Best tent stakes

TheTentLab putting the super in superb since As a tent user, I've bent, best tent stakes, broken and trashed much more than my share of tent stakes and I've anchored tents of all sizes in every condition. As a designer I've measured and analyzed quite a best tent stakes and I've even designed some ultimate stakes for military use. And I was the designer and driver of the original tent super-cord: the Kelty Triptease Lightline.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. To help ensure your tent stays up no matter the conditions, I put nineteen of the best tent stakes through a series of tests to find out which had the holding power and durability to withstand the elements. The first step in testing was to check both weight and length against the manufacturer-provided specifications out of the box. Generally, these matched what the manufacturer provided, although minor discrepancies were noted in the above table. Tent stakes were then tested in tandem at four separate test sites. The first one was on what could be considered ideal ground for pitching a tent—firm enough that a tool in this case, the MSR Stake Hammer was useful for pushing the tent stake into the ground, but not so firm as to be arduous.

Best tent stakes

The best backpacking tent stake may not be the same for every trip, and is one that meets our own individual approach in regards to durability, ease of use, effectiveness, weight, and price. Tent stakes can be made from a variety of materials from high grade aluminum like the popular MSR Groundhog stakes , to titanium, plastic, and carbon fiber…or a combination of these materials as you can find in the MSR Carbon Core offering. For backpacking purposes, tent stakes are a bit of a conundrum; they need to be both lightweight, and very strong. Most of us end up with something of a compromise between the two extremes, like the popular tubular aluminum design that has been found in the now antiquated Easton Nano and more currently in the aluminum MSR Core models. Stakes made of stiffer more brittle material can fail by breaking, sometimes in rather spectacular fashion by becoming a flying projectile along with a resounding ping sound, while other stakes will bend instead of, or prior to breaking. Tent stake design varies widely, and the best tent stake will vary depending on the conditions at hand. Other than specialized options like snow and sand stakes, design of the stake is mostly related to how well it will hold in the ground vs. Popular varieties include the aforementioned MSR Groundhog Y-shaped stakes, needle style stakes, V-shaped stakes, and tubular stakes. Y stakes and V-stakes offer very good holding power and are usually quite strong, but with their sharp edges they can be difficult or painful to use on the hands. However, being a two piece design, they can also come apart but at the right angle can still be used for the rest of a trip. With all stakes, but with these two piece types of stakes especially, it pays to first move the stake side to side to loosen before removal from difficult ground. Nail stakes would be another option here, and can also be used to first create a pilot hole for a larger stake like an Easton or Groundhog. No matter the design of the stake you choose to go with, longer stakes will always offer more holding ability while of course being a bit heavier. The standard stake length is usually around 6 inches, and generally this is a good choice and balance of weight to holding power for most situations.

We own and field test every product we recommend, which is sadly not the norm. Gauging the ease of installation with the hammer for the MSR Mini.

Materials such as aluminum or steel tend to stay bent while our titanium tent stakes will spring back into shape. This feature combined with their exceptionally strong ultra lightweight properties, make them a perfect choice for your next backpacking trip. You can contact our customer support team through the following channels for product concerns or questions about our brand. Join Newsletter. Log in Cart 0 0 items. Shop Gear.

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Best tent stakes

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. When we purchase a tent, most of them come with stock tent stakes. They can be flimsy and ill-suited for keeping a sturdy hold on your tent, especially when camping in special circumstances like on sand or snow. The first step in deciding which tent stakes are suitable for your camping needs is to identify the intended use and the type of ground. Stakes or anchors that work best for soft ground like sand will not work well in rocky or hard ground areas. Your budget may also play a role in the types of stakes you buy. Whatever the case may be, we made sure to include a variety of options so you can find the best tent stakes for your needs.

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Already have an account? Seriously, nice review. The thin neck at the notch, which helps keep guylines in place, is an obvious weak point. For rocky, firm ground to have a few short tent stakes is great. The All One Tech stake provides a great balance of length, design, and weight to achieve a powerful hold while still being a manageable size to take into the backcountry. AnyGear Aluminum. Why review a discontinued product? Cons No longer available from MSR, similar offerings are cheap knock-offs. This natural flex also allows the stake to bend with the direction of pull and almost completely rebound back to its original shape when removed. Osprey Exos 58 Review.

There are plenty of things to do on Baden's hiking trails. On AllTrails.

It was a tight race for the best tent stake, but in the end, the lightweight MSR Groundhog had superior holding power to the Sea to Summit Ground Control and a lower weight than the Zpacks Super Sonic. Learn more here at Zpacks. Doug May 08, at pm Use case matters and so does length. All three had excellent holding power—the most important criteria during testing—at a low weight. At first I thought this was a spoof on The Trail Show tent stake reviews. Lifetime Warranty. If you are at a different campsite each night it will affect your choice in contrast to car camping or a permanent campsite. I had broken 2 of my carbon stakes in the first couple hundred miles and needed replacements. For permanent campsites, they are a good option, but personally for multiple pitches backpacking, they can be a bit annoying screwing and unscrewing each time. Camping Cookware. Best test stake for snow. Ali Becker is a freelance adventure writer and narrative storyteller who shares compelling conversations about personal transformations, overcoming limitations, wellness education and adventurous situations.