Rebar, Candy Cane, Tent Stake "How To" & WARN

[DoctorIknow]

Rebar, Candy Cane, Tent Stake, Tentstake WARNING

I’ve been buying rebar and bending it into “candy caneâ€

[teardropper]

These were 18" rebar with a 1 1/4" bend, over 16 1/2" long now. This 90Ëš angle does not bounce when you hit it like the candy canes. They drive with a 3# hammer and pull with the vice grip twist method. But you have to heat bend them. I had them made by a small steel fabricator. Not expensive.

Plus, you can drive them all the way to the ground so there is nothing to step on. Don't need a guard.

[pirateaesthetic]

I'm going to assume at this point that the green plastic garden "rebar" I bought is not going to cut it in the playa? I was thinking it would be strong enough an not as dangerous to the feets. I got some of the 3/8" and 1/2".

[ygmir]

nice, informative post, thanks. Doc.......or, would I say DIK?

[baconqurlyq]

We had rebar that was bent at 90 degrees, and they weren't driven all the way in, but we used stuffed animals zip tied to what was showing, and that seemed to do the trick. No rebar incidents.

[unjonharley]

Bent mine into staples.. Easer to drive and pullout with a bar.. A roll of yellow police tape will be enough to last a couple of years.. Also hang the tape from each tie rope ..

[Token]

Or you could just learn to tie a good hitch knot, like a Magnus Hitch and use rebar caps available at the same bigbox store.

[theCryptofishist]

Ah, but Token, there's nothing like the smell of eviscerated stuffed animals in the morning.

Smells like triumph.

[Token]

There is a reason they make rebar caps from thick hard plastic.

Stuffed animals, tennis balls, beer cans etc will be of little comfort to the poor sap that falls on a stick of rebar and froths and gurgles through a sucking chest wound.

It's a matter of time I suppose.

[ygmir]

Ah, but Token, there's nothing like the smell of eviscerated stuffed animals in the morning.

Smells like triumph.

aahhh.......the sweet smell of motorcycle exhaust.......reminds me of home.........

[CapSmashy]

There is a reason they make rebar caps from thick hard plastic.

Stuffed animals, tennis balls, beer cans etc will be of little comfort to the poor sap that falls on a stick of rebar and froths and gurgles through a sucking chest wound.

It's a matter of time I suppose.

Well the drunken sap should not have been messing around my tent like that.

[akmojo]

for around $3 at Home Depot you can get 16" orange plastic stakes, they are fluted and several inches wide thus giving more resistance to pull, have a broad, flat head with a hole (use a dead drop hammer) and 2 wings on each side to wrap rope under...
they also easily pull straight up and out...
one can spend hours bending rebar or minutes at Home Depot... it really is nice being able to pull them out and not have to yank on them with vise grips... remember to pound them in at an angle to the direction of pull....
I used them on my Costco carports and never had a problem....

[robotland]

If you're as fortunate as I am to have a surplus-tarp-Chinese tool-flea market type place nearby, look for precut rebar stakes with washer-loops welded on. Nice! Still need to be capped, and I also spraypaint all of my rebar stakes with a durable, high-visibility paint to help combat rust and make 'em harder to forget when packing up. I know, bright paint doesn't help at night...you can get blinkies for under a buck and I suggest marking those trippers with little lights or stowing your gear around the stakes to make a bigger, blunter tripping hazard.

[robotland]

Stuffed animals, tennis balls, beer cans etc will be of little comfort to the poor sap that falls on a stick of rebar and froths and gurgles through a sucking chest wound.

It's a matter of time I suppose.

Well the drunken sap should not have been messing around my tent like that.

Wasn't something like this part of Raiders Camp last year, anyway? I could SWEAR there was a "Pin The Tent Stake On The Darkwad" game...

[unjonharley]

There is a reason they make rebar caps from thick hard plastic.

Stuffed animals, tennis balls, beer cans etc will be of little comfort to the poor sap that falls on a stick of rebar and froths and gurgles through a sucking chest wound.

It's a matter of time I suppose.

Be easyer to use a shorter rebar and drive it to within a few inches of the ground..

There would always be the odd palm/foot impalement..

I, for one place a 18 inch trash fence around the camp.. Holds the flying bicycles out of range of the stakes..

[shroom]

My husband made our tent stakes out of rebar. They were more of a staple shape than a candy cane shape. I zip tied stuffed animals to them, no problems.

[unjonharley]

My husband made our tent stakes out of rebar. They were more of a staple shape than a candy cane shape. I zip tied stuffed animals to them, no problems.

I went to a rotohammer to drive and remove.. Tried the staple thing.. They broke the ground up while driving them in.. The wind yanked the staple out in no time..

[unjonharley]

screw,, double post.

[Bob]

Actually, 3/8 x 12" lag screws make fine tent stakes.

[BBadger]

What is the optimal length for rebar stakes and how deep are they to be driven? From what I've read it's about 3ft long, driven in 2ft or so.

Also, I'm planning on securing a costco tent with rebar. The plan is to mount wooden platforms to the feet, with holes in them, and then drive rebar through the platforms into the playa. I'm thinking of welding "T"s on the top or at least a bend. There'd be nothing really sticking up as it'd be holding down the feet. Would this be sufficient, and not need guylines?