Are you looking for tent stakes to take with you when you go hiking?
Do you struggle to find the best combination of durability and light-weight to make the perfect tent peg?
Every hiker and backpacking camper knows how important every ounce is when carrying your gear for miles at a time. But with so many varieties of tent stakes out there, how do you know what the best tent stakes for backpacking are?
The best backpacking tent stakes need to be a good combination of lightweight and durable. They should be easy to store and use in a variety of situations without adding much to the weight of your pack. Our picks for the best products are:
- MSR Groundhog Tent Stake Kit
- Bluecell 4pcs Orange Color Aluminum Tent Stakes
- MSR Carbon Core Stake Kit
- Chill Gorilla Aluminum Alloy Pegs
- OBKJJ Tent Stakes
Read ahead for a detailed review of the tent pegs and answers to commonly asked questions.
You may also want to check out the best tents for backpacking.
Table of Contents
Direct Comparison Of The Best Backpacking Tent Stakes
For those who want the details and our buyer’s guide, keep reading. If you want a quick reference of the pros and cons for each product, check out this table.
| Tent Stakes | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
  MSR Groundhog Tent Stake Kit | *Y-shape fits into most soils and secures well *Light 0.46 ounce weight *Tough yet light aluminum *Long life to the tent stakes | * Slightly higher price |
  Bluecell 4pcs Orange Color Aluminum Tent Stakes | *Good value *Wedge shape for all types of soil, sand, or snow *Aluminum is strong yet light | *Bends if hammered or pushed too hard *Heavier than a backpacker may want |
  MSR Carbon Core Stake Kit | *Very light *Strong carbon center holds well in wind *Slim and easily packed designed *Great company and customer service | *High price |
  Chill Gorilla Aluminum Alloy Pegs | *Great value (10 stakes in one bundle) *Fairly light *Good V-shape *Two lengths available | *Bends under too much pressure *Notches don’t hold as well as some others |
  OBKJJ Tent Stakes | *Very affordable *12 stakes included *Good aluminum material | *Bends easily under pressure *Tends to rust |
What To Look For In The Best Tent Stakes For Backpacking Light
In this section, we’ll look at some qualities of tent stakes. Some may have a big impact on which one you buy.
Use this information to help you decide what you need in a tent peg.
Weight
In most cases, a tent stakes weight isn’t a make or break concern. But when it comes to backpacking, a lighter weight is a must.
Every ounce counts when hiking long trails, so we’ll be sure to mention the weight of the tent stakes per stake in the reviews below.
Material
Tent stakes are typically made out of four different materials:
- Plastic/synthetic
- Aluminum
- Steel
- Titanium
Plastic tent stakes are the cheapest and lightest, but they also are the most fragile and prone to break. Plastic just doesn’t hold up against high winds normally (although with a good design, it will do fine in most cases).
Aluminum is a good mixture of lightweight and strong. This is the best option for backpacking tent stakes.
Aluminum tends to bend when under too much pressure, so it may be difficult to drive into hard ground.
Steel is the toughest, but it’s also the heaviest. We don’t recommend steel for backpacking, though it does make one of the best tent stakes for high winds.
Titanium is a lighter version of steel and almost as strong. The problem with this material is the higher price.
Titanium may be a good choice for backpacking, but it’s still a little heavier than a true backpacker may want.
Shape/Design
Tent stakes come in a variety of shapes and designs for all sorts of different purposes. For backpacking, an easy shape to pack up would be ideal.
The straight or nail shape is the classic look. They do a decent job all around and are easy to pack.
However, the nail design is a bit tougher to drive into harder soil and doesn’t hold up to high winds.
Read about the best dome tents for high winds.
Another good shape for backpacking is the V-shape. The V makes the stakes lighter while making it easier to drive the stakes in and hold on in higher winds.
They just usually cost a little more.
Other common options are the screw/coil or auger shapes. These shapes are good for securing in the soil and sand, but they aren’t as easy to carry and pack.
Durability
When you buy a product, you always want it to last a long time. With tent stakes, durability is even more essential.
You don’t want to get hours or days away from civilization only to have your peg break!
The best way to tell how durable the stake is by using it or asking others what they thought about it.
We’ve done both for you and put the information down in the reviews below.
Cost
Tent stakes typically don’t cost a ton, and there are many out there for dirt cheap. It’s up to you what you’re willing to pay, but in general, the higher the cost, the better the product.
For our picks, we chose from a variety of price ranges. Prices fluctuate, so the best way to check current pricing is to click the button in each section.
Review Of The Best Tent Stakes For Backpacking
In this section, we’ll go over our picks for the tent stakes that make your experience the best one possible.
Links may be affiliate in nature. This means we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you decide this is the product for you.
MSR Groundhog Tent Stake Kit
The MSR Groundhog tent stake kit is a medium-high priced option you won’t be disappointed in. MSR is a giant in the camping accessory game, and their tent stakes in particular are always ranked among some of the best products out there.
These tent stakes are made from aluminum and provide a good balance of lightweight and strong.
They feature a Y-shape design which is essentially a modified V-shape. This is easy to pack, provides a secure grip on the ground, and is easy to drive into the ground.
MSR adds an additional notch in each stake for attaching easily to guy lines in high winds as well as a reflective pull for easier removal.
In this kit, you get 6 aluminum tent stakes with a weight of 0.46 ounces (ca. 17 g) each. To carry all 6 would be 2.76 ounces (0.1 kg).
Pros For This Product:
- Y-shape fits into most soils and secures well
- Light 0.46 ounce (ca. 17 g) weight
- Tough yet light aluminum
- Long life to the tent stakes
Cons For This Product:
- Slightly higher price
Bluecell 4pcs Orange Color Aluminum Tent Stakes
Bluecell’s 4 pack of aluminum tent stakes is a medium-priced generic option for use with staking down many objects, not just tents.
As an aluminum tent stake, they provide a good balance of strength and lightness. Each of these 4 stakes weighs 1.76 ounces (66.53 g) for a total of 7.04 ounces (0.27 kg).
This may be heavier than what you want as a backpacker. On the plus side, these pegs are a wider wedge shape.
This shape provides strong resistance against wind and works well with sand and snow as well as normal soil.
For someone willing to sacrifice a little extra weight for an all-around useful stake, this may be for you.
Pros For This Product:
- Good value
- Wedge shape for all types of soil, sand, or snow
- Aluminum is strong yet light
Cons For This Product:
- Bends if hammered or pushed too hard
- Heavier than a backpacker may want
MSR Carbon Core Stake Kit
The carbon core tent stakes by MSR is a premium stake option for anyone, including backpacking campers.
The secret of this tent stake is the carbon core design. With such a material, MSR is able to keep the stake light, strong, and small.
The main downside of this is the higher cost to manufacture. But when you buy these, it will last a long time.
Each of the 4 stakes comes in at 6 grams or 0.2 ounces. This gives all 4 a total weight of 0.8 ounces making it the lightest tent stake on our list.
MSR chose a nail design for this tent stake. It may not end up as secure as a V-shape, but this is strong enough, it will do the job in light and medium winds if you use the tent stakes the right way.
Pros For This Product:
- Very light
- Strong carbon center holds well in wind
- Slim and easily packed designed
- Great company and customer service
Cons For This Product:
- High price
Chill Gorilla Aluminum Alloy Pegs
Chill Gorilla is well-known for its camping gear, and these aluminum tent stakes show exactly why.
Though the whole bundle is typically a higher price than some other options, you get 10 stakes for the listed price resulting in a lower price per stake.
Chill Gorilla made these stakes out of aluminum for the balance of lightness and strength all backpackers look for. They use a V-shape for more security and to make the stakes easier to drive in.
Chill Gorilla uses a three latch system to latch on however you prefer. The stakes are also made a bright orange in order to make them easier to find in case the rope came off.
They come in 7 inches or 11.8 inches in length. It’s your choice.
The 7-inch stakes are 0.49 ounces (ca. 19 g) each, and the 11.8-inch pegs are 0.78 ounces (ca. 29 g) each.
Pros For This Product:
- Great value (10 stakes in one bundle)
- Fairly light
- Good V-shape
- Two lengths available
Cons For This Product:
- Bends under too much pressure
- Notches don’t hold as well as some others
OBKJJ Tent Stakes
The OKBJJ tent stakes are the most affordable option on the list, but if this is what you want to spend, you’ll get enough to suit your needs.
For a low price, you’ll get 12 tent stakes in this pack. Each tent stake is made from aluminum for the balance of strength and lightness.
These stakes are 7 inches long and V-shaped for better security and ease of driving into the ground.
The stakes have 3 points of contact for tying ropes and tent loops to. You get to decide how they connect better.
This product also comes in 4 bright color choices. This makes them easier to find in the ground when you’re removing them.
Each stake weighs 0.48 ounces (ca. 18 g) which is a good weight for backpacking.
Pros For This Product:
- Very affordable
- 12 stakes included
- Good aluminum material
Cons For This Product:
- Bends easily under pressure
- Tends to rust
Commonly Asked Questions
What can I use instead of tent stakes? – If you don’t want to carry tent stakes at all and save some weight, you do have other options. Heavy rocks or logs placed on the edge of the tent will keep most tents down in light wind.
The best option you have is to make your own wooden tent stakes.
For more details, check out our guide on how to pitch a tent without stakes.
How do you get tent stakes into hard ground? – Little is more frustrating than driving your tent stakes in only to have nothing happen.
Pour water on the dirt near the spot to soften the soil and use a rock to provide more surface area for pressing on the stake.
Read more about how to put tent stakes into hard ground.
Do I need tent stakes? – Yes and no. You need something to keep your tent down, or the slightest wind will blow it away.
But in light wind, heavy rocks or logs should do just fine. Then again, do you really want to be out on a long trip with medium wind and no stakes?
Just pick one of these and buy them to be prepared.
Conclusion
We hope you found this list of the best tent stakes for backpacking helpful. Any of these will do just fine; now it’s up to you to decide which is the best fit for your needs.
At the end of the day, the MSR Groundhog is the overall best choice, though it does cost more. If price is a concern, buy the Chill Gorilla tent stakes.
Now get out there and enjoy the fresh air!
