Stakes that can take a pounding

Check out THIS

Pretty good round-up of what’s available. But this can be quite subjective depending on what they are being pounded into.

MSR Groundhogs. They aren't the lightest, but they are far better than than the weenie Ti stakes and cost less. The color makes them easier to spot and they come with a loop of reflective line.

At some point I consider stakes as sacrificial gear. Like shoes, they just wear out with use. God willing, I hope I can camp enough to wear out lots of stakes :)

Yeah, I agree. They don't have to last forever; I would be happy if they last the trip and do their job. I'm hiking in an area where I typically don't count on being able to use stakes at all; usually just use rocks. But I'm dealing with some physical issues (rheumatoid arthritis) where moving rocks around may not be in the cards. I'm thinking I'll take a few stakes that I know I can depend on. I'm willing to take on a little extra weight.

I'm embarrassed to say that I can't access the linked article — I'm just a forum member this year!

I'll also throw in a recommend for the groundhogs. Mine are old enough they are still Moss brand. One of them (out of the 10 I bought) has a slight bend to it but after a decade of hiking in the Rockies, I'll call that an acceptable service life. They're not that much heavier than the Ti stakes either.

Ditto on the Groundhogs. I have bashed them pretty hard with a rock on several occasions with no major damage. I hear that the lighter Groundhog minis are not nearly as durable.

Yep, Groundhogs…I've been using the same set for 4,000 miles. The only time I lost one I pounded it into a tree root and couldn't get it out. I apologized to the tree….:-(

I use the Groundhogs for car camping tents and tarp (along with a couple of snow stakes if I ever need them for sand) and some Marmot hook stakes for miscellaneous stuff.

I use the Groundhog Minis for backpacking tent. They are fine, too — although they don't anchor as solidly is soft ground.

I got some of the fake groundhog style stakes with a tent (Marmot brand). They are not as nicely finished as the Groundhogs and don't have the hole for the cord loop. If you are buying them, not worth the small savings to get the knockoffs.

I combine my trusty 4 Groundhogs for tarp corners with Lawson's titanium stakes (got a bunch when he had a sale) for the sides and ridge poles. This has worked well for me so far. Besides the reliability and strength of the Groundhogs, I love that they are available at the 3 REIs near me. The titanium stakes are sweet in terms of weight but I have to "source" them. IF a Groundhog ever failed and I needed an identical stake (I know they're mostly interchangeable) I could always get what I needed locally.

Definitely MSR Groundhogs – the big 6 inch version, not the new minis.

In addition, I always carry at least 2 titanium nail stakes. They serve as spares if (or when) one of my groundhogs "wanders off", and you can pound these nails into almost ANYTHING, including granite. They will either puncture rocks or slide around them. Great for the JMT.

I've never pounded a backpacking stake. If I can't push it in I find some other way to anchor that point. My current stakes have lasted six seasons without a single bent or failed one.

When I said "take a pounding", I meant it literally. I'll be hammering them in with a rock and it won't be just that one corner that I can't push in, but all four.

@Bob, which titanium nails? Easier to hammer in than a Groundhog?