What stakes do you use?

[Miguel]

MSR Groundhogs but used 9" Gutter nails for a long time. I find the Ti stakes just too thin to hold well.

[mattblick]

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.

[Hawk-eye]

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 ... 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!!!

Titanium Tite-Lites

[dragon360]

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]

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.

[ZakBait]

Aluminum gutter spikes. Cannot beat the price. I haven't had line bend yet in any conditions. Lightweight, sturdy, and cheap

[qbiclewarrior]

MSR groundhogs for my big tarp.... MSR Mini groundhogs for my small tarp.

[OldRagFreeze]

Kelty No-Bendium. I liked the name.

[Mountnman]

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]

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.