What stakes do you recommend for camping?

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For car or canoe camping, I use MSR groundhogs. For backpacking, I prefer to use natural sticks found near my campsite and secure them with rocks.

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Han said:
For car or canoe camping, I use MSR groundhogs. For backpacking, I prefer to use natural sticks found near my campsite and secure them with rocks.

MSR groundhogs are my favorite too.

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I use 8" or 10" exterior screws from hardware stores when camping in areas with gravely soil. They’re durable and provide great hold, though they’re a bit heavy. You can tie them with a loop since they don’t fit grommets.

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@Zinn
Thanks for the tip!

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I nearly always use MSR groundhogs.

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I’ve found great steel stakes at Harbor Freight, or I use groundhogs for lighter backpacking needs.

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Nemo airpin stakes are my choice.

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Corey said:
Nemo airpin stakes are my choice.

Agreed, they’re excellent but quite pricey.

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For backpacking, I use Paria Outdoor Products Needle stakes. For car camping, their Spiral Y Beams stakes, and for beach or winter settings, their sand and snow stakes. MSR Groundhogs are also solid but pricey. I tend to avoid Sheppard hook stakes as they’ve never worked well for me.

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@Vale
Thanks for the comprehensive overview!

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In the Eastern Sierras, I often just use sticks and rocks instead of traditional stakes. For snow camping, I use plastic grocery bags filled with snow as anchors.

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Bex said:
In the Eastern Sierras, I often just use sticks and rocks instead of traditional stakes. For snow camping, I use plastic grocery bags filled with snow as anchors.

For snow, you can also bury a stick horizontally and tie your tent to that. It holds well in snowy conditions.

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I prefer Groundgrabba stakes for their reliability.

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It really depends on the terrain and the size of the tent.

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Rory said:
It really depends on the terrain and the size of the tent.

I use a hammock with various tie-outs, so versatile stakes are crucial.

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For a moment, I thought we were talking about steaks! Seriously though, my choice of stakes depends on where I’m camping. I might use different types depending on the ground conditions.