Setting up SMC snow stakes

I’d fix a length of 2-mm or 3-mm high-visibility cordage through the two small holes and tie a loop in the other end.  Then, after you bury the T-anchor, you have an above-grade attach point for your guy lines.

To make it as hands-free as possible, I’d affix a toggle to the anchor cordage and put a taut-line knot on each of the tent’s guy lines.  You could have multiple toggles at 2 and 4 feet from the anchor to give yourself a lot of flexibility in where to bury the anchor.

Then in summer use, take the tent with its taut-line knots and your usual stakes.  And in winter, the tent is unchanged but placing the anchors 2-3 feet further out lets those toggles serve the role of the summer tent stakes.

Googling “sewing supplies toggles” turned up lots of option from other people, but with a dowel or some bar stock (wood or plastic) and small drill and you can make your own.

I’d drill one hole and tie an overhand (or figure-8 knot) on each side of it.
If I wanted them to be really bomber, I’d run a HDPE cutting board over a table saw to get long strips, drill the holes, sand the edges, cut into lengths, then sand the ends.

I like the toggle/tautline setup! It’s very simple and adjustable.

I’ve used the T-anchors a few seasons and like them a lot. David’s toggle suggestion was really clever – might give it a try next time.

They way I’ve used them so far is to first make a large-ish loop of cordage through the small holes. I’ve then connected it to a small, fixed loop on the end of my guy line with a simple “loop to loop” connection/knot. (The length of the guy line is adjusted at the tent side.) This would be easy to “tie” also with cold fingers, but could be a challenge to break open in the morning as it gets very tight. However, since the T-anchor doesn’t have any sharp edges, I’ve simply kept the tent guy lines spooled up them in between uses. You lose a bit of flexibility in guy line length, but since we’re talking snow camping the anchor can normally be placed at any distance anyway.

I’m having trouble picturing this.

David could you put up a drawing for those of us who are “spatially challenged”?