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Setting up a Snow Encampment
Try to find a location not directly under trees. Also, look at the trees and insure that old rotten trees can not fall onto your encampment in a high wind. Look for a location that is out of the wind. Cold air sinks, so a valley floor will be colder than part way up a hill. Try to locate your encampment so that it will be exposed to the sunlight in the morning. If it should rain on top of the snow sufficiently for runoff to occur, make sure you are not in a low spot where water will accumulate or where runoff will flow through the encampment. You can apply (obviously) many of the same criteria that you would use during a Summer backpacking expedition.
Once you have found the best site given the terrain, excavate the snow down to ground level if possible (see diagram below). The reason for this is that ground temperature will be greater than that of snow. It will also give you firm ground to anchor the tent appropriately. If you can not get to ground level, use your boots to compress the snow into as firm as possible layer. The excavated snow can be built up to form a berm that will server as a shield from the wind. Try to build the berm up to about half to two thirds the height of the tent. Place the back of the tent toward the wind so that the opening of the tent and the berm area away from the wind. Should the wind be blowing hard and constantly, locate the opening of the tent 45 degrees to one side or the other away from the wind. If the tent is not round, but rectangular, pitch the tent lengthwise parallel to the direction of the wind. If the wind is variable, you may need to build another berm perpendicular to the opening of the tent and long enough to protect the opening.
Before actually pitching the tent, place either tarps (inexpensive blue polypropylene tarps work OK for this) or conifer boughs for insulation on the ground. Pitch the tent using conventional pegs in the ground or special wide snow pegs if you have to put them into snow. The outer fly will probably have guy lines to secure it from the wind. If it is windy enough, you may need to use a log or branch (or something similar with a large surface area) with the guy line attached buried in the snow and packed in securely in order to provide a more secure tether point.
4. Dog Picket Line Considerations
Set the picket line for the dogs in front of the opening of the tent an insure the berm is wide enough so that you can see the entire picket line (see diagram below). In the middle of the night when the dogs are barking madly, you need to see clearly if you have a bear or it's just a coyote or something else less problematic around the dogs (see #6 Critters below). If you are far enough in the open, you may need to build a berm to serve as a barrier for the dogs. Generally, they will dig their own burrow in the snow to get out of the wind. However, you may need to give some added wind break.
Extra gear can be placed inside the berm between it and the tent. Skis, and snowshoes with poles can be placed vertically in the snow outside the opening of the berm.
You can dig a fire pit to place a wood fire into. You should dig it down to the ground and wide enough for air flow all around it. Locate the fire pit between the dog picket line and the tent/berm location in such a manner as it is protected from wind. In some locations the snow is so deep (several feet), you can't easily dig the fire pit deep enough to reach ground. Make sure it is wide enough to get air around the fire and it will melt it's way to ground level eventually.
The location that you choose to setup up your stove for cooking is only dependent on keeping it away from the dogs and the tent. Obviously, if there is a wind problem, that will affect your decision also. You can dig into the snow and build a berm around it for protection. It is also very important that you put something between the base of the stove and the snow. Hot stoves will melt their way into the snow without some insulating material to prevent this from happening. Any movement can spill the contents of pots setting atop the stove some making sure the stove base is insulated and level are very important.
When the tent is setup and sealed properly, moisture will condense inside the tent and carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (if you use any kind of lantern) will accumulate inside. To offset these factors the bulletin ventilators should be opened near or at the top of the tent. After a period of time, this condensation will accumulate on the inside of the outer fly and can freeze. You may need to temporarily remove the fly and clear away any ice or excessive condensation.
It is best to light the inside of the tent with a candle lantern and a regular gas or propane lantern should be avoided. The candle lantern will use less oxygen and therefore produce less carbon monoxide and water vapor.
Can you burn water? Well, no, but it sure can taste like it. When you forage for water in winter, if you can't find open water in a creek or whatever, you just melt snow. However, it's not that easy if you don't melt it right. First pour an inch of water into a pan you are going to use. Then compress a snowball just large enough to fit into the pot and the put the lid on. As the snowball melts, add more compressed snowballs into the mix until you fill the pot and have sufficient water. You should then let the water cool down and then filter it using the same type filter you would normally use for water purification. At minimum, use a charcoal filter and filter paper.
You should know what native and possibly non-native animals are going to be out and about in your area of operation. Bears bother me because they are unpredictable. Grizzlies and their cousins the Brown Bears are supposed to hibernate over Winter. Okay so at least they aren't out in deep Winter, but certainly could pose a problem later in early Spring. The Black Bear on the other hand can actually come out during Winter and forage. So, the same bear-proofing measures need to be employed. Use "bear bells" on the sled and other gear. I put several on the dogs and the sled. Bear proof food containers are obviously a necessity also. Normally, a half a dozen or more barking dogs will keep the Black Bear out of camp, but don't count on it. Depending on the bear's state at the time, it may be starving and your dog's picket line looks like a buffet line to it. Be prepared. Also use a "Bear Bag" or Bear Can" for food (yours and the dogs). Wolves, don't worry about (they are very human wary), but Coyotes on the other hand know humans are a food source and are quite bold. Generally, Coyotes are solitary, but sometimes a mated pair will have older offspring with them. I have watched them come within feet of the dogs on a picket line boldly searching out food scraps. They are tenacious and will run out of sight and come back shortly keeping you awake all night checking out why the dogs are barking madly. Mountain Lions (Cougars, Pumas, whatever they are called in your area) can also be a threat. Normally, deer are their preferred prey. However, again, Winter can change subsistence needs and you and your dogs can start looking pretty good. You and your mob of angry Canines need to look as dangerous as possible. Cats are stealthy hunters and the dogs may not alert immediately to the presence of a cat. The Lynx or Bobcat can also be a formidable adversary. There are other potentially threatening critters such as Raccoons, Wolverines, Badgers, etc that you need to be aware of in the wild. Keep the dogs picketed close to you and in view at night. If the dogs start barking in a frenzy, check it out. If it's deer OK, if it's a moose, it's not really OK and if it's a predator, you had better get up and insure it leaves the area.