View Full Version : What stakes do you use?
howlinmadman
03-12-2013, 19:46
I have some Ti shephards hook stakes, but they didn't seem too sturdy. What do you guys suggest? These will be for my new Warbonnet Mamajamba(just ordered can't wait to get it!)
Nighthauk
03-12-2013, 20:06
I use aluminum Y stakes. I forgot where I got them. they weigh about .5 oz ea. I have found that they hold very well.
engine386
03-12-2013, 21:21
I just got some Sorex stakes from Ruta Locura... better holding power then my Ti Shepherd hook stakes, and they weigh less too! They are carbon fiber shafts w/ aluminum tips. They come in 6" and 9"
Hardhead
03-12-2013, 22:00
Its a slow night, Im waiting for some more responses myself! I have aluminum shepherd pegs also and they bend to easy too!
Boothill
03-12-2013, 22:54
msr groundhogs here, a bit heavy, but super sturdy and hold great
boot
bowl-maker
03-12-2013, 23:35
aluminum gutter spikes...I love them
I've been using cheep walmart ones fairly light. They stick well in soft but must be gentle in tough ground. At $3 for 4 though you're never too upset about messing one up or forgetting one.
I use the MSR Ground Hog stakes. They hold up better in the rocky areas I frequent. They work pretty good on their side in the snow too. I tried some other Y stakes and the tops bent over really quickly. The MSR stakes seem to be a little stronger, so I will pay the extra money.
Tie off to trees. If I need one, thats what I carry a knife for.
DuctTape
03-13-2013, 04:51
Tie off to trees. If I need one, thats what I carry a knife for.
+1
Been stake free for a few years now.
I make my own on-site as needed.
That's how I justify the weight of carrying a knife.
I have ti hooks from Lawson equipment with orange heat shrink ob the top so I cab see them. Y stakes are on the list though because a lot of ground around here isn't great for pins.
fallkniven
03-13-2013, 06:15
I just picked up some titanium nail pegs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009RIULA/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) from vargo after bending/breaking a few of my groundhogs on frozen ground. Otherwise, normally make my own on site.
fallkniven
03-13-2013, 06:20
I make my own on-site as needed.
That's how I justify the weight of carrying a knife.
Who need justification to bring a blade into the woods? I don't even leave my house without one.
Green Giant
03-13-2013, 06:24
Who need justification to bring a blade into the woods? I don't even leave my house without one.
What he said.
Green Giant
03-13-2013, 06:27
I also have a mamajamba, and I use msr groundhog stakes now. I used to have titanium shepherd hooks, and they are strong, but come out a lot... I still carry a couple of them for the tie out points, though.
Tjalling
03-13-2013, 06:33
In windy conditions I use these;
http://www.cleats.co.uk/home/details.asp?id=22
Fairly light (19 gram, 2/3 oz) but strong. They have a good hold in softer soil. Otherwise, I am happy with Ti sherherd hooks.
hawghangar
03-13-2013, 06:49
http://www.rei.com/product/682543/msr-ground-hog-stake
small, light, and never had a problem holding (even in wet ground).
turnerminator
03-13-2013, 06:49
I use Lawsons Ti shepherd stakes and also Alpkits Ti shepherds. My stakes are captive to my guy lines so I don't have to an archeaologists hunt for buried stakes. :)
The thin gauage of the wire penetrates rocky ground very well. If the ground's soft and won't hold the Ti's, sticks are used instead.
Gunnerfan
03-13-2013, 06:58
MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes. A lot smaller than their larger cousins. Where I usually hike they've been perfect - the soil is usually not totally dry or super sandy. They work very well in silty or loamy soils. I would imagine due to their short length they would have trouble in pure sand or snow though.
MSR Groundhogs but used 9" Gutter nails for a long time. I find the Ti stakes just too thin to hold well.
mattblick
03-13-2013, 07:55
Another vote for the MSR Mini Groundhog. Half the weight of the original yet still stand up to being hammered into the ground with a big rock. What I don't get is why they are more expensive than the originals. :confused:
Hawk-eye
03-13-2013, 08:12
I've actually spent a Saturday morning out in the woods behind the house testing stakes in different soils. I've done some in the Gorge testing where the soil is either rocky or a very loose organic duff. What I've found is bar none the MSR Ground Hog is my best current option. I still will carry a couple of the Ti Shepard Hooks but unless the soil has a larger clay content they really don't have much holding power when compared to the Ground Hog. Any thin nail shaped pegs just haven't worked as well for me. I've used Aluminum Gutter nails and they do work but part of that is the larger diameter and the longer length. But still I'd rate the Ground Hogs above them in over all holding in different soil types.
Another that I've been playing around with the last three months but have yet to field test are the Titanium Tite-Lite stakes I got on sale from Gossamergear.com (http://gossamergear.com/shelters/shelter-accessories/tite-lite-v-stake.html) ... Now so far they are a bit shorter (6.5") but hold nearly as good as the Ground Hogs in the same soil conditions. Weight wise they are amazing (.4 oz). The notch is on the opposite side of what I'd like to see as I find they hold better when the direction of force is to the open side of the V. But that's easy to work around by an extra wrap of the line.
And by the way ... you want the wife to really question why she married you ... let her see you crawling around on your knees driving spikes in the ground tugging on them with a spring scale and cord over and over for a couple hours!!! :woot:
Titanium Tite-Lites
http://gossamergear.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/v/s/vsingle-web.jpg
dragon360
03-13-2013, 08:18
I use my MSR groundhogs regularly but also my Lawson Ti-hooks. With the hooks, I simply put them in at a deep angle to give my more hold.
L.D. Cakes
03-13-2013, 08:20
Aluminum Gutter Spikes. Loose one, no big deal. I at first painted them orange and they disappeared in the fall colors. So now I'm painting them electric blue. :)
Aluminum gutter spikes. Cannot beat the price. I haven't had line bend yet in any conditions. Lightweight, sturdy, and cheap
qbiclewarrior
03-13-2013, 08:32
MSR groundhogs for my big tarp.... MSR Mini groundhogs for my small tarp.
OldRagFreeze
03-13-2013, 08:41
Kelty No-Bendium. I liked the name. :rolleyes:
Mountnman
03-13-2013, 08:43
I use Lawsons Ti shepherd stakes and also Alpkits Ti shepherds. My stakes are captive to my guy lines so I don't have to an archeaologists hunt for buried stakes. :)
The thin gauage of the wire penetrates rocky ground very well. If the ground's soft and won't hold the Ti's, sticks are used instead.
+1 on the Lawson shepherd stakes, they are great and cheap at a $1.50 per stake. They are very strong and only 6.5 grams per stake. I also use sticks if its really wet.
dkurfiss
03-13-2013, 09:26
MSR Ground Hog stakes in soft stuff or I have some cheap shepard's hooks that I use depending on soil/rock type. If I can find trees/shrubs or something to tie off to, that is my first choice.
Cranky Bear
03-13-2013, 09:26
Great question....
I have a whole bunch of different stakes, and just recently at the NJ winter hang I broke 2 different types and bent another 2 types. Man that ground was super hard.....
I have used the MSR groundhogs (and two different knock offs), gutter nails, 2 types of eastons, ti v stakes, ti sheppards, alum sheppards, plastic stakes, carbon stakes, snow stakes, steel stakes, and more. Also don't leave out or forget about the length of the stake as there are some that are almost 5" long, and some that are almost 9-10" long and this may prove to be as useful as the type of stake.
The stakes I use depends on where I'm going, what type of ground (soil) will I be facing, and the time of year (mostly is it winter or not).
Where I'm going- If I am going to a pine forest I know the duff will be pretty thick so I may need a longer stake to get it deep enough into the soil to hold securely. Also if I am going to a place that has a lot of rocks in the ground then I may want a thinner stake to get past the rocks and they can anchor on them, or with trees that have a lot of surface roots.
Soil type- Sand, rocks, clay, hard pack, soft....you get the idea
Time of year- this applies mostly to the time frame that the ground will be frozen, as I talked about earlier I had a lot of trouble at this past NJ winter hang and broke a easton stake, ground hog, and destroyed a couple other stakes.
But I saw Dylan had the Ti Nail stakes and he had no issue, so these will be my next purchase for winter, well and to replace the one's I broke.
I have been experimenting with the new Easton Nano's, one of the lightest out there (besides the carbon stakes), but also one of the shortest, if not the shortest. But my plan was to drive it in as far as I could get it, and the little loop of cord that I had on it would have a Dutch Hook on it and I would attach my tarp line to this. It worked pretty good the couple times I got to test it, although I broke two at the NJ hang so I gotta replace em'.
My decision with trying all of them out was I am a gram wheenie, but I was also trying to decide which worked and which didn't and if one was slightly heavier but worked better then I felt that that increase in weight (we are talking grams here) was worth it. The testing continues, well when I replace the broken one's.....
Jungle Jim
03-13-2013, 09:38
I use Ti shepherd hooks from various sources. I haven't tried them yet but I have some more on order from Lawson's. Can't beat their price for Ti.
If the ground is sandy or there is deep snow I make "deadmen" out of sticks and bury them. If the ground is too rocky or frozen to get the Ti stakes in, I tie off to rocks or logs and pile more rocks or logs on top. No need to be bending or breaking tent stakes, but I sure have lost my share over the years....
Jungle Jim
Unmighty
03-13-2013, 09:46
But at $20something a pop that is crazy expensive!!!
I just picked up some titanium nail pegs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009RIULA/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) from vargo after bending/breaking a few of my groundhogs on frozen ground. Otherwise, normally make my own on site.
howlinmadman
03-13-2013, 15:25
Thanks for all the posts, I live in PA so most of the time I will be in rocky terrain. Are the msr groundhogs good for this?
Cranky Bear
03-13-2013, 15:33
The groundhogs work great in a variety of soil, one of my pet peeves with them is the color, so I attached some bright florescent green line to them.
I know the HF store used to sell them, but it's been a while since I looked.
Be careful if ordering on ebay and the like as there have been some cheap knock offs sold before, and they break pretty easily.
Hawk-eye
03-13-2013, 15:49
Thanks for all the posts, I live in PA so most of the time I will be in rocky terrain. Are the msr groundhogs good for this?
Well you're not going to bust a rock with one but the short answer is yes. Like Cranky Bear pointed out there are cheap knock offs of the MSR's but they are not as strong. I had four once ... two bent with minor tapping and one of those cracked opposite the bend. Can't remember what I did with the other two! :woot:
But they never hitched a ride in my pack again :shades:
MedicineMan
03-13-2013, 16:51
and I'm usually in soft(er) ground. I like a steak I can push in with my palm, those stakes that look like the Mercedes symbol in cross section cut into my skin when I push them, then you're looking for a rock to hammer with and that eventually destroys the stake:
fallkniven
03-13-2013, 17:13
But at $20something a pop that is crazy expensive!!!
That's $20 for a 6-pack+free shipping.
Use the Gossamer gear V stakes. Two wraps and a slip not. An ease to adjust and hold well for me. Put two perpendicular to each other and girth hitch in snow.
gunner76
03-13-2013, 17:22
I tie off to a tree or bush if possible. If not, I take some aluminum Y stakes and Ti stakes. The Alum Y stakes for soft ground and the Ti stakes for hard, rocky ground. And yes, you can bend Ti stakes.
Jcavenagh
03-13-2013, 18:06
MSR groundhogs. In canoe country(BWCA, etc.) they hold better in the shallow soil.
I use the Easton tent stakes they work well for me. The only problem the tops pop off but a little JB Weld and will never happen again.
desmobob
03-13-2013, 18:32
MSR Mini-Groundhogs are great. I bought so no-name copies that worked well all season. When I used them this winter, all four of them bent like butter when trying to pound them into hard, frozen ground. So much for trying to save a couple of bucks!
DAC makes a great j-stake that is very light and extremely tough... my girlfriend pounded one into a frozen tree root on the last trip, and I broke the pliers on my Leatherman tool trying to pull it out! The stake never bent at all.
Take it easy,
desmobob
Brute1100
03-13-2013, 18:33
generic Y shaped stakes... some short 6" black ones and some 8" ones... i use the 8" the most and carry the black ones for pinning down doors or lending one out to a friend who forgets his :)
I use the Easton tent stakes they work well for me. The only problem the tops pop off but a little JB Weld and will never happen again.
I tried and liked these until I slightly bent one. When I tried to straighten it, it snapped in half. I switched to the Ground Hogs and never looked back.
dirtymike
03-13-2013, 20:29
I've been using cheep walmart ones fairly light. They stick well in soft but must be gentle in tough ground. At $3 for 4 though you're never too upset about messing one up or forgetting one.
This is what I use, or make some out of branchs on site. Four good strikes per stake and have some large strong stakes that I did not have to carry in.
ataris121
03-13-2013, 20:32
I have both regular and mini ground hogs. I am a proud supporter of MSR. I have never broken a stake and used them in all sorts of soil. I even used them as a dead man for my morph one winter.
darkbyrd
03-14-2013, 22:14
aluminum gutter spikes...I love them
I'll add my name to this list. And less than a buck apiece, and only 1/2 oz.
And by the way ... you want the wife to really question why she married you ... let her see you crawling around on your knees driving spikes in the ground tugging on them with a spring scale and cord over and over for a couple hours!!! :woot:
You, sir, ain't right! :lol:
Just to add to the majority; I have had excellent luck with the aircraft grade aluminum Y & V shaped pegs from 2 different mfgrs. They both have DAC lettered on them. One brand is MSR Ground Hogs and the other is Sierra Design.
I have to agree with gutter spikes also. They are very light, inexpensive, and even though they have a sharp point you can secure them under a bungee or strap very nicely.
Spikes also seem to leave the smallest impact on the soil if used properly.
We teach the Scouts to try to stop pounding like John Henry when they hit a root or rock...it saves on tent stakes and protects the trees as well.
Catavarie
03-15-2013, 21:42
I picked up the generic aluminum Y stakes from REI. Drilled pull cord holes in the heads and painted them blue. They've yet to pull out, bend, or break on me. Had a gutter spike pull out of soggy ground a couple of times, the last put a hole in my tarp. Now those are relegated to backup duty.
I got some military surplus aluminum stakes. They really shine in severely rocky ground. Grab a large rock and wail away on 'em. They just smash their way through the rocks, no bending at at all yet. Awful heavy for 8 of them, but worth it, for car camping.
I have the red anodized aluminum y-stakes from Warbonnet. I used a rock to pound 4 of them into rocky ground on the back side of Blood Mountain two nights ago. Those titanium ones are expensive, hard to see if you drop one and flimsy. Most decent outfitter stores with have the MSR or knockoff red y-stakes. Plus they are dirt cheap.
grannypat
03-16-2013, 16:34
I have some of the MSR groundhogs, but am currently trying the little shepard hook ti stakes from Lawson. The are working well, but I've got to spray those little suckers some bright neon color! I've been messing with my tarp and keep losing the stakes in the leaves.
I have some of the MSR groundhogs, but am currently trying the little shepard hook ti stakes from Lawson. The are working well, but I've got to spray those little suckers some bright neon color! I've been messing with my tarp and keep losing the stakes in the leaves.
Try some heat shrink, i've read about the paint peeling off easily so I went the heat shrink route and they work great with no chance of losing the coating (although I got pale orange which I need to change to electric blue!).
TheKillerTuna
03-16-2013, 20:33
The only "quality" stakes I own are the Eastons that came with my ENO One-Link and USMC Combat Tent. Because I travel mostly by sea kayak or canoe, weight's never been an issue (except on those 500rd+ portages!). I've bought loads of cheap nail-type stakes that are either really heavy, or fail right away. After reading this thread, I just ordered 10 MSR Groundhogs from REI.
On the beach, however, I just bury a dead-man if there's nothing to tie to. A little more work, but nothing holds in sand like that, not even a Toughstake.
I use the WL Y-shaped stakes (http://wildernesslogics.com/Ultralite-Y-Stakes-stakes.htm).
I just used them in the Grand Canyon. The ground was like cement, and I used a large rock to drive them in. I bent the top on a couple of stakes a bit, but they worked just fine. A couple of them didn't even get all the way in the ground, but they stayed where I left them.
grannypat
03-16-2013, 21:29
Try some heat shrink, i've read about the paint peeling off easily so I went the heat shrink route and they work great with no chance of losing the coating (although I got pale orange which I need to change to electric blue!).
I don't think I have a blower hot enough to shrink them.
I don't think I have a blower hot enough to shrink them.
The wife's hair dryer always seemed to work well enough for any heat shrink I have come across so far.
I don't think I have a blower hot enough to shrink them.
Me neither :) I never tried the hairdryer like jwright, I just put some alcohol in a dish and done it (carefully) over the flame. I watched a video on youtube of it but can't remember who made it.
alpineLounger
03-17-2013, 04:53
For a bomb proof stake I go with the Large groundhogs. I've had a set of ten for years now. I recently bought some of the GH mini's, not so happy with them. There picky about the angle there set and you have to practically bury them. I also have been using msr needle stakes for holding over bare rock.
Hawk-eye
03-17-2013, 04:59
You, sir, ain't right! :lol:
:woot: Why thank ya sir! You know how us Gorge Rats feel about that!!!
outdooraddict
03-17-2013, 06:41
I am mainly looking for something that can hold and withstand a little abuse up in the BWCA. My aluminum shepherd hooks didn't do so well last year. Basically camping on rocks.
I use groundhogs and titanium shepherds hook stakes. Usually the groundhogs for the tarp corners and the hooks for the doors.
darkbyrd
03-17-2013, 15:22
:woot: Why thank ya sir! You know how us Gorge Rats feel about that!!!
A compliment of the highest order!
To stay on topic, I'll say I bent 2 of my aluminium gutter spikes in the rocky ground near my driveway on a test hang. I'm using some steel nails about the same size for now, until I get more aluminium. I'll keep the steel ones around for home/car camping, and be careful with the aluminium on the trail.
We use Vargo Ti stakes. They survived Quinn's Philmont trek.
[IMG]https://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=17464&catid=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=8052&cutoffdate=-1
McSpartan
05-02-2013, 14:25
Use Groundhog's exclusively and virtually knot free (per Warbonnet instructions)