Let's talk tent stakes...

Scott

Adventurist
So I keep telling myself after every camping trip that I really need to invest in new tent stakes because all I have are the cheap ones that tend to bend of you look at them wrong... so let's discuss.. I know all about the snow peak stakes and I'd love to just buy them and forget about it but I can't seem to find them in stock anywhere.. and I'd also like to know if there are other options I should consider. All in all, I will need a total of 14 stakes. 4 to hold down the ez up and 6 for the tent.. then of course I'd like 4 extras for "just in case". I've also used the coleman green peg stakes but I tend to break the plastic heads off of those... so let's hear it. What do you use?

Scott

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So I keep telling myself after every camping trip that I really need to invest in new tent stakes because all I have are the cheap ones that tend to bend of you look at them wrong... so let's discuss.. I know all about the snow peak stakes and I'd love to just buy them and forget about it but I can't seem to find them in stock anywhere.. and I'd also like to know if there are other options I should consider. All in all, I will need a total of 14 stakes. 4 to hold down the ez up and 6 for the tent.. then of course I'd like 4 extras for "just in case". I've also used the coleman green peg stakes but I tend to break the plastic heads off of those... so let's hear it. What do you use?

Scott

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I'm using the large military stakes used to hold up the cami tents..... If you need some let me know. I have plenty extra... I'll get a picture of them in a Lil bit

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I've used giant 8" or 10" spike nails from Home Depot. I haven't had one bend yet, although I have had to leave one or two that I couldn't get unstuck.
 
I've used giant 8" or 10" spike nails from Home Depot. I haven't had one bend yet, although I have had to leave one or two that I couldn't get unstuck.
That's not a bad idea.. I have had some stubborn ones,that didn't come out.. which is why I now,carry a shovel in my truck box..

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The thing about stakes is that there's no single "perfect" one - as long as you need to hold fast in a variety of soils, then you'll probably need a variety of stakes.

The long hard spikes work great for hard soil, but suck in sand, because they don't offer much surface area to pull against. Conversely, the plastic four-bladed stakes that Home Depot sells for $1.65 are absolutely fantastic for sand, but won't penetrate hard earth.

If you're backpacking, then weight is a factor, but for people like us, I say keep a collection and use the right stake for the job. I don't have time for the expensive exotic-material ones, mainly because I don't need the weight savings and I feel weird about spending big money on something I'm planning to smash into the earth with the back of my camp axe.
 
Here are the ones i use....
 

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I've had the red MSR ground hog stakes for the last few years and have been pretty happy with them.

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Looks like Snow Peak stakes are in stock at www.expeditionexchange.com Worth the money in my opinion. The Snow Peak hammer is a nice but expensive addition as well.

This. I've not found anything that beats these. Interestingly, the stakes included in the Shiftpod tents are nearly identical in design.
 
I use the stakes from Kodiak tents. They are heavy, simple and inexpensive. If they bend it's because you used a sledge hammer and even then I doubt it.
 
I use the msr groundhogs or the cheaper coughlans version. The design holds well in sand and stands up to being driven into gravel or rocky ground.
 
x4 on Snowpeak stakes. I bent the He!! out of the standard stakes that came with my Springbar tent. Their longer 14" or so stakes were great in the sand at Pismo tho.

The Snowpeak stakes have been driven into rock hard soil and rocky terrain w/o one even slightly bending. Well worth the price IMHO. Paul May at Equipt1 usually has them in stock too. He's a great supporter of the offroad community.
 
I use the snow peak stakes, why? because the work and hold real well. I did bend one a while ago and was very surprised It bent! but all is good.
 
I use one if these for a tent stake hammer/puller...
55.099-a.jpg

...and the nail spike type pegs. Woody (Ralph), made me some using spike nails with washers welded to the head, they work for me in all but really deep sand.
 
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