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How to Dig a Deadman Anchor

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Snow, sand, and loose soil render tent stakes useless. Here’s a handy way to secure your shelter with just a little digging and a stick.
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by Will Cockrell

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1. With your tent already set up, dig your dead-man hole about three to four feet away from it — one at each point where there is guy line to secure.

2. Dig a trench perpendicular to the extended guy line, about a foot long and 10 inches deep (or deeper if the soil is especially loose).

3. Dig another trench extending from the middle of the first, in the same direction as the guy line and gradually decreasing in depth.

4. Place a one- to two-inch-thick stick (you can also use a snow- or sand-filled stuff sack or similar) into the first trench.

5. Now you can run the guy line around the stick, pulling to create the desired tension. Loosely tie it off with a half hitch (to a spot that will be aboveground once the trenches are filled in).

6. Fill the trenches back in and pack them down. Now you can pull on the guy line to tighten as often as you need to.