Do you hate having to struggle with frozen tent stakes after a wonderful winter camping experience?
Are you tired of hurting your fingers pulling on stubborn stake cords that won’t budge?
Maybe you’re planning a future camping trip where the possibility of freezing temperatures is certain and can’t help wondering how to remove tent stakes from the frozen ground?
Let’s call it a gut feeling (and a rather good one) since this tends to happen quite often to even the most experienced outdoorsmen.
When camping, you never really know how nature will behave, especially at night, when temperatures typically drop.
Having the proper knowledge for even the rarest of situations becomes that much more critical.
Frozen tent stakes may not always be an issue for you, but it’s still possible when camping.
This is why you need to know how to remove tent stakes from frozen ground.
When removing tent stakes from frozen ground, a rock or some extra added grip works wonderfully. I recommend purchasing a tent stake puller of sorts for their guarantee on execution just in case.
Check out the rest of the post to pull your tent stakes out from frozen places.
Table of Contents
Utilizing Your Surroundings
Winter nights can get rather frigid, even in the warmest of climates at times, and tent stakes will surely freeze in place because of it.
Utilizing such things around you like rocks or a rope can help remove a tent stake from the frozen ground.
There’s even a video on YouTube that can show you how to make a homemade stake puller system out of wood. Check it out.
Rocks
Use a rock to hammer the stake down at the start of your trip.
When removing, use it to hammer and break up the sides of the ground by the stake.
This will loosen the ground around it and allow you to pull it out with ease.
It’s often the top of the ground, which has trapped the water and frozen so hard.
Break the top layer up a bit to make the job easier.
If you find a flatter rock or stick, create a mini-lever or see-saw structure to lift the stake.
Check out our general guide on how to remove tent stakes.
Rope/Cordage
Try wrapping a rope or some sturdy cordage under the hook of the stake.
Next, you want to wrap your hand around the other end of the stake with the remaining bit of rope wrapped under it.
This will allow for a better grip while you push and pull on the stack to loosen the ground around it.
Finally, you pull the stake out once you feel the ground beginning to give.
This Benku Paracord is one I always keep in my camping pack for many reasons.
Tent Stake Pullers
Almost any manual or hydraulic puller can assist in pulling out the most stubborn of tent stakes.
This tool is a must-have for the avid camper just as much as it is for the newcomer. Tent stack pullers come in a variety of options and materials.
The JackJaw 300, available on Amazon, is an excellent tool for removing frozen tent stakes.
The company made it from sturdy lightweight material for easy use with a lever arm hydraulic system that will make your life a lot easier.
Other pullers like the Barefour Camping Hammer, also available on Amazon, are just as effective while being much smaller.
Pullers like the Barefour are considered manual pullers and come with the bonus of having a mallet head attached to it.
They are lightweight and easy to handle, but very sturdy.
Their added grip helps tremendously during winter times, and some even boast a holding strap for extra security.
Designers typically make tent pullers from durable materials like steel or aluminum strong enough for dealing with frozen tent stake removal.
No other tool will work as good at removing even the most impossible of tent stakes when they are stuck.
It takes away a lot of the muscle work behind the task as well.
Mallets, Hatchets, Wood, Pots
A mallet is a great tool for loosening than removing a frozen stuck tent stake when out camping.
Even a hatchet or crowbar-like tool can work.
Pots, pans, thick bark, or almost anything able to withstand beating against a stake will generally do the trick.
The key is to loosen up the ground around the stake that is frozen.
Unlike utilizing a tent stake puller, you have to do most of the work when using these tools to remove a tent stake in the frozen ground.
You won’t be able to just pull the stake out with a crowbar or by banging the stake upward under the hook alone.
If you’re cold while camping in winter, you may also want to learn how to keep a camp fire going all night.
First, you will have to hammer the stake back and forth before pulling up on it.
When a tent stake puller is not available, and your tool options are limited, they will prove handy in a pinch for sure.
They may take a little more muscle but work very well to remove frozen stuck tent stakes.
Conclusion
Keep these methods in mind, and you now know how to remove tent stakes from frozen ground.
Use a hydraulic tent puller, manual tent puller, or get creative with some leverage to get the job done.
Most campers opt for the hydraulic tent stake puller for its ability to make the job seem effortless, but a mallet works just as well.
Loosen the ground before using a manual method for an easier time.
Hydraulic pullers can be amazing, but their size can often be an issue, especially when you’re trying to pack accordingly for outdoor travel.
Many are made from lightweight material to help ease your load, but their size can still make them challenging to lug around.
In such a case, any of the manual methods we went over will be just as effective.
Removing tent stakes from the frozen ground can feel impossible, but it’s not.
Don’t stress and worry when the solution is as simple as push and pull.
Now get outside and enjoy the fresh air!
