Easton tent stake failures

[Brad Rogers]

For years I have read reports of heads popping off the Easton tent stakes, yet others – including myself, have used them for years with no issues. I had originally assumed that it was an occasional bad batch, due to poor epoxy, or poor workmanship in applying the epoxy, but I recently read a report of the head popping off a five year old, well used Easton, so that may have shot my theory down as you would assume if that were the case they would fail early in the life of the stake.

I have used a variety of stakes through the years from Ti Shepard’s hooks, to Ti Nails, including Aluminum “Y” stakes (from MSR, Golite, REI, and others), Aluminum “V” stakes (from TNF, DAC, and others),  Aluminum “X” stakes, and MSR Needles, and I have found Easton’s to be the best combination of weight, holding power, and handling (easy to insert and remove).  I have used Easton’s extensively since 2008 and continue to use them today so I an interested in why they fail, and if the failures are related to poor manufacturing, misuse, abuse, or overuse and if so can a failure be predicted.  I thought that a running log of failures and a description of the conditions surrounding the failure might eventually shed some light on the issue.

If you have ever had a Easton stake fail please share the following:

When did the failure occur?

How old was the stake at the time of failure?

What were you doing when the failure occurred?

What type of soil were you in?

Anything else of note concerning the failure?

[Nick Gatel]

I had 3 fail last October. They were about 2 years old, but didn’t have much use (Usually sleep under the stars). The first one failed in the Trinity Alps. Soft wet soil and didn’t need to pound them in. On my way home from the trip I car camped in Big Sur had to use a small rock to pound them in. Two failed when I removed them. I have tied small pieces of cord through the holes in the heads of the stakes and if they are hard to remove I place another stake through the loop and and pull it out using two hands, which I did in Big Sur. All three stakes were purchased at the same time. The other 5 stakes I used on this trip, and bought with the failed 3, seem to be okay as I have used them several times since.

[Bob Moulder]

I’ve had experiences similar to Nick’s in the Catskills.

Maybe 6-7 years ago(?)

These were either brand new or nearly so.

Fairly gentle tapping with a rock — far less force than I use with Ti shepherd hooks (of which the current Lawson version are superb, BTW). Being placed in rocky, rooty, mossy soil in cracks between sub-soil rock.

The heads came off when pulling them out, using the cord looped thru the head and a stick or another stake… something like that. Out of 6 stakes, at least 3 and perhaps 4 of the heads came off.

I’m not going to try those carbon fiber stakes, that’s for sure. Or anything else that is not one continuous piece of material.     :^/

[John Vance]

I had three out of eight fail on the first use pulling them out of firm but not hard ground.  They were not pounded in and just placed by hand and then pushed the final couple inches by boot.  I used Gorilla glue to put them back on and they have been fine for the past five years.

[John Klinepeter]

My experience is similar to that of Nick and Bob.  The heads have been pulled off more than one stake when attempting to remove them from the earth.  The stakes were new and were included with a Tarptent purchase about five years ago IIRC.  I attributed the failure to a poorly manufactured lot and bought some more approximately one year later; the same thing happened.  My initial attraction to the Eastons was due to their supposedly good holding strength  I no longer use them.

I just looked for my Easton stakes in my “warehouse”.  Must have thrown them out?  I did find one lonely head with the cord still attached :).

I had similar problems with Ti Goat carbon fiber stakes purchased about 15 years ago.  No more two-part stakes for me.

I now use a mixture of Y pegs and titanium shepherd stakes.  Sometimes I will use solely the Y pegs.  I learned my lesson about relying on shepherd stakes in a nice windstorm a few years ago :).

My Golite Y pegs, perhaps 12-15 years old, are still going strong.  The same goes for MSR Groundhogs but I have less experience with those.  I have very limited use of Ace Camp Y pegs but they are working well so far.

[J-L]

I bought some Easton stakes a few years ago (in 2012).The heads popped off before they were even used, just by me pulling on them with my hands. I’m not even very strong.

Maybe it was a good thing. I attached the heads with some JBWeld and they’ve been solid ever since. I don’t use them as my primary stakes though – MSR Groundhogs or Ti Shepherds for me.

Edit: when I posted about my stake problems here on BPL, Easton did eventually send me some new stakes. The heads on those have never popped off, but they’ve only been used 30 or 40 nights over the past 5 years.

[DGoggins]

Just to post a contrarian viewpoint….I really love my ruta locura 9″ sorex stakes. Similar holding power to the Eastons, but much lighter. Zpacks also sells them (though only the 6.5″ version). Anyway, they now have a drilled hole through both the carbon shaft and aluminum head, so you are pulling on both materials when pulling them out. I never had the old heads pop off anyway, but now they are more secure. 14.5grams for the easton vs 8grams on the 9″ sorex.  I tried mini groundhogs…10g, but really small…harder to clean out dirt from the grooves, I didn’t like the holding power personally. Normal groundhogs are bomber…but heavy. Tried titanium shepherds (lawsons)….which are light but….have the least holding power..and…always bent whenever I tried to use them.

[JCH]

I have to admit to abandoning my Eastons after reading all the stories of failure…however they worked just fine on the 5-6 trips during which they were used.

Just to post a contrarian viewpoint….I really love my ruta locura 9″ sorex stakes

Same here.  Granted, I have not tried to weasel them into rocky, rooty, mossy soil in cracks between sub-soil rock, and would probably not try…TI shepherd hooks are in my quiver for that situation.  But mildly rocky, rooted soil (AT in PA, SNP, Yosemite, Olympic NP) has so far proven no problem for the Ruta Locuras.  In loose and/or sandy soil the 9″ length works wonderfully.

[John Klinepeter]

Thanks, that is good to know about the revised and improved Ruta Locura stakes.  My stakes were probably very early versions.  Of the five that are still in my stake bin two are missing heads.  There is no obvious pin holding the head to the stake.  The heads are plastic on the early version.

[Ken Thompson]

Definitely a defective one, but. Pushed a brand new one into my rock less backyard and the tube snapped in half. Gouged me pretty good. I just don’t get the logic in stakes made of multiple parts.

[Franco Darioli]

With those two part stakes, it helps A LOT, if you nudge the stake with your foot before you attempt to pull them out.

[Rachel P]

I’ve had I think three stakes fail on me. All came with my Tarptent Rainshadow 2 which I bought in the summer of 2013. Last summer (2016) the stakes starting failing. I’ve been replacing them with mini MSR groundhogs.

When they fail usually it’s when I’m pulling them out of pretty hard ground (New Mexico dirt and rock) and the top just pops off. I also have come to prefer the MSR mini groundhogs because they are less likely to pull out of the ground while the tent is pitched. Even when I put the Easton stakes in at a 45 degree angle, often the front or back stake would pull out eventually.

[Brad Rogers]

Interesting….It seems like most failures have been during removal and many when the stakes were relatively new (which probably means defects).  Could Franco be right, I am not sure if I do that of not, I will have to pay attention on my next trip in July.

I have never had one pull out either though I normally put rocks on my stakes if I expect bad weather.  I have a couple of shepherd hooks pull out in bad weather and have broken the head off a generic “Y” stake when removing it (using another stake to pull it up).

[Bob Moulder]

I found one of the stakes that I referred to in my post above. As you can see from the photos it was used very little.

I’ll PIF it to you for destructive testing if you wish!

[JCH]

…ruta locura 9″ sorex stakes. Similar holding power to the Eastons, but much lighter. Zpacks also sells them (though only the 6.5″ version). Anyway, they now have a drilled hole through both the carbon shaft and aluminum head, so you are pulling on both materials when pulling them out.

RL’s recently upgraded CF stakes also include all new heads, tips and CF tubing. Kinda wish I needed more stakes :)  Damn you GAS!

[Nick Gatel]

Bob,

Mine were the same gold color. I have some red ones that seems to be better.

[John Vance]

Mine are the gold as well.  Three failures out of eight stakes upon pullout.  Gorilla glue has worked the past five years or so.  I roughed up the shaft and the inside of the cap before gluing.

[Ben C]

I’ve had gold ones for at least 5 years, longer I think.  I have had some bending of the shaft but no caps off.

[David K.]

Here’s an older thread discussing Easton stakes failure:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/64874/

According to an Easton rep, they redesigned the heads to address the failure issues.  I have both old and new heads and have had no issues so far with either, even after some severe hammering with rocks (only about 30 days of use though).

[Bob Moulder]

I guess I’m the ‘once burned, forever shy’ type.

Of course it’s not the end of the world when something like this happens in the field, but I have a very long memory for such things.

When I need something beefier than the Lawson Ti stakes I use these that I got thru Amazon prime… at a buck apiece they were worth a shot. They’ve worked out well for the ridgeline guys on my Duplex. Weight is identical to Ground Hogs.

[Nick Gatel]

One of these days I’ll get around to pulling the heads off the gold stakes and secure them with JB weld.

[Bill in Roswell]

I was sorting through my mixed assortment of tent stakes and recalled this thread started by Brad in regards to Easton tent stakes. My experience with the Easton stakes came via my Tarptents. Of the four shorter blue stakes, only 1 has lost the head. But all four of the gold 8″ long stakes have had the head pull off. The suggestion to use JB Weld works well so far. I use the 8″ version for high tension stress points that tarps and tarpents often need. The Easton has been the easiest to remove as long as the head stays attached. I use Groundhogs for most general 6.5″ purposes.

[Brad Rogers]

I’ve still been using Eastons almost exclusively and am yet to have a failure.  I have the old blue style (6″) and some of the new style stakes in 8″.   Last fall I beat the living snot out of one (I think I drove it through a root).  The tip was bent and deformed when I finally got it out, but the head held.

It must be that some batches are good and some batches are bad.

[Franco Darioli]

If you give a gentle nudge to the stake before pulling it out , the head will have a better chance to remain in place.

 

[Todd T]

Speculation:  The fact that the heads come off when pulling the stakes up is irrelevant, almost a tautology.  It’s hammering the stakes in that damages the head, then makes it unreasonably difficult to pull the stake out.

I’ve never had an Easton cap come off, but then I never pound them in.  If a stake–any stake–won’t push in, I find a different way to anchor that point.

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