tent stakes

[annie87]

I was wondering if the 12" military ice pick stakes would be usable for tent stakes on the playa? they are heavy duty and have some good grip to them. Also do we need to replace all of our current tent stakes with them or just on the 4 corners of the tent?

[Bob]

Yeah, or the military 9"-12" vee-shaped aluminum stakes, or MSR ground hog stakes, fine for tent loops or guy lines, better if you pound them flush w/ the ground surface. In general, toss what came w/ the tent.

[plantmandan]

You should definitely replace all of your tent stakes with 12" stakes. Do the same for a shade structure. Stakes that come with a tent are near worthless on the playa. As long as your ice pick stakes are at least 1/2" thick, they should be fine. Anything skinnier would be a gamble. Consider using rebar as well. It's cheap and works great.

In any event, be sure to have a plan to cover all of your stakes. Exposed stakes are extremely hazardous. Also, practice removing them from the ground before you head to BRC. Vise grip pliers work well for that.

[some seeing eye]

12" hot galvanized gutter nails are very cheap at home despot. If you get the ungalvanized ones they rust in an instant, though they still work. Drive easily and easy to claw out.

[maladroit]

I'd think difficulty of removal would be a positive. And difficulty driving in would be reassuring. With the soft conditions this year, I'm planning to go at least 1.5 feet into the ground for anything important.

[Trishntek]

Generally, the top 4" to 6" is fluffy powder before you hit a dense clay-like layer. For tents and guy lines on shade structures, 6"-8" into that dense layer is golden. On higher stress guy lines, auger-type stakes or even those cork-screw dog stakes are the tits. You just gotta make a pilot hole into the dense layer for the augers. I've sheered them off trying to screw them in without a pilot hole.

If you really want a solid anchor, dig a hole the width and depth of the auger stake, plant that sucker in there and back fill it. Pour water into the back filled hole and wait an hour or two. That rascal ain't going anywhere. I don't have anything that needs that kind of support though.

I use the 12" galvanized nails for the feet on my shade structure and the 12" 'V' military stakes for anything, like guy lines, that require more of a lateral hold. You could do the same with two of the nails driven in opposite angles to make an 'X'.

The thing I like about the nails is you can pound them all the way into the playa and not worry about anything to trip on or ding the ankle.

[Bob]

You can drive or auger anything flush to the surface. I attach a loop of strong bright-coloured cord to the top of the stakes before I drive them, so I can find them later during setup & strike, and attach guy lines to the loops.

Dog & goat stakes are pretty low-grade steel, small diameter, and designed for light topsoils. Too flimsy to risk breaking off and leaving half of it in the playa. Heavy duty ground anchors are sold by suppliers to tree trimmers, orchards and vineyards.

Water is generally stupid, it just makes a muddy mess, and doesn't help with pulling stakes or augers because it creates suction that resists withdrawal. Might help with setting a small auger, but I prefer elbow grease.

[FIGJAM]

[Savannah]

Those are some great-looking stakes, Figjam. Those look like they could be easily hammered, pounded flush AND removed with my wrecking bar.

Goddamn but I love my wrecking bar.

Soon, my Preciousssss . . . soon.

[theCryptofishist]

Goddamn but I love my wrecking bar.

Wrecking Bar Camp! An idea whose time has come!

[AntiM]

MyLarry has a big green wrecking bar.

[Trishntek]

Goddamn but I love my wrecking bar.

Soon, my Preciousssss . . . soon.

Mine's bigger,,,

[CarrieSnarf]

To piggyback off this thread.

We are for the first year bringing rebar for stakes. Getting 1/2inch rebar, 2.5ft, candy cane bend in the last six inches.
I have a nice deadweight hammer to place it. Is that enough or will that suck? I sure as shit am not doing it- just had shoulder surgery. My burly man husband will be the railroad working in this scenario, but the poor boy is a computer programmer. Should I bring a drilling aparatus or perhaps come up with a different plan?

[Trishntek]

Pilot holes for rebar is not necessary. Two feet is excessive, but should hold just about anything you wish. Use flagging on your guy lines and have something made of foam or tennis balls to cover your stakes.

[Bob]

Think you meant "deadblow" hammer. Not so good, rebar will mar it. Use a heavy carpenter's framing hammer or a light sledge.

[CarrieSnarf]

Bob: I did indeed mean deadblow- deadweight is the freudian typing slip from carrying it home for a mile just prior to posting. I will consider a different sledge. Got the deadblow for some other work we were doing, hoped it could pull double duty.

Trishntek: The 2ft number came from me cheating down the 3ft length plan I saw here http://www.burningman.com/themecamps/structures.html . It did seem excessive, and was certainly tailored to people with less equipment access than I currently have (plan was for pre cut 3 ft lengths, so I figured to cheat down to 2.5). I would be very happy to deal with even shorter. Seems like people think the 1ft stakes from the OP will work, so I'll cut them down a bit more.
We're doing the candy cane bend to cut down on the amount of pokey danger- previously we were soda bottle cover types.
Thanks guys
CJ

[Mosquitopilate]

I have Coleman four 12 inch screw stakes and four regular 12 inch stakes to hold down a coleman instant 8 X 7 four person tent...Does anybody think this is ok or do you think she will be ok? I have never used a instant tent before

[Trishntek]

I have Coleman four 12 inch screw stakes and four regular 12 inch stakes to hold down a coleman instant 8 X 7 four person tent...Does anybody think this is ok or do you think she will be ok? I have never used a instant tent before

It sounds like your tent will give before the anchors will. Pitch it downwind of a vehicle (at least a van) and you'll be golden.

[Trishntek]

Bob: I did indeed mean deadblow- deadweight is the freudian typing slip from carrying it home for a mile just prior to posting. I will consider a different sledge. Got the deadblow for some other work we were doing, hoped it could pull double duty.

Trishntek: The 2ft number came from me cheating down the 3ft length plan I saw here http://www.burningman.com/themecamps/structures.html . It did seem excessive, and was certainly tailored to people with less equipment access than I currently have (plan was for pre cut 3 ft lengths, so I figured to cheat down to 2.5). I would be very happy to deal with even shorter. Seems like people think the 1ft stakes from the OP will work, so I'll cut them down a bit more.
We're doing the candy cane bend to cut down on the amount of pokey danger- previously we were soda bottle cover types.
Thanks guys
CJ

CJ, you could just bend them double like a staple. That works really well because you not only have double the bite, but there is nothing sticking out of the playa.

[Mosquitopilate]

Thank you, like I said I never used a instant tent but it was 180$ got it brand new for 90$ So I just hope it all works out

[Bob]

I have Coleman four 12 inch screw stakes and four regular 12 inch stakes to hold down a coleman instant 8 X 7 four person tent...Does anybody think this is ok or do you think she will be ok? I have never used a instant tent before.

Generic advice: Bring extra stakes in case those fail. And a couple hundred feet of cord.

[danibel]

We're doing the candy cane bend to cut down on the amount of pokey danger- previously we were soda bottle cover types.

Take 18 inch or so rebar and pound those suckers flush. Don't bother candy caning. It just makes them harder to drive into the playa. For removal (a method I used, and successfully pulled 10 buried rebars out with, by my girlie self, thankyouverymuch) was to pour a cup or two of water on the rebar then take some vice grips and clamp on and twist those fuckers a few times, a little more water, twist and pull. Out! I could only get about 3 bars in myself during set-up, but wouldn't you know at 6am on Monday none of those strong burly boys were around to help me get them OUT. Thank goodness Miles woke up to my cursing and banging the rebar sideways with a sledge, and told me to find my vice grips and use them. Worked a charm.

Rebar, 5 lb sledge, good leather gloves, and vice grips. Done.

[Bob]

Some people want to believe that water helps, but it just makes mud. The clay is so impermeable that water doesn't penetrate, and where your slurry slips around the stake, it just creates suction that makes it harder to pull the stake. Then you have to clean them off, and your tools, and your hands, and your clothes. Don't be a moron, just use a hammer then wiggle & pull w/ the vise grips.

[danibel]

Don't be a moron, just use a hammer then wiggle & pull w/ the vise grips.

I like being a moron. Just kidding. Well I thought it helped.

[Ninja Nemo]

+1 on the vice grips. Last year was our first w/ the PVC shade structure / monkey hut. We use 2' rebar, driven 1' in. Clamp the vice grips on the rebar, twist a few times, and the stakes came right up w/ minimal effort.

We candy caned a few rebars, but they ended up being very difficult to pound in since the curve makes the rebar springy. Just driving your rebar in at a slight diagonal and capping the ends seemed to work great. We also got a few of the stakes that you pound into the ground and attach a leash to for your dog. They were a nice addition since they went in flush, but didn't seem high enough quality to rely on as a sole guyline. We also attached a guyline to our car's roof rack - if nothing else, the car's not going anywhere.

Also, we brought a mallet, but that was a big fail. This year we got a mini sledge hammer which definitely helps to get those stakes in.

[garyt]

IMG_0148.JPG

These are the stakes I'm using this year. From left,

1. Heavy duty tent stakes from Harbor Freight. Use to anchor tent and base food pad for conduit
2. 10" lag screws. Same uses with heavy duty tent stakes
3. Candy Cane-ish rebar. This are awesome and can be made with different sizes/lengths. Using this to guy my shade structure
4. Regular 1" rebar. Extras if I need them.
5. Custom Steel stakes. A friend made a bunch for me. Haven't used them before.

[theCryptofishist]

Best stake porn we've seen in quite a while.

[B420ACE]

will my tent be ok with the 10 inch nail stakes shown on the far left in the pic above?

[daft]

Rebar 18" would be a better choice as it gives you an extra 8"
For your extra 8" you can top it off by cutting to length with a razor a length of a noodle-the pool or water toy. Its a cylinder of colorful foam with the perfect hole to fit over your rod.
To pull out a stake if the hammer and vicegrip will not get it up, then use a jack and length of chain you can wrap around the rebar and warp around the jack. Used a floor jack to do this last year on art project where we had pounded in 1/2" rebar till we could not pound it in anymore. Jacking it was the only thing that would work.

[Mosquitopilate]

If my tent blows away with 12 inch screw stakes + 12 inch metal stakes + 12 inch coleman stakes for a 8x7 instant tent then there is nuclear testing going on in the nevada desert again... I think I will be ok