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Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

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  • Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

    This summer I'll be camping on South Bass Island on Lake Erie. I went last year and had a really hard time getting the stakes through the VERY rocky ground. We also had a big rainstorm with high winds, and I thought that the tent and I were going to be airborne!

    Obviously I'll need to replace my tent stakes. I've narrowed it down to three choices and would like to hear your opinions: rebar stakes, Monk military stakes, and landscape spikes. The spikes are the cheapest, and I can pick them up at the nearest hardware store; but the other two have gotten rave reviews.

    I've got the Walmart version of the Coleman Instant tent (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trai...eps-6/34109042). It's pretty tall, so it's a nice, big target for wind buffeting.

    Any advice you can give would be most welcome!

  • #2
    Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

    keooh - Hello and Welcome to the Forum! I'm assuming you were originally using the stakes that came with the tent (they are generally pretty weak, thin, and hard to drive into hard ground without bending).

    I do not have any of the 3 stakes you listed. You didn't mention the length of the stakes you are considering, but a 18" and/or 24" stake (like the Monk Military) seems mighty long for your purposes. They would work however.

    I use the standard 10.5 inch nail spike type stakes whenever I am camping in really hard, rocky ground (or when car camping---where the weight of the stake doesn't matter much). I've had the same set of this stake type for years. I also camp every summer at a campground that uses gravel/limestone mix as their campsite pads. The use of this area by RV users causes this surface to become very packed over time and hard to drive stakes into. However, I've never had a problem with the nail spikes bending or failing to penetrate....they just require a lot more effort to pound them in the hard ground...and of course they are a pain to remove when breaking camp. But that's the point...they have never let go during big storms/wind.

    2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
    Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
    Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
    Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

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    • #3
      Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

      Well, I tried the rebar and didn't like it. So I ended up with the monk 12" stakes. Love the monk stakes, well worth the money and blow the rebar away. I camp here in Colorado and they don't call them the "Rocky Mountains" for nothing. BTW, I have a 12x14 Kodiak Canvas tent that is just as tall as your tent and twice as heavy. We had winds up around 55 mph and the tent shook, but the stakes never came lose.
      Monk stakes all the way. These are the one I have.
      http://www.monkindustries.com/produc...k6n27otrj3g0f6
      Nights camped in 2019: 24
      Nights camped in 2018: 24

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      • #4
        Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

        If you are on really rocky ground, there is another alternative: NO stakes. You tie a small rock onto the end of your guyline, and then pile big rocks (or 1 big one) on top of the line. The little rock can't be pulled through the big rocks. I hope this makes sense - A picture would be better. When you're going light you can't carry Monk stakes. Or rebar. Or a sledge hammer. If wind is that bad, then with this technique you do need a tent which handles wind well, and you do need to be smart about your site selection.
        2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

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        • #5
          Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

          The no stakes thing is definitely an option. Worked real well once when my simple a** left my stakes home. But carrying a six person tent, I doubt they're going backpacking, so I'll add the suggestion of 8 and 12 inch landscape spikes and fender washers (the large kind with a small hole). The only drawback is, you need a way to pull them back out. I carry visegrips anyway, so that's not a problem for me. Where I do most of my camping, the ground is pretty rocky too and I've never had much of a problem, if any, pounding 'em down.

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          • #6
            Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

            Thanks for all the suggestions, everybody! There's nothing like the voice of experience! I had considered the no-stake option, but we're camping in a state park, and the ground has mostly been cleared of larger rocks. This year that tent (and I) won't be flying off anywhere! Thanks again - I'll let you know how I make out!

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            • #7
              Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

              Thanks for the kind words 05Kingquad700. It's good to hear such positive comments and that our stakes work well in those tough conditions you have in Colorado.


              keooh- Your island camping trip sounds like fun. Though it may be a bit of overkill, our strongest stake is the 12 inch military stake made from 4140 steel and heat treated. I've seen it driven through pavement with no ill effect. I'm not a betting man but I'd almost bet it would drive through concrete. One of these days I'm going to try that just to see what happens.


              MacGyver-I feel your pain. I went on a backpacking trip once and left my stakes at home too. Fortunately the ground was soft and my Big Agnes tent was free standing but I did use some short sticks at the corners and for the guy lines. After that incident I always take my tent out of the bag and make sure my stakes are where they should be.


              -Brook

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              • #8
                Re: Tent Stakes - Opinions, Please

                Hi keooh,
                South Bass Island must be really rocky! Our 12 inch military stakes are made from tough 4140 steel then heat treated. They work well in difficult ground conditions. If you want to try them, I can give you a 10% discount using code 55461 on our website.


                05Kingquad700- thanks for the kind words. I'm glad our stakes are serving you well.


                MacGyver-I feel your pain. I went on a back packing trip once and somehow managed to leave my stakes at home. Fortunately my Big Agnes tent was semi free standing and I was able to improvise by making some stakes out of wood. It didn't hurt that the ground was soft too. After that I always visually confirm that my stakes are in the bag with the tent.




                Brook

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