Do you ever pack extra tent stakes?

[Zack Freije]

I don’t bring the lightest stakes with me. I’ve been using the longer MSR Groundhogs.

I see a lot of people with the tiny carbon fiber nail ones. I’ve tried a few different lighter options, but I’ve had issues with them pulling out of loose ground when I tension my TarpTent. So, I’ve just stuck with the Groundhogs.

However, last weekend, I somehow drove one of them under a mess of tree roots. When I went to break camp, I couldn’t get the stake to come out. I broke the cord loop, and I tried using my trowel to dig it out, but I kept hitting roots. Then I tried wiggling it by tapping it with a rock. Eventually it bent and broke before coming out. I think I could have used it again, but luckily it was my last night.

So, this got me thinking, do you ever pack extra tent stakes? I do bring extra cord so I could potentially have tied it to a tree, or found a pile of rocks to anchor it. But maybe I should consider bringing an extra titanium shepard’s hook stake.

[Zack Freije]

[Andrew Priest]

I don’t take extra tent stakes but then I pitch my tent myself so I am careful as to where I pitch in an attempt to avoid the problem you had.

I also have a policy of from the stake bag to the ground back directly to the stake bag as pulled with every stake. No leaving them on the ground, pick them up later scenario etc.

[Ken Thompson]

Associated reading. Could come in useful.

https://backpackinglight.com/ditch_your_stakes/

[Michael Sirofchuck]

I usually carry a couple extras – they’re not that heavy and I prefer not to spend the time rigging up alternative anchors.   If I’m in snow, then I use ice axes, skis, ski poles, snowshoes, etc.

 

[jimmy b]

Sort of…I have a single ti shepherd’s hook I use in my cook kit that can do double duty of course. As I have a duplex I could always use the two mid panel tie out stakes to fill in for more supporting stays. My potty trowel is such it can be used as a stake and I also follow Andrews policy of bagging stakes. Other than that its natural holds if necessary.

[Franco Darioli]

Yes, always. Typically I’ll have a mix of Easton,Y and a couple of nail stakes. .

Extra stakes and cordage.

[Mark Fowler]

While I am ultra careful and have painted the tops of my pegs orange, I always carry a spare peg or two – usually just a ti shepards hook. Tent pegs have a deeply innate desire to be free.

Tent pegs and a spare lighter are the only two things I double up on.

[Matthew / BPL]

I carry one extra Ti nail stake.

It’s probably a good idea to be comfortable with using rocks to set your tent/tarp up. I’ve been in plenty of situations where the ground wouldn’t accept a stake and I’ve always found rocks nearby in that scenario. The side benefit is if you lose a stake you know what to do.

[J R]

Nah, if I needed to sub a stake I’d use my trowel. If I was desperate to sub two I’d use my spoon.

[Jorge Villalobos]

Only always ;). I use 6 primary Al Y stakes with my Duplex, and 4 supplemental Lawson burly Ti shepherd’s hooks which come in handy on tricky ground, to tie the mid-panel guys, as spares, and to raise the pot on the caldera cone if I need to burn wood in an emergency (yet to happen, but gotta justify the extra grams, right?).

[Scott Smith]

Always.. And have found a use, at least once a year

[IVO K]

Always. Due to past experience and lessons learned.

[Jerry Adams]

I put extra loops on the edges – one on each corner (4 total) plus 3 on each side in between (12 total).  And 16 stakes.  Normally I only use 8 of the stakes, but if it’s really windy I’ll use them all.

If I lost one or even several stakes, I’d just use rocks for those, or omit them on the lee side.

[Window walker]

Never. I actually always bring two less stakes than I need and use rocks/logs/whatever is around to tie down the last two tie outs. If desperate I can use my potty trowel but I haven’t needed to yet.  I often camp on top of peaks where it is very rocky and sometimes the stakes are almost useless besides laying them sideways and piling rocks.  I have thought about ditching the stakes and bringing extra cord to tie around rocks in those situations. I am a weekend warrior so that plays a role in my decisions, for a longer hike I may make different choices.

[James Marco]

Well, yes. I carry 7 ti shepherds hooks. Technically speaking, I only need six. But, the odd one comes in handy to stake down the windward side.

[Jake J]

I carry a mix of the lightsmith carbon fiber stakes and the Ti shepherds hooks. Always pack a couple extra as the weight is negligible.

[Art …]

no never !

I often bring 1 or 2 fewer than the minimum suggested, of course my set up is semi free standing.

[David Thomas]

Er, why?

[jimmy b]

Dave, I wish I had nice loamy ground to drive stakes in like that….even some of the time  :)

[Roger Caffin]

As Mark said: one extra Ti wire stake and a spare Bic lighter.

Cheers

[Jenny A]

Maybe it’s where I camp, but I almost always find a stake and end up carrying it out.  Seems pretty easy to improvise, too.

FWIW, I also use the mini Groundhogs, and have ever only broken one…the same way the OP did.

[Stephen Parks]

Yes and no. I carry 4 groundhogs for the main stake points on my notch, plus two Easton nails for the optional peak tie-outs. If I were to lose a stake, I could just omit one of the peak tie-outs if the weather is decent or tie off to something else if I really need the extra stability.

[Mark Cashmere]

Yep. As someone else also mentioned, I like to take a variety of stakes as the terrain can be varied and some work better than others.  Usually only amounts to 1-2 more than I need and I’ve been able to lend them to other members of my party when they found themselves short a stake or want to add a tie out.  My stake bag has a few 6″ Eastons, a couple of Ti e-stakes and then some of the thicker Ti shepherd hooks (with the orange coating on the hook); might be a Ti nail in there too.  The Eastons and the Ti nail are by far the easiest to pound in with a rock (if that’s required).

 

[Roger Caffin]

The Ti wires pound in pretty well too – been there, done that, broke the rock I was using too!

Cheers

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