Y stakes without blowing the budget

**OneClick** · 02-18-2019, 18:52

Before someone asks, no, I don't pee on them! It's worth a few grams of fuel to warm up some water

**MikekiM** · 02-19-2019, 11:52

Originally Posted by brutalguyracing

What does one use when ground is frozen and has zero no snow pack?
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Great question.. I was out this weekend with light snow and frozen ground. Pounded four gutter nails in. I should have been a bit less zealous driving them in because they froze in place pretty deep and were a PITA to remove. Could have gotten away with much less purchase I am sure.

Mini Groundhogs can't handle the frozen ground. I learned that the hard way after trying to hammer them in.. just snapped the head off.

Originally Posted by OneClick

Before someone asks, no, I don't pee on them! It's worth a few grams of fuel to warm up some water

We just pounded the nails in another quarter inch and that released them.
Can't imagine peeing on them.. I have tethers tied to the stake heads.. that would be gross. I'd leave them there before peeing on them!!

**OneClick** · 02-19-2019, 12:32

Originally Posted by MikekiM

We just pounded the nails in another quarter inch and that released them.
Can't imagine peeing on them.. I have tethers tied to the stake heads.. that would be gross. I'd leave them there before peeing on them!!

Good call! Given our past history of pee threads, I figured I would shut that down before it was suggested!

**brutalguyracing** · 02-19-2019, 14:36

in 2 of my past 4 trips i couldn't even get the nails into the ground a little
and i was using a 5lb lump hammer, the ringing of the nail hurt my hands
and with no snow and trying to use a tesha4 it was impossible

**MikekiM** · 02-19-2019, 15:19

Originally Posted by brutalguyracing

in 2 of my past 4 trips i couldn't even get the nails into the ground a little
and i was using a 5lb lump hammer, the ringing of the nail hurt my hands
and with no snow and trying to use a tesha4 it was impossible

You couldn't hammer gutter nails in frozen soil?

I have no response to that.

I shortened my gutter nails to the same length as Mini Groudhogs and put a rather blunt point on them to avoid poke through. I hammered them in with a stick less than 3" diameter.

**TheHikingDovahkiin** · 02-23-2019, 18:32

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H3DBHK8...e9-b07b-c7bfd0
Have used these a few times. Not had a problem with them. I just use the heel method for driving them in. if i meet resistance, which occurs alot on the last stake for some reason here in North GA, I just move it over an inch or three before i put the top of the stake through my heel.

**Dirtbaghiker** · 03-20-2019, 10:32

20190310_200751.jpg
Easton pegs
z packs carbon fiber stakes.

2 weeks ago we went to Catskills and there was solid ice under 6 inches of fluffy powder.. Yes I encountered a little stake problem for our tarps. Luckily I was able to improvise and tie off to shrubs and trees.
I came home and ordered a dozen msr ground hogs and a dozen vargo titanium nails.. I will try them next winter.

**curlymaple42** · 03-21-2019, 06:30

I just use the 9" Y stakes from WalFart. Had them bend, never one break.

**GreatBigDave** · 03-21-2019, 07:24

Originally Posted by cmc4free

... If not, a tap in all 4 of the N, S, E, W directions loosens them some more. ...

That's how we removed the 4' steel nails we drove in 40" at the party tent company where I worked summers during college. It did help that we used a 20lb sledgehammer.

**OneClick** · 03-21-2019, 07:34

I recently got a 10-pack of the Coghlan's 9" stakes for winter. That extra length is nice for some ground. $8 on Ebay! And they're solid. Much thicker and better quality than all the fumoomoo, gorilla, whatever junk brands out there.