Special tricks for camping on sand or snow


Posted BY Ian under camping-advice

This article was prompted by my recent one on Qualities of a Best Family Tent. The principles apply to any form of camping on sand or snow, whether that be on a beach, desert or mountain.

Tent design

It pays to have a tent that is designed to standalone. That generally means a geodesic or dome design. Although these benefit from being pegged out they are at least functional when erected and held in place by some ballast. Tunnel tents, Traverse-hoop tents and Ridge-pole tents all need to be pegged out properly to achieve their proper shape and hence strength and stability.

Special tent pegs

Skewer type pegs are totally useless in sand or snow. They will not bear any strain and you are only likely to lose them. Angle pegs offer more resistance and may be OK for firm sand (sand that is damp or held together by some vegetation) or old, hard snow. They are still far from ideal. The best option for camping on sand is to use a sand stake. These are longer and wider than an angle peg and offer significantly more resistance to the sand or snow. Snow/sand stakes are available from Cotswold Outdoors.

The deadman

'Deadman' is a delightful term for a buried object used as an anchor. Mountaineers often use a deadman as a belay point. They can equally be used when camping - though there is usually no need to make the point quite as strong. Pretty much anything can be buried in sand or snow to provide an anchor point. The area offering resistance is what provides the strength. A light but large object provides much more strength than a small but heavy one. For a really lightweight option, consider carrying plastic bags and filling these with sand before burying. The object needs be attached to your tent somehow. Mountaineering deadmen come with a wire strap. You can improvise with your own wire, string or heavy fishing line. All buried objects should be retrieved (as should tent pegs)