Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition ISBN 0-907649-91-2 London ...

22 RGS-IBG Polar Expeditions Manual
3.2 Tents
The criteria for tent selection will depend on the aims of the expedition. There is a
relationship between weight, space, strength and durability. The lightest tents are small and
not the most durable in strong winds or when buried by snowfall. With a small expedition,
consider the pros and cons of one tent for all (risky if destroyed) versus two (colder, less
sociable, longer to erect, etc.). Consider the logistics of every stage of the expedition plan.
If the majority of the time will be spent with pulks it is easy to underestimate the value of
the lightest possible tent for the short period when everything will be carried in rucksacks.
The North Face Westwind has been made for many years but is still one of the lightest
four-season two-person tents available, and a useful benchmark to compare other models
with.
Know how to pitch your tent in high wind. Putting one up in snow blowing 20 knots is
not like putting the tent up in the garden at home. Also if the weather is good when setting
up camp, assume it will be bad when you take it down. Always anchor both inner and outer
tents firmly.
Pegs normally supplied with the tent will not be sufficient for snow. You can buy
snow pegs which should be at least 75cm long but where weight is always a priority use
snow stakes, skis, ski poles, ice axes, ‘dead men’ or cut bamboo canes to length. Bear in
mind you may wish to use some of these objects while you leave your tent up. If camping
on ice then iron pegs or ice screws will be necessary. Always cover up the top of your tent
anchors with snow otherwise they will ‘ablate out’ even in overcast weather.
Never camp near crevasses, cornices, avalanche or rockfall risks. Beware of likely
katabatic winds or on the coast, tidal waves. Consider meltwater if the temperature rises. A
lee slope will be more prone to snow accumulation and may suffer buffeting from eddies.
Sastrugi alignment should indicate the prevailing wind direction. The tent door should
ideally face cross-wind as the lee side of the tent (and any other objects) will drift up. If
camping in a crevassed area cannot be avoided, probe the area fully and mark out a ‘safe’
area. A tent pitched on soft snow will not be securely anchored and in the event of a storm,
the tent (and pegs) could be completely blown away. Snow walls can protect your tent but
also allow drift to accumulate in the lee.
In warm conditions, a tent left in one place for some days ends up on a pedestal and will
probably have to be moved.
In contrast, in poor weather a tent can quickly become buried. It is vital to check
conditions outside regularly. In such conditions, keep a shovel inside the tent; you may
need to dig yourself out! In strong wind or drifts secure yourself to a rope from inside the
tent. In 1990, a member of Will Steger’s Trans-Antarctic expedition lost his sense of
direction only a few metres from his tent and was only found hours later…alive. Others
have not been so lucky.
Most four season tents will be suitable for use on Polar trips. At the time of writing both
Terra Nova and The North Face produced ranges of high quality 4 season tents that have
been used successfully on numerous expeditions. Some of the Scandinavian tents such as
Hellsport have become firm polar favourites because they do not have nylon outers.
Canadian Arctic Holidays (www.canadianarcticholidays.ca) produce a customised Polar
tent that has now become the recognised tent for Arctic Ocean travel. It uses skis and ski
poles as the frame, is excellent for groups of five to six persons, but is more vulnerable to
strong winds than dome tents. Snowsled also produce special order polar tents. Kyham