best tent pegs for hard ground

2022.07.31
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best tent pegs for hard ground

Since theyre like an upgrade from V-shaped stakes, they are a bit heavier and pricier. Best for: environmentally conscious campers who want a unique stake that holds well in all kinds of terrain. To give you some idea of how strong your stakes need to be, we did some calculations. The MSR Carbon-Core Tent Stake is not only the lightest stake we tested its crazy light.

tent puller peg pegs campertrailers The pack of six is ideal for most small shelters and you will not be disappointed with the durability. If you want the toughest tent stake available and are not concerned about the weight then a solid or forged steel tent stake will do the trick. We wanted to know how easily each stake bent, so we found a spot next to a large rock and pressed the stakes in diagonally toward the rock. What we didnt like was that it was difficult to get this stake in and out of the ground. Avoid using your foot, as this is more likely to bend and damage the stake. Its a steep investment, though. They are lightweight and only have one notch for the head, making them a super sturdy choice to hold your tent down. Additionally, the large screw heads are great for getting those last few turns when twisting them into any kind of terrain. It held a respectable 45 lbs in our holding strength test, putting it around the middle of the pack. The main thing to remember is to come in at an angle and make sure that when you strike or push the tent peg you are applying pressure directly down the shaft. Available in both 15 cm and 23 cm lengths, both come with a reflective pull cord to make finding them with a torch easier. But we found it a little bit annoying how difficult it was to get the cordage to stay on them. While we didnt have a chance to test the MSR ToughStake in deep sand, other reviews rate it highly for that purpose. As long as you take extra care to make sure that the angle of pull is perpendicular to the stake and not upwards at all, theyll work. While extremely light and strong, tent stakes made with these materials are also extremely expensive. Theyll serve you great if youre camping on very hard soil, but dont expect them to work on sand. Whats perfect for the car camper on soft, grassy campsites is going to be useless for the backpacker who frequently sets up camp in rocky or snowy locations. The Vargo Titanium Tent Stakes narrow, needle-like diameter did make it easier than some of the thicker stakes to drive into hard-packed ground. We dont recommend it for regular camping. The REI Co-op Steel Stake is the cheapest stake we tested. Thats why many people go ahead and invest in a set of after-market tent stakes. Material: Aluminum 7075-T6 | Dimensions: 7.25 in | Weight (ounces): 0.5 oz. Despite those minor annoyances, as far as car camping tent stakes go, these are a close second to the Coleman 10-in Steel Stake. Theyre ideal for soft, loose soils, like sand. The only struggle you might experience is getting them out of the ground. They are certainly not for the lightweight hiker or casual camper, however, they will hold down whatever you need them to without flinching. On the whole, this is a great snow stake that we would trust 100% through the harshest of winter conditions. But make sure whatever stakes you bring are more than strong enough to withstand any conditions you may encounter. Is It Cheaper To DIY? To place these stakes, simply twist them into the ground. The good think about tent peg hooks is that you can always rotate them to face down which makes it far less likely that any line will slip of the peg. The MSR Groundhog is a staple for most backpackers, and for good reason. Wed definitely consider a set of these for a windy day at the beach. pegs While plastic tent stakes may bend they normally go straight back to their original shape without damage. Theyre 7.25 inches long, which is suitable for different types of terrains. Material: Recycled Polycarbonate | Dimensions: 9.1 in | Weight (ounces): 1.8 oz. A set of these feels like next to nothing in your hand. , but it might be an issue for long-distance backpackers., Best Tent Stakes: Our Top 10 Recommendations, TNH Outdoors Aluminum Tri-Beam Tent Stakes, Best Cabin Tents of 2022 (Extra-Roomy Buyers Guide), Best 4 Person Tent for Camping (2022 Buying Guide), The bright and reflective cord makes it easy to find these stakes in the ground, even if the ground is covered in leaves, These aluminum stakes are lightweight, so they wont weigh you down, Their Y-shaped design allows these stakes to take hold on various types of terrain and stay sturdy, Their excellent durability helps keep your tent secure even in very windy conditions, The notch at the top allows you to attach guy lines stress-free, These tent stakes might have issues on tough, frozen ground, Thanks to the spiral design, these stakes provide great hold in loose soil like sand, Reflective pull loops help you locate the stakes in the dark, These stakes are 4 inches longer than standard stakes, which gives them an even better hold, Theyre made of 7000 grade aluminum alloy, which is usually used for airplane parts, No need to hammer them into the ground instead, you can place them by twisting them into the soil, Somewhat heavier than most other tent stakes, These stakes are so sturdy, theyre almost unbendable, Theyre longer than standard stakes by 1.25 inches, which makes them suitable for both hard and soft ground, Since theyre sold separately, you can get precisely as many as you need, For the price theyre sold at, these stakes are quite a bargain, Each stake weighs only 0.19 ounces, which makes them a great choice for long-distance backpacking, Stake heads are painted red, which helps you find them at all times, Theyre made of aluminum and carbon, which makes them sturdy enough for hard soil, Stake heads feature holes where you can pull the string through, The manufacturer provides a 3-year limited warranty, Hammering them into rocky soil may cause them to bend, A 3-point locking system allows you to tie your tent without using any knots, Tiny dots can serve as a guide on how to wrap the guy lines around the locking system, Since these stakes are made of the highest grade aluminum, they are great for different types of soil, Sharp tips allow you to hold the angle you put them in at, Fluorescent green color makes them highly visible, Concave shape and holes along the stakes length keep them still in the ground, Since theyre heavier and longer than regular stakes, they will hold well even in soft snow and sand, Red color helps you locate them easier in the ground, You can stack them one into another, which makes them take up less storage space, Like other MSR products, these stakes have a 3-year limited warranty, Only intended for soft soil like sand or snow, The fluorescent orange coated heads make it easy to spot these stakes in the ground, even in the dark, Made with titanium, these stakes are super thin and super light and will not weigh your camping gear down, The shepherds hook design allows these stakes to drive easily into the ground and reliably hold your tent or tarp in place, These stakes are very tall and thin, which makes it easy to drive them down into any kind of soil even dense, rocky soil, The fluorescent orange coating on the top of the stake might rub off over time, Their red color and reflective paracord ties make these stakes highly visible when staked down on the forest floor, TNH included a very convenient carrying pouch, so you can keep them all together, The single notch design creates a stronger head on these stakes than on most stakes, These stakes are very light, allowing you to pack light and not get burdened down with heavy metal equipment, With a total of 8 stakes in this set, you will have extra stakes for emergencies or use on other items, The shape of these stakes can make it hard to drive them into the ground by hand, Made from 100% recycled materials, these stakes are very eco-friendly, The head of the screw functions as a built-in handle so theyre easier to turn and drive down into the soil, The screw design allows these stakes to easily pierce any type of soil and lock into place, These stakes come with a removal tool to aid in removing them from hard, dense soil, Theyre very lightweight, making them super easy to carry around, They might not have the best performance in iced-over land, Theyre larger than most tent stakes backpackers beware: theyll take up slightly more room in your pack than most stakes, The milled points are great for easily driving these stakes into hard ground, Made out of galvanized steel, these stakes are sturdy and durable even in chaotic winds, The steel material makes them resistant to corrosion, The large PVC heads make it easy to attach guy lines, Theyre easy to drive into soft soil without a tool and just as easy to remove in any type of soil, These stakes are long, so they create a more secure hold when pushed into the ground, With repeated use, the PVC head might wear down over time. Our two cents: when it comes to tent stakes, campers and most backpackers shouldnt sacrifice too much performance for the minimal weight savings. With that being said, other tent stakes will do the job better. Copyright GearAssistant.com 2022 - All rights reserved. Shepherds Hook:The Shepherds Hook is the classic tent stake. The Vargo Titanium Tent Stake was easy to use, tiny, and extremely light, and it served us well on fair-weather camping trips. This six-pack of stakes is made with a light, yet durable titanium that wont break. In snow, it didnt outperform the REI or MSR Snow Stakes as significantly as we expected. Today, well review the best tent stakes for any terrain. Y-Stakes:Shaped like a Y, these stakes pack a lot of surface area into a fairly light weight, giving them excellent ability to grip the soil. And thanks to their length, they have superior holding strength, which is a must for camping in snow.

The single piece of metal is unbelievably strong for the mere 8 grams that it weighs and will not bend when pounded into hard-packed ground. The deeper you can push a tent stake into the hard ground the better but you dont really want too much of the stake left sticking out as this can be a potential weakness in high winds. To get the most use out of your tent stakes, here is how you should properly drive them into the ground: When you are looking for the best tent stakes for any terrain, look no further than the MSR Groundhog tent stakes. Its light, relatively inexpensive, and, while it does have a tendency to bend, its plenty strong enough when used correctly. We may earn a small commission when you purchase items through our links. WildernessTimes.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We look at titanium to see whether it is stronger than steel pegs and share the results. In practice, though, we found just the opposite. Also, the reflective cord makes this set useful for anyone setting up their campsite in low light. We were curious if this could double as a regular stake in a pinch, so we tested it in the ground. We had to re-do our holding strength tests multiple times because the cordage kept slipping off before the stake actually came out of the ground. The average metal peg supplied with most lower medium-end tents will be made from cheap steel that is fine for the soft ground but will crumple under any significant pressure. Were not sure if the slight difference in holding power in snow is enough for us to justify the weight and high cost. One of the Vargos bent significantly in the first few days of our field testing, and another bent pretty early on in the durability tests. In fact, during our strength test, we actually had to stop and go find some 110 lb paracord because our 3mm cordage kept breaking before this stake failed. The only stakes stronger than the Groundhog were also twice the weight (or more!). Theyre made of aluminum and weigh 0.74 ounces.

At 0.46 oz each, the Groundhog is plenty light for backpacking, but also strong enough for just about anything you can throw at it. Talk about bomber! And since the heads are painted red, you can easily locate them when needed. Theyre a bit heavier than other types of stakes, but thats a must for beaches and deserts. Although some reviewers have said they were able to simply bend the stakes back, those of us without superhuman strength had trouble with this and were stuck with crooked stakes. Snow stakes have a wide U-shape and usually feature several holes around the middle. We just dont see much benefit of going with this one over the full-length Groundhog. If youre camping on sand, then classic tent stakes that come with the tent wont do. Drive the stake straight into the ground at a 90-degree angle. Best for: campers who want a classic, steel stake thatll work on any land. Material: Aluminum 7075 | Dimensions: 9.5 in | Weight (ounces): 0.7 oz. The solid aluminum head is durable for hammering down hard when the ground feels as solid as a rock. In our holding strength test, it held well over 50 lbs of force.

Not to mention, they come in a carrying pouch with a bright, reflective paracord tie thats convenient for finding them when packing up. Theyre great for hard soil or rocky terrain. In our durability test, we genuinely tried to bend or break the Coleman Tent Stake, but could barely even scratch it. tent puller peg pegs campertrailers Copyright 2022 99Boulders LLC. We found that the best all-around tent stakes are the MSR Groundhog Tent Stakes.. These are great value for money tent peg that makes an easy upgrade for old pegs have lots of positive reviews on Amazon. Overall, this was a fantastic stake in snow just not great enough that wed buy and carry a full set of them when there are cheaper and lighter snow stakes that work nearly as well. Y-shape and V-shape tent pegs can be used in medium to hard ground as well but for hard ground, I prefer a nail design. They come in three lengths and are relatively inexpensive for a pack of six even though they are made from high carbon steel. They are the most expensive type of hard ground tent stake and you may have to purchase them separately from your tent. Titanium is the strongest but can be hard to repair if you bend and they are the most expensive too. Here are the different types of tent stake you can use to get through the hard ground: When you imagine a tent stake, the traditional steel tent stake is what most likely springs to mind. But thats not all. The ToughStake was the most expensive option we tested. If you often camp in very hard soil, this stake may be worth considering. At 1.12 oz, the MSR Blizzard Tent Stake is also slightly heavier than the REI Snow Stake, which weighs just an ounce. Sharp tips allow you to push them into hard and rocky soil. After a few uses, most are hardly good at all. I have seen one of these pegs snapped after being battered in with a big rock, but they never, ever seem to bend. These tent stakes are made of 7075 aluminum alloy, which has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. They are specifically designed to hold in loose sand/snow conditions when most other stakes wont, but arent very useful in any other condition. The Tent Tools Propeller Tent Stakes have a unique Y-shape design that is curved like a propeller to increase the holding power in soft ground and also find its way into hard ground easier. The thickness of your hard tent stake also determines how good it is for hard ground and the thicker the better if you can live with the extra pack weight. Best for: campers looking for affordable but sturdy classic stakes. The Coleman held an average of just under 90 lbs in our tests, making it by far the strongest stake we tested. They have a carbon fiber core, but their exterior is made of aluminum.

The triangular shape works well in all types of ground and will not bend under the pressure of a heavy mallet. The short reflective cord loops are easy to spot and can be removed quite easily. Theyre a couple of inches longer than standard stakes, but thats necessary for better hold in soft ground. However, for larger tents you should go for Y-shaped stakes. The self-locking notch has tiny dots that guide you into wrapping the cord around it. They feature holes where you can pull strings through. We were also very, very glad for the fluorescent orange coating on the head of the stake. These Heavy Duty Rock Tent Pegs come in a multitude of sizes and cap varieties to suit your needs.

When you buy something through one of the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. They bent when we pressed them into the soft, slightly rocky ground where we did our strength tests. These TNH Outdoors aluminum stakes are a great option for replacement tent stakes. This set of stakes is made from lightweight aluminum and has a unique Y-shaped design that keeps them locked into place. These MSR Groundhog tent stakes are great for a variety of purposes. Made from a single piece of anodized alloy with a reflective cord and luminescent pull tab, the ground control pegs are easy to spot in the dark and retrieve after use. Our durability test confirmed our initial impression: this stake is basically indestructible. The titanium metal is also extremely lightweight, which makes it perfect for backpacking. We tested the small version, and MSR also sells a larger medium version. beach tent tents pop australia shelta uv umbrellas sunproof mysite protector umbrella teepees outdoors outdoor They are roughly 5 mm thick and feature a C shape loop at one end to secure your tent and guy lines. Out of all the stakes we tested, it immediately felt the toughest with its simple, solid, and heavy steel construction. We put 10 of the best tent stakes on the market through months of experiments and real-world use. On the other hand, they should be placed horizontally in soft snow in order to hold well. Metal stakes greater than 10 mm in diameter are where you start to find the really strong ground stakes but if you want anything much larger you will be looking at heavy steel. These stakes are 6 inches, which is a standard tent stake length. We arent big fans of the shape of the top. Still confused? If youre looking for lightweight stakes for a 1 or 2-person tent, nail stakes are a great option. Once the stake hit the rock, we continued pressing on them with the toe of our boots for around 30 seconds each. As an Amazon Associate 99Boulders LLC earns from qualifying purchases. Best for: traditional camping, or those who want to cut down on pack weight.