Selecting the best stakes for man lines can make or break your tent's security in difficult terrain. We look for stakes that hold well and are lightweight for backpackers counting every ounce. We additionally think about sturdiness metrics like whether the stake can be wacked with a mallet without breaking or bending.
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 factor to consider. Light weight aluminum and titanium stakes supply excellent longevity at a practical weight, while carbon fiber stakes are ultralight yet can be extra prone to damaging or snapping under stress and anxiety.
The Toaks Titanium V-shaped stakes are light-weight and pack to an impressively tiny size. They're very easy to drive into rocky dirt and have a plastic top that protects the steel from rocks and roots. Though they do not come with a pull cable, there is an open up to add one and an opening for permanently affixing man lines. The only downside is their frailty. The candid ends aren't as resilient to strikes from a club as some other risks, and they may damage under excessive stress in a serious tornado. Despite this, they stay our pick for a light backpacking risk.
2. Length
This metric is necessary practically specifically for backpackers, since every ounce counts when you're hoofing it with the wild on a 10- to twenty-mile walking day in day out. We try to find risks that pack down little which are easy to set up with a club and by hand, while providing sufficient longevity for the conditions you will certainly run into on the trail.
Needles (or secures) are cylinder-shaped risks 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 similar shape to needle risks however a directly only one end, are much more long lasting than needle risks, yet require an additional action in rainfly setup to protect the line. V-stakes, which have a v-shaped body that supplies better surface area and are much more immune to flexing, are additionally an option. Some come with a paracord loop, which makes it much easier to get rid of the risk when you require to move camp.
3. Tip
The stake idea's capacity to stand up to flexing and turn is a key metric for those using man lines on rocky terrain where the line may scrub versus the rocks. The risks with a spherical point, like needle stakes or shepherd's hook stakes, have a tendency to flex and transform extra conveniently than those with a level or V-shaped idea. They can additionally trigger the line to battle royal as it scrubs against the rock. Lastly, for the ounce counters available, we measured each stake's weight and how compact it loads down right into its things sack. The most effective risks pack down to a very tiny dimension.
