What stakes for winter camping?

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/best-stakes/

I emailed Dave and Amy Freeman a while ago with the same question (they did a year long trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota…it gets cold there in the winter)…They used an 8 man Seek Outside tipi and used titanium nail stakes.  He said they worked well in frozen ground.

Unfortunately I accidentally deleted his email back to me, but I think he also said that they tied extra cordage loops onto the already existing loops to make them easier to find and pull out.

Aluminium will bond to ice overnight. Then you have the devil of a problem getting Al stakes out in the morning and getting the ice off them for packing. Plus, they bend easily while you are either (or both) trying to get them into frozen ground or back out.

Titanium metal does not bond to ice much at all, and it is very hard in comparison. Ti wires and larger Ti stakes can be driven into frozen ground (and soft rock) with no damage. See
https://backpackinglight.com/make_your_own_gear_titanium_snow_stakes/
https://backpackinglight.com/myog_ti_snow_stakes_part_2/
For more info and some ideas.

I tie long silnylon streamers to my Ti snow pegs so I can see them in the morning. That helps, weighs ~0 g.

(The yellow string is waxed Spectra fishing line, 200 lb?. The Al pop-rivets prevent fraying on the edges of the holes, which has happened! The Ti loop-hook is for the guy rope.)

Cheers

Sounds like Ti needle stakes are the way to go…guess it’s time to research which ones to get.

Matt,

The Freemans used the Ti Nail stakes not the Ti needle stakes, although you can try both.  Here is an example of a Nail stake:

https://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-nail-peg.html