How to stake a tent in the sun baked caliche soil found in Texas
If you’ve ever tried setting up camp in West Texas, the Hill Country, or parts of the Panhandle during summer, you know the sound: the dull, hollow clack of a tent stake hitting what feels like solid concrete, followed immediately by the sickening bend…
How do I prevent my tent guylines from slipping off flat-headed nail stakes?
You’ve finally ditched the flimsy, bendable aluminum pegs that came with your tent and upgraded to industrial, heavy-duty hardware nail stakes. Whether you’re car camping along the hard-packed, sun-baked clay soils of Texas, setting up camp on the rocky,…
Can I use heavy-duty landscape spikes from a hardware store instead of tent stakes?
Every car camper, overlander, and festival-goer eventually faces the same dilemma. You arrive at your campsite—whether it’s a sun-baked clay plot in Texas, a gravelly mountain terrace in New York’s Adirondacks, or a rocky, hard-packed clearing near San…
Best heavy duty tent stakes for camping in the hard packed clay of Texas
Any seasoned camper who has tried to pitch a tent in the Lone Star State knows that Texas soil is legendary—and not for its hospitality. From the sweeping expanses of West Texas to the hills surrounding Austin and the dense pine woods out East, the…
What are the strongest metal tent stakes that will never bend in rocky soil
There is a distinct, frustrating sound known to almost every camper: the dull twang of a lightweight aluminum tent stake bending in half beneath the strike of a camp mallet. Whether you are trying to anchor a shelter into the unyielding, sun-baked…
How to secure a large family tent in high winds on open camping ground
Few outdoor experiences match the joy of a family camping trip. Setting up a basecamp on an open prairie in Texas, along the rugged coastlines of Washington and California, or near the exposed bluffs of New York provides spectacular views and…
What should I do if my Y-Beam stake hits an unyielding rock shelf just two inches down?
It is the classic backcountry dilemma. You’ve logged 15 miles through the grueling elevation changes of California’s Sierra Nevada, or perhaps you are setting up camp on the wind-swept limestone plates of the Texas Hill Country. The sun is dropping fast,…
Differences between Y-beam and shepherd hook tent stakes for various camping terrain types
Whether you are mapping out a grueling leg of the Pacific Crest Trail through California’s rugged Sierra Nevada, navigating the dense, root-tangled floor of New York’s Adirondack Mountains, pitching a shelter in the notoriously damp loam of Washington’s…
How to choose the right tent stake shape for different types of soil conditions
Every experienced backpacker knows the feeling of relief when arriving at a campsite after an exhaustive, high-mileage day. Whether you are pitching your shelter along the rocky ridges of California’s Sierra Nevada, amid the dense root networks of New…
Are titanium tent stakes worth the extra money for long distance backpacking hiking trips
When you are planning a long-distance backpacking or thru-hiking trip—whether you are tackling the grueling elevation changes of California’s Pacific Crest Trail, navigating the dense roots and mud of New York’s Appalachian Trail, or enduring the wet,…
