Staking Zpacks Plex shelter end-panels

I have staked mine to the ground. It seems to give the panels a little more support and fractionally more headroom. I don't like the idea of staking a found stick because I don't want it to fall over and have it out a hole in the precious.

I might stake it out with my son's poles but we are both short and the interior seems pretty big to us.

I had a Cuban Fiber tarp pitched with trekking poles. One of the stakes pulled out in the wind and yanked the pole into the tarp. The pole put a big slash across the middle and ruined the tarp-it was brand new. Not risking that with my Duplex.

I did that with my cloudburst. Lightly! Those tieouts weren't reinforced. Seemed to work better with poles. In a storm pegged down would prolly (?) be better. But then, when it rains I pack up and go

I like to use smaller sticks that I place much farther out from the tent incase the guy line stake comes out of the ground. Gives me about the same amount of additional room versus going with a taller stick.

I hadn't realized just how large a campsite needs to be to properly pitch the duplex with all the guylines. For any of you guys that backpack in the Sierras, do you have a difficult time finding a large enough site? I love the way the duplex looks when fully pitched.

I use the 22" poles with treking pole cups provided by ZPacks for extra room inside the tent and to prevent any condensation that may form on the inside from touching my sleeping bag. In the referenced thread the OP asked for one's favorite photos of the tent from a photographic standpoint, but I noticed when I took photos with the pole extenders the tent just looked odd. As such, I always remove the end panel stake outs before I take photographs.

You learn quickly to pace out what you need before you set up. I haven't had any issues finding space in the Sierra's, but when I first started using the Duplex there was one time when what I though was adequate room turned out to be not adequate.

At 5'9" I'm not tall so staking straight out provides adequate space. I've used found sticks with a clove hitch but it doesn't make much difference for me.

Thanks everyone for your responses…as I suspected, my height leads me to a setup that most of you don't seem to need. In an email I asked Joe if he had tested the panel tie-outs for strength, and if he had any suggestions for what to do, or not do, when the winds pick up or when above tree line. Here is what he said (emphasis mine):

I am 5' 9" tall. Like some of the other posters have commented, unless you are tall you really don't need the extra head room.

I'd probably use a combination of carbon stakes, and a couple V stakes. Pile rocks on them when above treeline in the wind.

Since I use Ruta Locura's 9" CF stakes and also carry a couple feet of Cuben repair tape, I guess I'm good :)

I stake to give more room at the ends. I'm 6' and end up setting up my quilt too far at the head end of my Solplex. Using poles or sticks raises the ends some if I do it right, using small, straight sticks or tying to a tree. Some sticks just don't work, you need to lay the line over a crook or upside down arm pit of the stick and angle it just right. May not work well if at all in the wind by just laying it on the stick.
First pic at Lake of the Woods in Desolation Wilderness,CA last Sept. Limited camping spaces there now, can only use numbered sites. Second shot is last Oct. in Maroon Bells, outside Aspen, CO.
Duane