How to Pick a Tent Stake

How to Pick a Tent Stake

By Jessica Marie

We all know that we need tent stakes to hold our tents, footprints, minimal tent and camp covers. They are an integral little piece that we need to go camping, but we often overlook them. We buy our tent or camp cover and only consider tent stakes as an afterthought. But tent stakes are actually an important piece of your overall camping experience. If your tent stakes can’t be hammered into the ground, bend, break, or otherwise fail, your trip is going to become problematic. This is why you need to pick a tent stake that is best for you and your needs.

Know Your Terrain

You’ll need to look into the type of terrain you are planning to camp in to decide the style and length of tent stake you made need. Are you going to be in snow, sand, ice, or hard, rocky ground? There are different types of tent stakes and you want to make sure to pick the right stakes for the right terrain.  Make sure to pick a stake that is best for the condition you are going into, or perhaps an all-purpose stake will meet your needs. The last thing you want is to bend or break a stake out in the field and not be able to hold your shelter up.

Know What Tools You Need

Certain types of tent stakes require certain types of tools. Sure you can beat a stake into the ground with a nearby rock or chunk or ice, but you can permanently damage the stake or injure a finger or your hand. It is best to have the right tool with you to be able to secure your stakes into the ground. A rubber mallet, screw system, or other specific tools may be best for deploying your stakes.

Know How To Remove A Stake

This one might seem silly, but different stakes require different measures to remove them from the ground. Simply kicking to loosen can bend certain stakes. Some require wiggling, pulling straight up, or a specific tool. Know what each stake needs and decide if that is what will work best for you and the conditions you will be in. If you need a tool, be sure to pack it with you.

Pick A Tent Stake

Now you can look into the different types of tent stakes, their individual pros and cons, and the tools they may need. There are a large variety of tent stakes, pick the best option for your needs. If you are going into bitter cold, don’t use a plastic stake as they will become bitter and break. If your conditions are ice or rocky ground you will need the most durable stakes. Make sure to invest in the right kind of stakes for the conditions you are planning to camp in. Bring any tools you may need for deploying or removing stakes from the ground. Make sure you treat your stakes with care, they may be frustrating but they are necessary to keep your camp from falling over or blowing away.