The compromise of tent stakes

[dangerous]

Run into this quite a bit down here in sandy FL. If you have to set up in soft ground, deadmen are the way to go. Dig an hole, attach your tie-out to something (I usually use one of my Groundhogs), and fill it in. Repeat as needed.

I don't want to go to that much trouble virtually every time I set up my tarp, and with FL being as sandy as it is, I would if I used needle stakes. Hence the Groundhogs.

Looks like you beat me too it, I must have been trying to embed the video.

[FLRider]

Looks like you beat me too it, I must have been trying to embed the video.

Aw, that's okay. A picture is worth a thousand words, which means at 30 per second...that comes out to...3.5 million for your video. Much easier to follow than my crude description.

[snarlbuckle]

Excellent advice guys, much appreciated. Yet another case where software (knowledge of how to use nature) is better than hardware (junk you buy at the store).

[OneClick]

I've recently started carrying half the stakes I need and use some sticks instead. Hiking solo, it's a big plus as yet another task to keep my mind occupied and kill time by finding and fashioning a stick into a good stake. Plus, I don't own any stakes that would have worked in some of the sandy soil I encounter.

[Owl]

Have gear appropriate to HOW you're camping.

If you're backpacking...stick to the compromise ones that you're using already, and you can use a lot of the other suggestions you've received.

If you're car camping...carry something heavier/more useful in that situation. Heck, throw a mallet in the car to drive those suckers with if you need to. That's the beauty of car camping vs. backpacking...you aren't limited to what you're willing to carry far out on the trail.

My wife and I are going to go camping tomorrow night. I tend to hike in a bit...but I car camp with my wife. We'll be carrying stuff into where we want to setup with a small collapsible wagon. No reason for me to worry about which stakes to take...I'll take the ones I use for car camping with the wife.

When I'm hiking into a campsite with Weasel (my son)...I'll have all my gear on my back. Different scenario for me.

[vdeal]

There's a great article by Ryan Jordan just posted on the BPL site if you have a membership. It's really about tarp camping - and very good at that but there is a good bit of discussion on stakes. I won't copy the article but there is a sidebar that is interesting. It states:

Tent Stakes: More Stakes or Stronger Stakes?

Consider a moderate storm that delivers a 50 mph wind gust to your tarp such that the wind forces on the tarp transfer 120 pounds of force along one of the 8 foot long side edges of your tarp. If you only secured the two corners, you’d need stakes that have a holding power of 60 pounds each. Using data from Will Rietveld’s Tent Stake Holding Power and assuming you are camped in moist sod, you might consider the 9-inch Easton Tubular stake (rated at 66 lbs), for a total weight of one ounce.

However, consider the holding power of five lighter stakes, such as 6” titanium shepherd’s hooks, staked equidistant along the side edge of your tarp. If the simple assumption is made that each stake will absorb an equal amount of force, then the same 120 pounds is distributed among five stakes, imparting only 20 pounds of force per stake. Referring to Mr. Rietveld’s tables, which show that these stakes are rated for 31 pounds, so you actually have a total holding power of 5 x 31 = 155 pounds - more than the holding power of the two “robust” stakes described earlier.

In reality, my measurements show that nonlinear modeling is required and that the simple assumptions above don’t pan out in the field. In an experiment described exactly as above, I measured forces on the five skewer stakes to be less than 20 pounds each. My hypothesis is that the increased number of stakes created a shelter canopy with more lines of tension through it that resulted in less deflection (better wind spillage) and thus, less total force distributed to the stake-out points of the entire shelter when more stakes were used.

Ryan is actually now carrying 14 stakes - 8 MSR Carbon Cores (these look sweet) and 6 Vargo titanium skewers.

If you have access to the site be sure to read the article.

[XTrekker]

I just use a big enough stick that it has to be pounded into the ground with a heavy object like a hammer or rock. And I used a long enough stick so that it wont back its way out during high winds. Putting shock cord tension on your tarps will also help to keep the tarp's flapping motion down to a minimum and help keep your stakes from backing out.

[MadWolf]

... Putting shock cord tension on your tarps will also help to keep the tarp's flapping motion down to a minimum and help keep your stakes from backing out.

beat me to it....used my shock cord tensioners on the tent last time the wife and I were camping at the grayson highlands....20 minutes after we got there the 50% chance of showers apparently turned to 100% for about 15 hours...and at 5400 ft the wind was impressive....I guess times of 20-30 sustained and 40-50 gusts. My tensioners performed well providing just enough give. I find they put a little more pull on the stakes initially but puts less on them during high winds.

I have also made stakes when needed....not only do they usually work great and can be made to order based on the situation, but once staked out, you get that sense of accomplishment and pride.