Staking out a tarp in winter questions

[HandyRandy]

What are your favorite ways to stake out a tarp if it’s very cold and the ground is either frozen or covered in snow or whatever else winter has up it’s sleeve? I plan to not carry any stakes. I will prioritize natural or existing anchors if they can be had, but I need a plan for when they don’t. I’m thinking that using longer than usual cords on my tarp tie-outs could increase my range for existing anchors. Any tips you have are welcomed.

[Shug]

Snow stakes.
Snow anchors.... or https://www.rei.com/product/112557/m...7ba2027&gclid=
Deadman (snow in a plastic bag and buried or a big stick turned sideways buried)
Shug

[SilvrSurfr]

Covered in snow is good. Snow insulates the ground and keeps it from freezing. Don't be an idiot and sweep the snow away like I did once - the ground froze almost instantaneously and I couldn't get a stake in the ground for love nor money.

Not carrying any stakes sounds rather risky to me - why would you not carry stakes? While I occasionally find a bush or something I can tie off to, it's rare. In most instances, I camp at established camp grounds, and the ground is picked clean of any wood that could be used as anchors. A lot of my camping is in the NJ Pine Barrens, and trust me, there's not a rock to be found in the entire 1.1 million acres. Rocks don't make the greatest anchors anyway. You can spend hours looking for rocks big enough to keep the tarp from blowing away.

When the temps are sub-20* F for a few days and I know the ground is likely to be frozen, I'll bring a small hammer to get my stakes in the ground. Not exactly a UL option, but it sure sounds better than bringing no stakes and looking around for "natural or existing anchors." I don't think longer guylines really improves your odds much of finding existing anchors.

[brutalguyracing]

I do allot of winter camping here in the north east
I have been using the 12" metal nails and I use a hammer
Once in they are not going anywhere

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[cmoulder]

If the ground is frozen but there is no snow, I use Lawson HD Ti shepherd hooks.

Where there is snow and some sticks, deadman style is what I use. Rocks or any other item can be buried as well.

Sticks need to be only about a foot or maybe a bit longer. Stomp down the snow and let it set for a few minutes... dry and fluffy snow takes longer than moist snow.

Use the stick to dig a trench in the snow about 6-8" deep. Tie the guy line to the center of the stick with a mooring hitch and bury the stick sideways, leaving the tail of the guy line sticking out. When de-camping, pull the tail of the guy line to release the mooring hitch and pull the guy line out without digging up the stick. Once the snow is set up well and consolidated, this is hurricane proof... your tarp will shred or guy line will break but the stake won't pull out.

deadman05.jpg deadman01.jpg deadman02.jpg deadman03.jpg

[Seadug]

Aluminum gutter nails or ten inch metal spikes and a hatchet are my go to winter set up. If you have lots of snow you can pack it down with your snow shoes and use long aluminum stakes (Think arrow shafts). Packing nothing sounds risky to me.

[HandyRandy]

I was under the impression that deadman’s were far superior to any stake in snow, so I will certainly reconsider my plans if I’m off base.

Now you guys say that sticks may be hard to find, but couldn’t I just use gear on hand if that happens? Such as the lower sections of a trekking pole. I will have an ice axe, but I imagine it would be useful to keep that free to dig up the lines in the morning instead.

[cmoulder]

Depends on where you are, I suppose. Sticks aren't hard to find in the Adirondacks and Catskills... there are perhaps 10-20 million per mile, the small dead limbs one always finds lower down on spruce trees, and also fallen birch, etc.

If you're going above tree line (as I used to do a bunch but haven't done for several years... hmm, kinda given up alpine), you can make what I call "dead feathers" by modifying some of those large plastic stakes by cutting off the heads and tips and drilling some holes in them to lighten them. Of course you have to dig these up carefully if using an ice axe.

Deadfeather_small.jpg

[Grumpy Squatch]

I was under the impression that deadman’s were far superior to any stake in snow, so I will certainly reconsider my plans if I’m off base.

Now you guys say that sticks may be hard to find, but couldn’t I just use gear on hand if that happens? Such as the lower sections of a trekking pole. I will have an ice axe, but I imagine it would be useful to keep that free to dig up the lines in the morning instead.

Snow can often set up pretty hard over night and after a day or two freeze deadman anchors pretty tightly. I wouldn't risk having to chip my trekking poles out of ice. Plus, poles are pretty thin - a thicker stick works better.

[bkrgi]

KISS Principle

Use existing tie off points so having extra cordage helps

The dead man anchor is next

I would resist pounding stuff into the ground....but if the spot you must use gives you no choice so be it.

Keep it simple and make it work...no rocket science required.