How to prepare your alpine-mountaineering tent for optimal performance
Retro-Fit your tents to withstand high winds w/ inexpensive tech. Weighs less than 1oz .
Learn how to prepare guy-lines in the same fashion as the guides at the Mountain Bureau LLC. This light-duty upgrade will save you time and secure your shelters to withstand severe weather much better.
Mountain Bureau LLC Client Brian I. in Terror Basin of the Picket Range in North Cascades National Park during our ascent of East Ridge of Inspiration Peak. Photo: Mark Allen
Out of the box, the tie downs for tents, or “guy lines” are more often than not rigged for use below-tree-line (BTL). In the BTL set up it commonly uses stakes as fixed points that are hammered into the dirt to attach the tent to the ground. The adjustments are then made at the fixed point (the stake) not at the tent.
“This creates a problem for climbers in the in the alpine”.
When Above-tree-line (ATL) your stakes, or fixed points, are often improvised or buried (rocks, snow) thus and adjustment toggle or hitch on your guy line gets buried and is no longer adjustable. Climbing tents need the guy-line adjustment to happen at the fly. This requires you to retro-fit right out of the box. All of the following tricks can also be used to “re-guy” your tent for seasonal preparation.
The Standards we aim for are:
Adjustments happen at the tent fly anchor point
Guy-lines are pre-rigged on your tent to be able to improvise your fixed point (tent stake, t-slot in snow, ice axe, rock, ski, tree ect.)
You can use the manufacturer’s guy line adjustment-nut or you can tie your own low tech taut-line hitch (more on this below)
Use light weight 2-3mm cord
We showcase the MSR Advanced Pro II as the Mountain Bureau LLC upgraded all of your programs in the North Cascades and Central Cascades to utilize these tents. It is the best single wall light-weight tent to use in our environment as alpinists. However, like any tent it needs some optimization to fully utilize the performance as expected.
For a mere 29 grams, just about 1oz, we have a “mod” for you to keep your tent in place when that unforecasted (or pending) squall kicks up on your way back from the summit. Most tents come out of the box ready for camping in or below treeline. To attach your tent to the ground, stakes are placed and the tent fly is attached. To make any adjustments, you'll slide the manufacturers “adjustment nut” to tension the tent into place. The problem lies beyond the trees. In the alpine mountaineering setting, the fixed points we attach the tent too are no longer stakes, and are often buried in the snow.
We solve this problem by:
Moving the tension adjustments from the end of the line, to the attachment at the fly-anchor point. This allows the end of the line to be buried in the snow, keeping the adjustability above the surface and accessible.
The end of the lines are tied with an overhand on a bight, for easy girth-hitching of fixed objects (tent stake, t-slot in snow, ice axe, rock, ski, tree ect).
Add additional guy-lines with equalization to best support the tent by adding stability and a negligible amount of weight.
See our infographic below and go pick up the MSR Advanced Pro II for an awesome mountain adventure.
Stock Below Tree Line guy line configuration
Rigging for improvised alpine anchors
Equalization of fly anchors with taut- line hitches.
Many of you might be thinking…”what is the heck is taut-line hitch”. Well, it’s a way to improvise a guy-line-adjustment nut by tieing your own friction hitch. Once your learn this you will never go back. It has its limitations, and does take a learning curve, but here’s the beta on hacking the hitch.
Hope this helps and see you in the mountains!
Steffan Gregory
AMGA Assistant Alpine Guide
AMGA Certified Rock Guide
ASSISTANT SPI PROVIDER