Cheap, light tent stakes?

[Dan Johnson]

So my MYOG tarp is almost complete, but all I have are some old heavy stakes that I'd love to replace with something lighter. Is anyone out there using something light weight and cheap (if not free) that works? Once I get the stakes I can finally pitch my tarp! I was thinking of using a metal clothes hanger and cutting it up to make a stakes or two but I worried about their strength and they seem to bend pretty easily. Any ideas?

[Bob Gross]

As a test, I made some stakes out of ordinary clothes hanger wire. They are better than nothing, but they don't hold very good and they will get bent easily.

Standard titanium shepherd's stakes work the best for me on the soil that I run into here in California, so I normally carry about eight of them for my shelter. I also carry one SMC snow stake, the curved aluminum type, but it sees more use as a trowel.

You have to test your soil and then decide if you need something that you can simply push into the soil with your hands, or whether you need something massive enough that you will drive it in by pounding it with a rock.

–B.G.–

[jimmyjam]

I use aluminum gutter spikes with a hole drilled just under the head with a short loop of chord tied on to make pulling them out easy. Home Depot sell them in a pack of 10. Not as light as titanium, but cheap.

[John S.]

Vick Hines coat hanger stakes.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/1135/index.html?skip_to_post=9181#9181

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/3834/index.html?skip_to_post=27472#27472

[Jon Denham]

http://www.rei.com/product/794293/rei-tri-stake-tent-stake

14.69g/.519 oz. on my scale.

Only a $1 each and 7075 Al. As a combination of durability, holding power, price and weight, these are hard to beat.

[Chase Norton]

bob hit on it. you really need to determine what is suitable for your environment.

I will say this generally:

Ti Shepherd for mid-hard ground under mild-mid wind conditions

MSR Groundhogs for soft soil under heavy wind conditions

Sno stake for snow/liquid mud crap under heavy wind

Base your decision on the hardness of your soil and the intensity of your winds

Chase

[j lan]

Chopsticks!

[Chase Norton]

hmmm, I wonder how chopsticks would hold up if you put heat shrink over them…..

[Marc Eldridge]

I use 10" bamboo chopsticks. So far so good.

[Sam Jones]

Dual use I assume? Does the tarp hold up ok during dinner?

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