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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum

Winter Camping and Activities

Securing tent on ice

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Date/Time: 04/29/2024 08:59AM

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Securing tent on ice

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Previous Messages:
Author	Message Text
Gadfly	01/19/2021 09:09AM Jaywalker: "One more thing about ice screws is that they only seem helpful if you are on a lake with very little snow or if you have shoveled down to the ice. I always stamp down the snow where I set up and there is offend a fair amount of it. I like having that layer of packed snow between me and the ice. It creates a place for any melt from the stove without me having to see a puddle or a barrier in case slush starts to show up. " This brings up another good point. If you are camping on the ice you never want to shovel out a spot for your shelter. Always trample down the snow as the snow will prevent your shelter from freezing to the ice. For us the ice anchors are really the only thing that makes sense to use as we are often camping in the middle of the lake on our fishing spot and there is often less snow and more wind in those areas. Its a different ballgame when that wind picks up and I feel better being tied to and anchor than a log. If it is a warmer day or the sun is out it is a good idea to burry the anchors in snow as they will cause the ice to melt and become loose.
Jaywalker	01/18/2021 11:32AM One more thing about ice screws is that they only seem helpful if you are on a lake with very little snow or if you have shoveled down to the ice. I always stamp down the snow where I set up and there is offend a fair amount of it. I like having that layer of packed snow between me and the ice. It creates a place for any melt from the stove without me having to see a puddle or a barrier in case slush starts to show up.
rightsideup	01/16/2021 07:55AM CRL: "Ice climbing screws are fantastic. They are easier to put in than the ones that come with hub houses. " 100%. They are spendy but if you figure $150 for 6 screws, will last 25 years, that’s $6/year. Or, if your didn’t smoke cigarettes last month you already saved $250, spend $150 on screws and you still have $100 discretionary income.
Savage Voyageur	01/14/2021 01:12PM With my Eskimo Fatfish ice house shelter I use a 18 volt portable hand drill with an adapter on the end to screw them into the ice. The tool makes fast work of this task. About 3 seconds to install them. Not sure where you are going to use your tent but you can’t use a drill in the BWCA. No problem because you can just screw them in by hand. Here is the link... Ice anchor adaptor tool
Minnesotian	01/12/2021 04:17PM Don't often set up on the ice, but there are couple of ways I have done it. First was with pole barn nails. Kinda worked. More like the exploded the ice where I pounded them in. If there is any snow, then yeah, sticks buried are the best. I use a taut-line hitch and then it is a simple untie and slip the rope out of the snow, leaving the buried stick behind. If there is no snow, I have brought a hand-drill brace and a Philips bit, and screwed in pole barn screws or GRK Fasteners. No battery needed.
Jaywalker	01/12/2021 03:44PM CRL: "wharrier: "I've used sticks. Put your stick through your loop, bury it in the snow and stomp on it. Don't tighten the lines for an hour or 2. Once the snow sets up, it will be hard as a rock. Often requires a hatchet to get it out." To save a step, if you use parachute cord with a trucker's hitch, you can pop the knot fully out, pull the p-cord thru and leave the stick/deadman buried." That's what I do too, but dont bother with a truckers hitch. I just tie a bowline for a loop to go down into the snow and use the tensioners toward the tent to tighten. No need to dig up the anchors unless I've used snow stakes - then an axe needs to come in. Snow shoveled onto the sod cloth will also do a great deal to keep it in place, at least once it sinters. Usually I set my tent up in a small cove close to shore protected from the wind, so dont worry about the tent while the snow sets up. Only once did I ever use an ice screw, but that was on Lake Minnetonka setting up for a dogsled race during a blizzard. I had a cordless drill for that, and had to tie the back off my tent to my sled to keep it from blowing off. Fro the BWCA, I would not mind having one good climbing ice drill (manual) for any rare need, but have not coughed up the dough yet.
CRL	01/12/2021 03:38PM Ice climbing screws are fantastic. They are easier to put in than the ones that come with hub houses.
CRL	01/12/2021 03:35PM wharrier: "I've used sticks. Put your stick through your loop, bury it in the snow and stomp on it. Don't tighten the lines for an hour or 2. Once the snow sets up, it will be hard as a rock. Often requires a hatchet to get it out." To save a step, if you use parachute cord with a trucker's hitch, you can pop the knot fully out, pull the p-cord thru and leave the stick/deadman buried.
wharrier	01/12/2021 02:52PM I've used sticks. Put your stick through your loop, bury it in the snow and stomp on it. Don't tighten the lines for an hour or 2. Once the snow sets up, it will be hard as a rock. Often requires a hatchet to get it out.
Gadfly	01/11/2021 01:00PM I just use the Eskimo ice anchors that came with my pop up shelter. They hold great and a little tip if you are having trouble getting them started you can pour a small amount of water in the ice before putting them in they go in the ice fairly smoothly.
Happyman01	01/11/2021 11:18AM This year will be my first year using the hot tent out on the ice. What are the best methods for securing the anchors? Should I bring something to drill into the ice? Thanks!