Tent Stakes

Staff Picks 2025

Our staff selects their favorite hiking, backpacking, and other backcountry gear that they’ve used over the past year – the next edition of our infamous Staff Picks!

Cottage Gear Guide: Ultralight Hiking & Backpacking Gear from Small, Startup, and Cottage Brands

Discover the most unique, innovative, and ultralight backpacking gear from small, startup, and cottage brands in our Cottage Gear Guide.

Episode 115 | Tiny Things

In episode 115 of the Backpacking Light podcast we’re sharing Big Talk about Tiny Things: Those little ultralight bits of gear that have an outsized impact on our experience in the backcountry.

Episode 106 | Tent Stake Holding Power

In episode 106 of the Backpacking Light podcast we’re going to learn about tent stake holding power and have a chat about tent stake design with Suluk 46 founder Steve Evans.

How do tent stakes interact with soils to create holding power?

Tent stake holding power, especially in adverse wind conditions, relies on principles of engineering and physics, including cross-sectional shape, length, soil interaction, and insertion angle.

Publisher’s Gear Guide Update (Nov ’23)

The Publisher’s Gear Guide has been updated. This gear guide contains recommendations in various categories by Backpacking Light Publisher and Founder Ryan Jordan. This is the gear he actually chooses to use on his own trips.

MSR Core Tent Stake

Our pick for an extremely durable, lightweight stake with exceptional holding power in most soil types. Pack 4 in your stake kit for your shelter corners, and round out the…

MSR Cyclone Tent Stakes

@Stakes Carbon Fiber Tent Stakes

Gear reviews from our staff and members, buy/sell used, shopping tools, and more about the @Stakes Glow-in-the-Dark Carbon Fiber Tent Stakes.

Vargo Outdoors Titanium Shepherd’s Hook Fluorescent Orange Head Tent Stake

Gear reviews from our staff and members, buy/sell used, shopping tools, and more about the Vargo Outdoors Titanium Shepherd’s Hook Fluorescent Orange Head Tent Stake.

Suluk46 Atani Titanium Tent Stakes

Gear reviews from our staff and members, buy/sell used, shopping tools, and more about the Suluk46 Atani Titanium Tent Stakes.

2022 Backpacking Light Members Choice Awards

First annual Members Choice Awards – what gear do our members use and love as we near the end of 2022?

MSR Mini-Groundhog Stakes

Y-channel stakes with very good holding power, best for smaller shelters. For more robust Y-stakes, see the MSR Groundhog.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultralight Stake Kit

Gear reviews from our staff and members, buy/sell used, shopping tools, and more about the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultralight Stake Kit.

Choosing an Ultralight Shelter for Backpacking (Member Q&A)

How to make the decision of what type of ultralight shelter to use on various types of backpacking trips in different seasons.

MSR Stake Hammer

The MSR Stake Hammer usually stays in our car for camping at developed campgrounds and trailheads, where tent sites are usually compact or gravelly. However, it’s also an essential tool…

Nemo Airpin Stakes

A unique hook design built into the head of the Nemo Airpin Stake means that you don’t need loops or knots to secure your shelter guylines, making tension adjustments easy…

REI Snow Stake

For winter and spring backpacking in snowy environments, the REI Snow Stake (and the more expensive, but similar MSR Blizzard) are our recommendation when the snow is consolidated. In this…

ZPacks Ultralight Titanium Tent Stake

The ZPacks Ultralight Titanium Stake is our pick for a thin, easy-to-insert, ultralight tent stake for most secondary shelter guylines that don’t require a lot of holding power. An orange…

ZPacks Carbon Fiber Stake

We’re not big fans of tubular carbon fiber tent stakes, because hikers tend to use them inappropriately in soils that are too rocky or hard. However, the experienced hiker knows…