What is a safe snow load on canvas tents?
Keeping snow off your tent is critical when winter camping! The canvas tent pole system can withstand a lot of force from wind and rain, but not the weight of a small car! A large surface area means a larger possible snow load, which increases the possibility for tent collapse.
How Much Snow Can a Tent Hold?
No two snowflakes are the same. The same with snow load. Wet snow can be three times heavier than the same volume of dry snow. Ten centimeters of snow can thus easily amount to several hundred kilograms, potentially compromising the structural integrity of your tent.
The most snow load–resistant tent in our lineup is, without question, the Tipi. We’ve even seen examples where a Tipi was completely buried under 3 meters (10 feet) of snow and still standing strong. That said, this is very much the exception, not the rule. As a general guideline, snow should be cleared from your tent regularly during winter camping. Most tents can buckle under as little as 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow when combined with strong wind loads—especially if the tent isn’t perfectly pitched in such harsh conditions. Consistent snow removal is the best way to protect both your shelter and your safety.
Note: Make sure the guy lines remain well tensioned underneath all that snow, and the tent is pitched properly on a flat surface is essential to the structural integrity of any tent. For more information on how to pitch a tent in deep snow check out our blog.
How to Remove Snow from a Canvas Tent
When heavy snow builds up faster than it can melt, an extendable car scraper with a soft brush is a great tool to brush snow off the canvas on the exterior, or from inside the tent, gently tap the canvas, so the snow falls off the tent.
In order to reduce light snow build-up in winter conditions, CanvasCamp recommends a tent stove which heats the tent and causes fresh snow to melt and run off the canvas. While a tent stove helps reduce snow build-up, it’s not possible to run a tent stove all the time. Also, snow can pile up faster than the tent stove can melt it off.
