Choosing the right stakes for guy lines can make or break your tent's stability in difficult surface. We look for stakes that hold well and are lightweight for backpackers counting every ounce. We also consider resilience metrics like whether the stake can be wacked with a mallet without breaking or flexing.
1. Material
For those that are attempting to conserve every last ounce in their packs, the material made use of for the stakes can be an important consideration. Aluminum and titanium stakes supply terrific resilience at a practical weight, while carbon fiber risks are ultralight but can be a lot more vulnerable to damaging or snapping under stress and anxiety.
The Toaks Titanium V-shaped stakes are light-weight and pack to an impressively little size. They're very easy to drive into rocky dirt and have a plastic top that safeguards the steel from rocks and roots. Though they do not come with a pull cable, there is an opening to include one and a hole for completely attaching person lines. The only drawback is their frailty. The candid ends aren't as resistant to strikes from a mallet as a few other risks, and they may damage under too much stress in an extreme storm. Regardless of this, they remain our choice for a light backpacking risk.
2. Length
This statistics is essential practically exclusively for backpackers, given that every ounce counts when you're hoofing it with the wild on a ten- to twenty-mile walking day in day out. We search for risks that load down small which are very easy to install with a club and by hand, while providing sufficient longevity for the conditions you will certainly come across on the trail.
Needles (or secures) are cylinder-shaped risks with sharp ends and a head or notch on one end for guy-line attachment. They are simplest to pound into the ground, yet are outdoor camping prone to bending. Shepherd's hook risks, which have a comparable shape to needle stakes however a directly only one end, are much more sturdy than needle risks, however require an additional action in setup to secure the line. V-stakes, which have a v-shaped body that supplies better surface area and are much more immune to flexing, are also an option. Some included a paracord loophole, that makes it easier to get rid of the risk when you need to move camp.
3. Tip
The stake idea's capacity to resist flexing and turn is a key statistics for those utilizing person lines on rough terrain where the line might scrub against the rocks. The risks with a rounded point, like needle risks or guard's hook risks, often tend to flex and transform much more easily than those with a flat or V-shaped idea. They can additionally cause the line to fray as it massages versus the rock. Ultimately, for the ounce counters out there, we measured each stake's weight and just how compact it packs down into its stuff sack. The most effective risks load to a very tiny size.
