The best tent stake will depend on the type of ground you’re pounding them into and the size of your tent.
I have tested 3 large, heavy-duty stakes. One of them you need to avoid, and I’ll also give my opinion on some other tent pegs.
This hands-on tent stake review exists because many tent manufacturers love to include the lowest quality stakes possible with their tents. It keeps their prices low and passes the burden to the consumer to find a better tent stake.
Let’s dig in.
Best Heavy-Duty Tent Stakes
The best heavy-duty tent stakes are Snow Peak steel stakes.
The last stake you'll need. Durable and built to last.
I primarily use these tent stakes on my large canvas camping tents.
I’ve had them for over 2 years, and I’ve only bent one, and it’s still useable. They are nearly indestructible.
Full disclosure: The middle is when Springbar branded them, but SnowPeak now sells them.
My stakes are 12″ long and require a large tent hammer or mallet to pound into the ground. However, you can go shorter for smaller tents.
They are expensive, but you get what you pay for. In addition, they are a great alternative to the silver wedge stake Springbar Canvas provides with their tents.
Here’s a comparison photo of a Snow Peak stake vs a cheaper Amazon tent stake.
The amazing thing… the one on the right, Snow Peak, has been used ~50 times, and the one on the left… once. Yes, once. More on that in the “ones to avoid” section.
The SnowPeak tents stakes are great for standard ground. I use mine in the forest, hardened dirt, and similar terrain.
They are not great for sand because they are straight and smooth.
A very similar style of stake for a 75% discount are these on Amazon. However, do you trust a company that markets 12″ stakes with backpacking tents and photoshopped images?
Best Tent Stake for Sand and Loose Dirt
The best tent stake for sand and loose dirt is the Springbar Sand and Snow wedge stake.
They are made in the U.S. and they came with my original Springbar U.S. tent. They are available in 12″ and 15″ lengths.
Their wedge-shape makes them great for loose ground and sand.
Tent Stakes for Windy Conditions
Springbar’s wedge stake is overkill for many other applications. Not only are they hard to pound into standard soil, but they are also very difficult to pull out and retrieve.
However, if you expect inclement weather or extreme wind, you will also be happy to have these.
You can use these wedge stakes in each corner of your tent or on the side facing the strong wind. Then use standard steel stakes for the other tent stake loops.
Tent Stakes to Avoid Due to Quality
Teton Sports gave me the worst tent stakes I’ve ever had with the Teton Mesa Canvas tent. The expectations of a heavy-duty tent stake are much different than stakes you’ll get with a cheap Wal-mart tent.
This is what they look like after my first time using them. After one use and 2 nights being in the ground, they look like they have been used for years.
They arrived chipped with bits of rust. After one use, it looked like my grandpa passed them down to me.
These are very similar (or identical) to cheap Amazon tent stakes. They are painted, and as soon as the paint chips off, in this case, one use, they will rust immediately.
You can spot them because they will be in the $1 to $3 range and they look nearly identical to high-quality stakes.
If you’re looking for stakes lasting 5+ years, you will be in the $6 to $8 per stake range.
Why I Dislike Coleman and Other Stakes with Plastic Heads
My least favorite tent stake is the classic Coleman or any stake with a plastic attachment piece. You’ll inevitably miss your target while striking these stakes and chipping off the plastic.
They call these heavy-duty, but that is a very generous use of the term.
I haven’t tested these tent pegs, but it’s one of the most common pieces of trash I pick up from campsites. Thus, my conclusive findings 🙂
Using Drillable Tent Pegs
Another option for heavy-duty stakes is to convert to using lag screws as tent stakes with an impact driver (read that article). It’s a great camping hack if you have the tools or can afford them.
Some people will use 16″ to 24″ lag screws to secure their tents on dry, crumbly ground.
The last stake you'll need. Durable and built to last.
Related Reading
Tent hammers for large, heavy-duty stakes.
