take care to pitch it below timberline in dense forest so it's not battered by high winds. You'll also need to shovel snow off the roof after a heavy snowfall to prevent the roof from sagging and possibly breaking a pole. If your winter adventures get more serious, you'll want to invest in a winter tent, probably a dome with four interlocking poles that will stand up to high winds and heavy snow loads. The tent chapter gives more details on desirable features.

Start preparing a winter tent site by stamping out a level platform with boots, skis or snowshoes. Give the platform a few minutes to harden after you're done stamping to help prevent your knees and elbows from punching big depressions in the tent platform when you crawl inside your tent. You don't want to feel like you're sleeping in a bathtub, or, worse yet, atop a series of irregularly spaced buckets. Sometimes tent-pole segments can't be connected in exceptionally cold weather because the shock cord running through the segments freezes in elongated form. The excess cord protruding from the ends of the pole segments prevents the segments from being joined. If you encounter this problem, pull on the shock cord rapidly and repeatedly. Usually this will warm the cord just enough that it will regain its elasticity and allow the pole segments to be connected. Conventional tent pegs don't work in the snow, of course, so you'll need to find substitute anchors. Skis, ski poles and snowshoes all work fine if you're going to be taking down the tent before you need that equipment again. If you plan to set up a base camp and leave the tent erect while you take day trips, try anchoring your tent to stuff sacks filled with snow and buried. Be forewarned that extricating the stuff sacks will probably require a shovel.

Some people prefer to leave the tent at home and dig snow caves instead. In severe weather, snow caves offer several advantages: They're impervious to wind, and they're also warmer at night and quieter than a tent because the snow acts as an insulator. Most caves will warm up to near freezing after they've been occupied for a while. Despite these appealing aspects, snow caves also leave a lot to be desired. Digging a snow cave is a hard, wet job that can easily consume two or three hours. Finding a suitable site can be difficult, since the snow must be both deep and sufficiently consolidated. I've dug snow caves in near-emergency situations in Alaska when high winds threatened our tents. In those situations, I blessed the security the caves provided. In general, however, I prefer to carry the weight of a tent, which in good weather admits more light and is much warmer than a snow cave. A light-colored tent can act as a greenhouse on a sunny day. The warmth boosts morale and helps dry sodden gear, which will actually dry faster inside the tent than it will draped over the roof outside. When the sun is shining, crawling into a snow cave is like entering a walk-in refrigerator. {Insert snow cave figure here}

Backcountry skiers who want to continue making multi-day excursions in the winter but who can't stand the idea of sleeping in the cold should investigate the possibility of staying in a backcountry hut or yurt. Over the past 15 years, several immensely popular chains of huts have blossomed in the Colorado backcountry. One of the most heavily used systems is the group of huts operated by the Tenth Mountain Division Trail Association in the triangle between Leadville, Aspen and Vail. See the appendix for the address and phone number. Demand is so heavy that reservations must be made the previous summer for the popular weekends. These huts are equipped with wood heating stoves, propane cooking stoves, mattresses and a photovoltaic system that powers energy-efficient electric lights. Skiers bring their own food and lightweight sleeping bags. Call your local outdoor shop to find out what huts may exist in your area.

Next Page: Avoiding Avalanches

Site Map -