Spiral anchors

[jgwinner]

It sounds like "Candy Cane" rebar is pretty easy to make, and I've seen the video with the blowing dome tent ... exactly like I was going to buy so I KNOW I have to stake things down well.

After having said that, how do these spiral anchors from Home Depot look?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Vortex-16-in ... 703690-_-N

Might be a hassle to 'crank in' but I'm thinking of getting 1-2 of them and use rebar for the rest of the tent.

I'm planning on a small dome tent, and might bring a Costco carport for shade, although the camp may be so packed there's no room for it. I realize both of these will have to be staked down really well.

And yes ... I'm a Virgin. Just trying to stay alive through planning and science!

== John ==

[tamarakay]

See this thread!
viewtopic.php?f=277&t=68556

[jgwinner]

Thanks! I actually did a forum search for these specific items and got 0 hits, but will read on the thread. Lots of good info.

== John ==

[tamarakay]

Sometimes searches are cranky. Hope it helps.

[Netty58]

I tried stainless steel spiral anchors last year. Well, they were actually those spiral jobbies you twirl into the ground to tether and let a dog run frantically in circles around. When I saw them in Harbor Freight, I thought "oooh these will do the trick for my sun shade!" Didn't work worth a crap. Granted I didn't have any power tools if one would have helped. Tried by hand (should have known THAT was futile), using a hammer handle, using a hammer, using harsh words. A couple of blisters a couple of hours, and a couple of shots of tequila later, I ended up using tent stakes (which worked better than they should have).

[jgwinner]

Thanks Netty58!

I bought some Rebar from the big store yesterday, but they only had 3 foot. I'm going to be pounding for days ... heh. (I have a cutoff wheel and a sawzall, will cut to the right length).

I think I'll bring some of those, as well as the lag bolts - those look great!

== John ==

[Molotov]

If you get the Vortex spiral anchors, do not waste your money on the 1/2" drive socket they market for driving them in. It is cheap cast iron and broke on my first try, cutting my finger in the process. I used a 1/2" breakover bar like a T-wrench at first, shifting it laterally through the tie-down hoop toward the end of the process for extra torque as it got deeper in the sandy soil by my house.

For playa use, I would just stick to heavy pointed rebar with protected ends, or the long lag screws discussed in other posts.