Tent stakes

[number9]

What kind of tent stakes do you guys use? Do you find the ones included with the tent are fine, or do you get the heavy duty aluminum states, or something even beefier? What length do you use as well?

[FrioPoint]

Hi! I always ended up bending the small diameter aluminum stakes that came with my tents. So I finally got some thicker ones at REI and I haven't had one bend yet. They are 1/4" dia. and 7" long. Hopefully this link will work. http://www.rei.com/product/47637929.htm?vcat=REI_SEARCH

Robert

What kind of tent stakes do you guys use? Do you find the ones included with the tent are fine, or do you get the heavy duty aluminum states, or something even beefier? What length do you use as well?

[Chief]

I use the ones that look like a big giant nail with a green plastic hook thing on top. I think I get them at walmart in a pack of 4. I always bend everything else. These are indestructable.

[Mellow]

I use the ones from REI, they still bend sometimes depending on the ground but not near as much as the cheapos that come with the tents these days.

[Doobage]

I've done a tiny bit of black smithing and while I don't use tent stakes myself, I have a friend that would like some. So I plan on using some old railroad spikes and pounding them into stakes. One Railroad spike should be good for about 4 heavy duty tent stakes.

[Trailace]

I use the ones that came with my tent and not one has bent yet. They look like the ones Robert linked to at REI.

[mongo]

20 penny nails and fender washers work well. I did not use stakes for years untill my tent blew away down in the keys a couple of years ago.

[Gold Rush]

Same as Chief... Wally World camping stakes work great!!! :) :) If you drive it through a root they are hell to get out though:( :( :( I've never bent one but once the rocks sort of made one look like a pretzel..:D :D :D

[Big Bandit]

I use the Walmart nail ones, cheap and indestructable. Unless I am backpacking, which does not happen much anymore, then I use the light aluminum ones that came with the tent. Hey Doobage I also do some balcksmithing. Do you know of any good Texas Blacksmithing Forums?

[Doobage]

Blacksmithing....It seems that blacksmiths don't typically hang out on computers from what I can tell. Most of the blacksmith sites I've been too have been artists selling their wares and are usually pretty lame sites.

I've done a few things with this organization and I believe my dad is still a member.
http://www.habairon.org/

And I found this one searching around but know nothing about it.
http://home.flash.net/~dwwilson/ntba/

I think the only advantage to making your own tent stakes is that they can be customize and/or multipurpose.

For one, I think making a slightly curved tent stake might make it stay in the ground better (but if it's too curved it will be difficult to get in). But special long stakes could be made that stand 6 feet tall to use as a clothes line or even shorter ones simply for hanging your boots on it. (Storing a 6 foot stake would be difficult without a trailer).

The ones I'm making for my friend will have a curved T head and I'll probably put a decorative twist in them. But I suspect it will be awhile before I get around to doing it. Too many things to do!