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Best Tent Stakes For Hard Ground

Best Tent Stakes For Hard Ground

For recreational campers, putting up a tent can be a stressful affair. From picking a place to pitch to figuring which pole goes where sometimes things just don’t go to plan. There is one thing however that can frustrate even the most seasoned camper – bent tent pegs!

The average metal peg supplied with most lower – medium end tents will be made from cheap steel that is fine for soft ground but will crumple under any significant pressure. This happens more often than you think with hard or rocky ground almost always being to blame.

Choosing the best tent stakes for hard ground means that your tent always stays secure and taught but also that you don’t have to replace a bag full of pegs every year. There are a few things you can look for to ensure you get the best tent stakes for hard ground but it is mainly the material and shape that will make the most difference.

Top 8 Tent Stakes For Hard Ground

Which Tent Stakes Are Best For Hard Ground?

Titanium tent stakes offer the best strength to weight ratio available but also costs considerably more than other metals. If you are serious about camping or are simply trying to save weight on your gear then Titanium is what you want. Aluminum alloy is also light and strong but doesn’t cost as much as titanium tent stakes which pair them with lightweight backpacking quite well. If you want the toughest tent stake available and are not concerned about the weight then a solid or forged steel tent stake will do the trick.

With most hard ground, your foot will not be able to drive pegs all the way in which is why we recommend always taking a lightweight camping hammer.

What Shape Of Tent Stake Is Best For Hard Ground Camping?

In my opinion, the best type of tent stakes for hard ground is the ‘Nail’ style which can be driven and beaten into the hardest ground. They are often hollow in design and made from either aluminum or Titanium alloy or solid when made from steel. They come in different shapes and sizes but almost always have a flat head and pointed tip (like a nail) and a piece of cord to help remove the stake from hard pack ground.

There are of course many other styles of tent pegs and stakes you should carry alongside your hard ground tent pegs. Y-shape and V-shape tent pegs can be used in medium to hard ground as well but for hard ground, I prefer a nail design. You never really know what the ground will be like at your next camp spot so having a variety of different tent stakes for different scenarios is highly advised. Mix and match if you will.

Best Tent Stakes

Vargo Titanium Nail Peg

WEIGHT: 0.6 oz / 14 g

SIZE: 6 ” Long / 152 x 5 mm

The Vargo Titanium Nail Peg is incredibly strong with a simple nail design for holding down your tent on hard ground. The flat head allows you to hammer down hard and transfer all that force down the core and to the pointed tip which will drive into the toughest ground. The short reflective cord loops are easy to spot and can be removed quite easily.

MSR Groundhog Tent Stakes

WEIGHT: 0.6 oz / 16 g

SIZE: 7.5 ” Long / 190 mm

The MSR Groundhog Tent Stakes are made from 7075-series aluminum in a Y-beam design to penetrate and hold in a variety of ground conditions. Being tough enough to be used in frozen and rocky ground but also designed for softer sand and soil make these a successful all-rounder tent stake popular with backpackers. The bright color and reflective cord make finding the MSR stakes easy whether it is night or day. The pack of six is ideal for most small shelters and you will not be disappointed with the durability.

Sea To Summit Ground Control Tent Peg

WEIGHT: 0.6 oz / 16 g

SIZE: 8 in / 5 x 200 mm

The Sea To Summit Ground Control Tent Peg has a three-sided design for added strength and holding power. The triangular shape works well in all types of ground and will not bend under the pressure of a heavy mallet. The multi-level attachment points are especially useful to minimize leverage in frozen ground where you can only penetrate a few inches into the earth. Made from a single piece of anodized alloy with a reflective cord and luminescent pull tab, the ground control pegs are easy to spot in the dark and retrieve after use.

Heavy Duty Rock Tent Pegs

WEIGHT: 0.5 ounces and up

SIZE: 6 inches and up

These Heavy Duty Rock Tent Pegs come in a multitude of sizes and cap varieties to suit your needs. They normally come in steel but can also be made from aluminum, and titanium for a broad choice of materials to meet all budgets. They look just like a large nail with a plastic toggle on the end but they are designed to be hammered into the hardest frozen ground and even rock without bending. They are also very cheap and come in large packs, just in case you lose any.

WEIGHT: 0.5 oz / 13 g

SIZE: 7 in / 178 mm

The Tent Tools Propeller Tent Stakes have a unique Y-shape design that is curved like a propeller to increase the holding power in soft ground and also find its way into hard ground easier. Made from high-strength 7075-Grade Aluminum alloy for durability and to save weight. The Y-shape design helps increase tensile strength when hammering down which naturally suits hard ground camping very well. These are great value for money tent peg that makes an easy upgrade for old pegs have lots of positive reviews on Amazon.

MSR Core Tent Stakes

WEIGHT: 0.35 oz / 10 g

SIZE: 6 in / 15 cm

The MSR Core Tent Stakes are lightweight and rugged for anchoring your tent or shelter in hard ground. The solid aluminum head is durable for hammering down hard when the ground feels as ‘solid as a rock’. Available in both 15 cm and 23 cm lengths, both come with a reflective pull cord to make finding them with a torch easier. I have seen one of these pegs snapped after being battered in with a big rock, but they never, ever seem to bend.

Vargo Titanium Nail Peg Ultralight

WEIGHT: 0.3 oz / 8 g

SIZE: 6 ” Long / 152 x 4 mm

The Vargo Titanium Nail Peg Ultralight is the thinner and lighter version of the popular Nail Peg also on this list of the best tent stakes for hard ground. The single piece of metal is unbelievably strong for the mere 8 grams that it weighs and will not bend when pounded into hard-packed ground. It features a flat head that is kind of small but functional and loophole with a reflective cord for securing your tent down and retrieving the stake after use.

Monk Industries Forged Head 12″ Stake

WEIGHT: 1.375 lb / 634 g

SIZE: 12 x 5/8 in / 305 x 16 mm

The Monk Industries Forged Head 12″ Stake is extremely heavy in comparison to the other choices on this list but are almost indestructible. They are certainly not for the lightweight hiker or casual camper, however, they will hold down whatever you need them to without flinching. More suited to larger teepee like structures and gazebos than a tarp or 2 person tent but impressive none the less. They come in three lengths and are relatively inexpensive for a pack of six even though they are made from high carbon steel. The Monk Industries stakes are so reliable that they can even be used to anchor canoes to river banks or hold down circus tents.

I hope these 8 best tent stakes for hard ground give you an idea of what you need for camping on frozen or solid ground.