Snow Camping Tips and Etiquette
Choosing a Camp Site
The most important thing to do before setting up a camp site is to make sure you're in the right spot. So where is the right spot? This will depend on several factors the most important being the weather. If you're heading out on an overnighter you'll want to have a good look at the forecast, taking particular note of the wind strength and direction for today and the rest of the time you plan to be in that location. It's also a good idea to consider what visibility may be like in the area you are planning to camp at. Once you've taken the weather into account you may also want to consider the following questions. Do you want a vista? How far are you willing to haul all your gear? Do you want an easy exit if the weather turns bad? Do you want to be near running water?
Once you've weighed these factors up chose a rough location on the map and head to it. Once you get to the area don't rush into setting the tent up. Drop your pack and ski around to try and find the area that provides the best protection from the wind and that is away from potential hazards like falling cornices. You may also want to chose a location that has enough cover to allow for excavation of a snow structure or shelter to sit/cook in.
If the weather's good it's nice to have a vista.
There may be some areas that you are not permitted to camp in. In the Kosciuszko National Park camping is forbidden in the catchments of the alpine lakes. This includes Club Lake, Blue Lake, Headley Tarn and Lake Albina. It's worth studying a map before you head out to make sure you don't camp in the lake catchments.
Setting Up a Camp Site
Once you're happy with the chosen location you want to level out a platform for your tent. Use a shovel to create a roughly level surface. Once this is done don your skis and compact the surface as best as possible, then use your skis to finely level the surface. Remember that you'll be sleeping on this surface so its worth taking the time to get it right. If it's windy it may be a good idea to build some sort of protective wall before you get your tent out.
Now its time to put the tent up. If you've got a free standing tent, the weathers fine and you've got protection from the wind its best to put the tent up away from your platform so that you don't end up with a whole lot of footprints in it. Once erected carry the tent onto the platform and anchor it in place with snow pegs, plastic shopping bags or whatever may do the job. When using plastic shopping bags i like to half fill the bag with snow then tie it to the tent tie down or guy rope. Then excavate 30cm x 30cm hole to approximately 40cm deep. For best results dig the hole on an angle toward the underside of the tent and dig approximately 20cm away from the area the location you think the tie down should be (this allows for some stretching of the bag handles and the tent tie down. Place the half filled bag into the hole and adjust its position to maximise tension on the tent fly. If you're pegging out your vestibule it helps to do anchor both tie downs at the same time. When you're happy with the position of the tent fly backfill the hole above the plastic bag making sure the bag stays hard up against the wall closest to the tent (this minimises the chance of the bag coming lose before the snow sets around it). For best results use wettish snow to backfill around the bag.
Once the tent is up and secured its a good idea to build a bit of a snow wall around it to provide additional protection from the wind. It's also a good idea to excavate a cooking and seating area with protection from the wind.
Snow walls add additional protection from wind.
When you're happy your pegs or snow anchors have set its a good idea to excavate a hole inside the vestibule of your tent. This provides additional room to store gear at night, makes getting in and out easier, provides a good place to get in and out of your boots and may serve as a cooking area if you haven't got time to dig some other form of shelter or if the weather is feral outside.
A well excavated tent vestibule makes getting in and out of the tent easy, provides additional space to store gear and makes getting the boots on and off much easier.
Snow Camping Etiquette
A modified version of the wilderness area motto applies for snow camping, "take but pictures, leave nothing but yellow snow". This is a no brainer really. You pretty much want to make sure you cart everything out that brought with you. This includes your shit. Yes the brown stuff that can resemble Mr Whippy's finest choc nut delight after a few days on the nut bars and dehydrated food. I put off doing this for several years because the idea of making and carrying a PVC poo tube was a bit beyond me. It's really not that hard. On a recent trip I succumbed to peer pressure and so began my love affair with shitting into a plastic bag. Besides the aesthetic and water quality issues it provides a couple of benefits to the shitter. Firstly, your arse stays a bit warmer when you've got a bag around it. Secondly, once that sucker is out you can close the bag and get it out of harms way. This reduces the chance of you standing in it whilst your trying to clean up and is the equivalent of a high country 'courtesy flush' to yourself and your camping partners.
So the procedure for those that might not be clear on it is that you crap into some sort of plastic bag. Any paper waste also goes into this plastic bag. You tie the bag up really tight. You can either carry the bag out with you in a purpose designed poo tube or you can quintuple bag it and carry it out wrapped in several layers of plastic.
The only other thing to think about is filling large excavations in the snow if they are in a heavily trafficked areas.