Tent Camping in fresh snow

Scrape it off, put down the water barrier and pitch the tent. It's only a couple inches of snow so it should not take long to clear the area.


Hopefully you'll have some type air mattress of pad to put over the bottom of the tent and then your sleeping bag on top of that so your sleeping bag is not in almost direct contact with the cold ground.

Assuming not a POS tent, I wouldn’t do anything other than just set it up on that little snow. If it’s deeper/drifted and not firm I’ll take a few minutes to stomp it flatish.

Make sure you’re using an insulated mattress (and a closed cell pad under an insulated inflatable is even better). Hang the tent up to dry when you get home before you put it away.

Three season 3 person tent. Waterproof liner under tent, moving blanket on inside floor, inflatable mattress and zero bag on top. Only supposed to be 35 degrees w/ light winds all week.

Stove would be nice.

Some more info would help. Right now is beginning of mud season when the snow melts which is what you’ll experience. It’s one of the worst times to camp.

If it’s fresh snow and the ground is not frozen then I’d probably clean the snow up first. I wouldn’t want to set up on snow that’s going to melt. If it’s well below freezing then as said you can pack it down and set up on top of it with a water proof barrier.

quote:

---

Did you buy the frame kit from Davis Tent or did you do it yourself?

---

When you buy a tent from them they will email you a “cut kit” which gives you the number and length of 1” conduit needed for the frame. Just get the angle kit from them and cut it local. Hell, the Home Depot dude cut all mine to length in the store.


I can’t say enough good things about Davis, even after the buy-out. They are awesome to work with. I’ve been in the shop in Denver - good people. One of them put me on some elk a couple years ago.

Shovel snow out of the tent area.

I’ll preface this by saying I’ve never camped in snow, but I always try to make sure where I set up is relatively dry when we’re camping in cold weather. I’ve been a few times where the lows at night were mid 30s. Huge tarp under the tent, and a couple of cheap harbor freight moving blankets inside. Helps keep the floor of the tent dry and not muddy. Air mattress on top of that.

quote:

---

Three season 3 person tent

---

Assuming it’s a 2 piece tent and the lining is mesh, snow will get blown under your fly and into your tent if there’s any on the ground and it’s windy. With the temps your stating through doesn’t sound like you should have much accumulation.

quote:

---

It can create a swimming pool like deal where the tent is sitting in a puddle that can't drain

---

Learned this lesson a few years ago. Left a big tarp apron and woke up on a water bed.

If it is a three-season tent, you can have some issues, event with a rainfly. Snow accumulates, causes sagging, and you can have water seepage. I know quite a few people that will put a tarp above a three-season ten if snow is in the forecast.