Camping in winter conditions is a serious business. A multi-day trip in the snow can be a real survival exercise, it’s colder, wetter, windier and if you’re lucky it may even snow. Looking after yourself is vital. You need to stay warm, dry and fed and watered – it’s a full time job.

Tent design

A four-season tent is crucial to survival. If you’re tent doesn’t work you may as well forget it and go snow-holing! Strength and simplicity is the key. You may have to pitch the thing in a blizzard, so make sure you’re well-practised.

If a lot of snow is expected think carefully about the strength of tent poles – it may be worth doubling up some poles on lighter geodesic tents and it's definitely worth bringing a spare pole. Try to select a tent with steep side walls and small panels so that snow does not collect on the flysheet too much. If snow does accumulate you’ll have to get outside and clear it – not a popular task. Be careful though, I was once in a snowbound tent on Nanga Parbat and had to get out in the night to clear snow. Unfortunately I was a little too vigorous and pushed the shovel right through the tent – my partner was not amused.

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Four season and expedition tents often have extra guying points which should be used if possible, although this can be difficult. Regular tent pegs are not effective in snow so a little thought is needed here. You can buy special snow anchors for your tent. However a little improvisation will save money and weight. Ice axes, ski poles and skis make great anchors either as stakes or buried horizontally in softer snow. Another trick is to fill a stuff sack or carrier bag with snow and bury it. This works well but if it freezes it can prove impossible to empty the bag afterwards.

Site Selection

A little thought put into choosing your campsite can save you a lot of bother. Obviously a sheltered site is preferable but care is needed. A sheltered site is likely to be on a lee slope or in the lee of a wall or boulder. Unfortunately this is where wind-blown snow accumulates and so you could find that you’re tent gets covered in snow. Go a little way downwind rather than being right up against whatever shelter you’ve chosen. In the mountains you will have to consider your chosen site in relation to potential avalanche slopes. Are you on one or beneath one?

Don’t forget avalanches are not restricted to the Scottish mountains. Many years ago I was camping in the snow below Froggatt Edge when Great Slab avalanched and buried our tent – not the sort of thing you associate with the Peak District.

Camping in snow does give the opportunity to modify the site. You can stamp down a flat platform or build one up with a shovel. Check for rocks below the surface before you commit to a massive digging session. There’s nothing worse than spending half an hour digging a platform to find that there’s a large rock in the middle. Once you have a flat area you can build a nice wall to protect you from the elements. But remember to build it a few metres away from the tent so that you don’t get snow building up right on top of you.

It should be obvious from the above that a snow shovel is a very handy thing to have in winter. Many good lightweight shovels are available, usually designed for off-piste skiers. If you have a shovel always have it easily to hand, in the tent porch, so that you can dig yourself out if necessary. Don’t just leave it, or anything else, outside the tent. If it snows you may not be able to find anything in the morning.

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Hanging out

Before you get into your tent try to brush off as much snow off your clothing as possible, otherwise it will melt all over everything inside. On those big 70’s expeditions Chris Bonington used to take a small brush for this, perhaps a little excessive for the lightweight backpacker unless of course you’re particularly house proud.

Ground insulation is vital in winter so a sleeping mat is essential. Once installed in the tent, get into dry clothes as soon as possible and get in your sleeping bag. The sooner you get in your pit the warmer you’ll be, so don’t faff around. If your bag is a bit chilly breathe into it, it’ll soon warm up. Or if you’re a real softy you can make a brew, put hot water in your water bottle and use it as a hot water bottle – luxury!

Make sure that your sleeping bag will be warm enough, a liner will increase its insulative ability. Also consider the filling: multi-day trips can lead to a very damp bag so modern synthetic fillings may be best as they remain warm when wet. Did you know that if you are rescued off a big wall in Yosemite by the Park Services, they can charge more for the rescue if a wet down bag contributed to your predicament? – be warned!

Try to get wet stuff dry. Most tents have attachment points in the inner to allow you to rig a drying line. Gloves and socks will be the priority and may have to go inside your sleeping bag to dry out – the best place is unfortunately your belly! If it’s really cold inner boots will need to go in the sleeping bag as well to help keep them dry and warm. Don’t be tempted to keep your boots on though – you’ll end up with trench foot.

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Cooking

Now for the gourmet bit! Cooking in tents can either be a chore or an interesting diversion. If it’s stormy you’re going to have to cook in the tent porch. Be very, very careful. There is a big risk of burning down your only shelter so a considered, systematic approach is crucial. Venting is also crucial to prevent the real risk of dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. If you're in any doubt of the seriousness of this, Google it. Condensation while cooking is more of a problem in winter, too. Venting can prove tricky in a blizzard but nobody said it was going to be easy, so do your best.

Stoves have to be stable, which is sometimes tricky in the snow because the stove will melt down into it. So it’s a good idea to have some sort of pad under the stove. A thick piece of aluminium foil is light and effective but anything will do, so long as it doesn’t melt. This ground insulation is particularly important if you use a gas stove because the cold inhibits the performance of the stove. The usual trick is to pre-warm the gas cylinder (propane-butane mixes are best) in your sleeping bag. Be careful though, if the gas cylinder leaks you could be suffocated, as the gas collects in your sleeping bag: it has happened.

The next question is, what should I eat? The answer – anything you like and lots of it! Mountaineering in winter is hard work and so you need plenty of fuel. Appetising food that you really want to eat is going to be better than a ghastly dehydrated meal. Fat is good because it helps keep you warm – polar explorers have got it wired – they eat slabs of lard!

Going 'outside'

So having created shelter, got warm and dry, had a nice meal and a cuppa, what’s next? The next thing that inevitably happens is the urge to go to the loo and it will almost certainly be a raging blizzard outside.

If you just want a pee take a tip from expedition climbers and use a pee bottle – at least a litre will be necessary. And be careful not to mix up the pee bottle with the drinking water. If you do brave the elements and go outside be careful not to contaminate any snow you may be using to melt for water. The best way of avoiding this is to bring bags of snow into the porch for easy access.

If you have to drop you trousers don’t just dig a hole in the snow anywhere - think about it. The snow will melt, leaving behind a disgusting mess in the spring. Excrement ideally needs burying in the ground but this may prove impossible if it’s frozen. Packing out excrement is possible but difficult to do in a safe way, even though it is a legal requirement in some parts of the world.

Camping in snowy conditions is more difficult than in summer, but perhaps, because of that, is more rewarding. Do take it steady and learn the skills at lower altitudes and closer to home at first before disappearing off into the high hills.

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