Choosing the right stakes for guy lines can make or damage your outdoor tents's security in hard surface. We search for stakes that hold well and are lightweight for backpackers counting every ounce. We also think about resilience metrics like whether the risk can be wacked with a club without breaking or bending.
1. Material
For those that are trying to conserve every last ounce in their packs, the product utilized for the risks can be a vital consideration. Aluminum and titanium stakes supply great durability at a reasonable weight, while carbon fiber risks are ultralight yet can be extra prone to damaging or snapping under tension.
The Toaks Titanium V-shaped stakes are lightweight and load to an impressively tiny size. They're very easy to drive into rocky dirt and have a plastic top that secures the steel from rocks and roots. Though they do not included a pull cord, there is an available to add one and an opening for completely connecting guy lines. The only downside is their frailty. The blunt ends aren't as durable to blows from a club as a few other stakes, and they might break under excessive pressure in a serious tornado. In spite of this, they stay our pick for a light backpacking risk.
2. Length
This metric is very important almost solely for backpackers, given that every ounce counts when you're hoofing it with the wild on a ten- to twenty-mile walk day after day. We try canvas travel bag to find risks that pack down tiny and that are simple to mount with a mallet and by hand, while providing sufficient longevity for the conditions you will certainly encounter on the path.
Needles (or fixes) are cylinder-shaped stakes with sharp ends and a head or notch on one end for guy-line add-on. They are easiest to pound into the ground, however are prone to flexing. Guard's hook stakes, which have a comparable form to needle stakes however a head on just one end, are extra resilient than needle risks, but require an additional action in setup to protect the line. V-stakes, which have a v-shaped body that gives greater area and are extra resistant to bending, are likewise an alternative. Some come with a paracord loop, that makes it much easier to get rid of the risk when you need to move camp.
3. Idea
The risk tip's ability to stand up to flexing and turn is a vital metric for those utilizing person lines on rough surface where the line could rub versus the rocks. The stakes with a spherical factor, like needle risks or guard's hook risks, often tend to bend and transform much more conveniently than those with a flat or V-shaped tip. They can also trigger the line to battle royal as it rubs against the rock. Ultimately, for the ounce counters around, we determined each risk's weight and exactly how small it loads down into its stuff sack. The very best risks load down to an extremely small size.
