Rigging snow shovel blade as a deadman snow anchor
 

I have a Voile snow shovel with two holes in the blade for rigging it as a
deadman snow anchor. Any recommendations on the best material to pass
through the blade holes? 1" tubular webbing? Can a correctly planted snow
shovel be expected to behave like a snow fluke (e.g. if offset from the
slope by 40°) in wet or slushy snow?

Thanks.

Howard

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In article m,
Howard nun wrote:
I have a Voile snow shovel with two holes in the blade for rigging it as a
deadman snow anchor. Any recommendations on the best material to pass
through the blade holes? 1" tubular webbing? Can a correctly planted snow
shovel be expected to behave like a snow fluke (e.g. if offset from the
slope by 40°) in wet or slushy snow?


_ Traditionally, those holes are for rigging an emergency sled or
creating a simple strap carrying system. They aren't meant for
rigging a snow fluke. Thin metal edges and nylon webbing and rope
aren't a good combo, there's nothing I would trust. There is a
reason snow flukes have metal cable connections. The best way to
use a shovel is as a standard deadman with a sling around the
shaft, of course if you do that you don't have anything to dig
the deadman out with. Snow flukes make crappy shovels and
shovels make dangerous snow flukes.

_ Booker C. Bense


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reason snow flukes have metal cable connections. The best way to
use a shovel is as a standard deadman with a sling around the
shaft, of course if you do that you don't have anything to dig
the deadman out with. Snow flukes make crappy shovels and
shovels make dangerous snow flukes.

I would not recommend to use a shovel as deadman. The shaft is
not strong enough for that purpose. Even ice axes might not qualifiy
for the usage as deadman (there is a UIAA norm for shafts).

Bernd

bbense+rec.climbing.rec.skiing.backcountry.May.17.
wrote:

Snow flukes make crappy shovels and
shovels make dangerous snow flukes.

Both are better than nothing, though. But if you expect to
need pickets or flukes, you probably should just carry
pickets or flukes.

Another common mod I have seen for metal snow shovel blades
is holes cut in the blade in just the right spot to turn it
into a platform for a Whisperlite stove.

in article , Bernd Nebendahl at
wrote on 5/17/04 9:46 AM:

reason snow flukes have metal cable connections. The best way to
use a shovel is as a standard deadman with a sling around the
shaft, of course if you do that you don't have anything to dig
the deadman out with. Snow flukes make crappy shovels and
shovels make dangerous snow flukes.

I would not recommend to use a shovel as deadman. The shaft is
not strong enough for that purpose. Even ice axes might not qualifiy
for the usage as deadman (there is a UIAA norm for shafts).

Bernd


I agree, but for a different reason. The snow shovel would make a good
deadman for anchoring things like your tent. Like Booker said, though, as
soon as you implement that shovel for a deadman it's pretty much out of the
picture as far as a shovel is concerned.

I have used things like trekking poles, mountain axes, tree branches and the
likes, very successfully, for anchoring tents, in all kinds of weather. I
have never used any of these (other then the mountain axe...) for body
weight or over and don't know if I would unless that was all I had...

Ratzzz...

"Michael A. Riches" wrote:

I have used things like trekking poles, mountain axes, tree branches and the
likes, very successfully, for anchoring tents, in all kinds of weather.

My absolute favorite tent anchors are nylon mesh stuff sacks
filled with snow. They hold insanely well. The snow inside
the sack bonds to the snow outside the sack, and you end up
with a web of nylon imbedded in the snow.

Not really any more work than any other kind of deadman; you
don't bury any hardware that you need, and four or five
nylon mesh bags weigh almost nothing.

in article , Mike Garrison at
wrote on 5/17/04 3:08 PM:

My absolute favorite tent anchors are nylon mesh stuff sacks
filled with snow. They hold insanely well. The snow inside
the sack bonds to the snow outside the sack, and you end up
with a web of nylon imbedded in the snow.

Not really any more work than any other kind of deadman; you
don't bury any hardware that you need, and four or five
nylon mesh bags weigh almost nothing.

Yeah...I've heard of this before, but have never tried yet. It would be
interesting to do some pull tests and see just how much this "stuff sack"
thing really will hold.

It makes a lot sense and they could possibly far, far, exceed the holding
power of pickets or flutes under the right snow conditions, especially if
they were designed like a parachute or drag anchor, on a boat, with the
support webbing or stranding running completely around the bag portion.

Ratzzz...(I have also been amazed at the holding power of snow bollards(sp),
with just a jacket or piece of fleece between the rope and the snow,
"incredible" holding power...)

Mike Garrison wrote in message ...
"Michael A. Riches" wrote:

I have used things like trekking poles, mountain axes, tree branches and the
likes, very successfully, for anchoring tents, in all kinds of weather.

My absolute favorite tent anchors are nylon mesh stuff sacks
filled with snow. They hold insanely well. The snow inside
the sack bonds to the snow outside the sack, and you end up
with a web of nylon imbedded in the snow.

Not really any more work than any other kind of deadman; you
don't bury any hardware that you need, and four or five
nylon mesh bags weigh almost nothing.

Me too. I use just standard smallish stuff sacks, about the size of
one built for an ultralight thermarest. Ones I use come with a kind
of daisy chain webbing loop sewn onto the side. Nice. I clip them to
the tent with nylon clips. Seems pretty bomber once the snow sets up.
And...no biggie if they get trashed, seem to work fine even cut to
shreds. Yep, they hold insanely well is how I'd describe them.

Brian in SLC

My absolute favorite tent anchors are nylon mesh stuff sacks
filled with snow. They hold insanely well. The snow inside
the sack bonds to the snow outside the sack, and you end up
with a web of nylon imbedded in the snow.

Not really any more work than any other kind of deadman; you
don't bury any hardware that you need, and four or five
nylon mesh bags weigh almost nothing.

How about getting those anchors out? Isn't it a problem to dig them out
once they are frozen to the snow? I used traditional (Bibler) snow and sand
anchors on Denali and even those where hard to dig out after a few days.

Bernd

Bernd Nebendahl wrote:

How about getting those anchors out? Isn't it a problem to dig them out
once they are frozen to the snow?

Yes. That is the main problem. I have had to chip them out
with the ice axe adze on occasion, but I can usually get
them out with just a shovel. However, I would rather have my
tent anchored to something that is difficult to remove than
to have it anchored to something that melts out after a few
hours of midday sun.