tarp stakes

[aztech]

gonna buy stakes soon and was wondering what are the best stakes for a tarp? y, v, or ti hook stakes. Does it matter or are they all the same?

[JasonJones]

I'll tell you which ones I don't like for sure... Kelty No-Bendiums... They tout that they are strong and wont bend, lol... I have 2 sets from 1 overnight (2 tents) and they look like I tried to pound them into granite. We were at 8k feet with a medium soil forrest floor, so they should have held up, the few we used to hang a rain fly that were the stock steel included with the tent look perfect...

I like these style stakes http://www.diygearsupply.com/cgi-bin/shelf.cgi?numb=33 myself. I just bought 6 new ones from him to replace the kelty ones...

[DaleW]

MSR Groundhogs. Reasonably light and they work.

[Jakerock]

Sorry, another negative entry here...
Bought some aluminum ones at a rare visit to WalMart, bent all of them in three nights out a couple of weeks ago. I bent them back to shape but...
I would like to make my own out of what I can find on site, but I have been having to camp at alot of picked over State parks lately...
Another empty post courtesy of Jakercok!

[jwright]

I recently switched to the ground hogs, worth every oz and $. No I didn't try any fancy Ti stakes, didn't make any diy ones, didn't carry out double blind studies against all the different types. But these are relatively cheap, are easy to find and seem to work well in most soils (we have a lot of rocks and the hogs just glide past). I can even do the big no-no and push them in with my foot. Besides, I have other gear things I need to work on besides stakes. Pick up 6 and see for yourself. I am most certainly glad I "splurged". Using them for the first time was one of the simple 'wow' moments.

Just my 1/2 cent worth.
Jason

[MuseJr]

Y or V stakes work for me. I use the Ground Hog stakes. Too many rocks in the ground here to use the smaller stakes. I tried to use the smaller stakes but it was a painful trip. I will have to take the weight penalty to make sure my tarp will get tied out.

[L.D. Cakes]

Lost a Ti stake in a snow storm last December. The wind caught the tarp, pulled out the stake and flung it into oblivion. Mac was with me and saved the day with an Aluminum Gutter Nail! That's all I use now but I spray painted the top half of them Blaze Orange to find them easy.

[cinnamon]

can't comment on any of the 'other brand name' stakes but have been using MSR groundhogs since 2003 in all types of ground conditions and have been very pleased with them. well worth the price of ? got em with a MSR tent have yet to bend or break any. you will pay a slight weight penalty but unless your a gram weenie i bet you'd never know the differance....

[oldgringo]

Lost a Ti stake in a snow storm last December. The wind caught the tarp, pulled out the stake and flung it into oblivion. Mac was with me and saved the day with an Aluminum Gutter Nail! That's all I use now but I spray painted the top half of them Blaze Orange to find them easy.

It takes but a second to larkshead your guylines to your stakes, and that won't happen.

The Al gutter nails are da bomb, but they're getting harder and harder to find.

[JalapeñoBen]

Groundhog stakes work really well, and are probably the best "value" out there for stakes. I use these cuz I count grams. They've worked well for me so far.

Titanium Stakes.

Happy Hangin'
Ben