Your tent collapsed on the lightest wind?
An accident nearly each camper skilled as a newbie.
Yet, when you’re tenting with mates, they’ll make sure that it’s not forgotten.
One time, I didn’t stake one aspect down effectively sufficient, and the man rope got here unfastened because the wind picked up. I mounted it in a minute, however for years to return I used to be often called the one which doesn’t know stake a tent.
When I stated that might by no means occur once more, I meant enterprise.
So I’ve researched all there may be to find out about staking a tent the correct method, that will help you get it proper the primary time.
Let’s dive proper in!
9 Tips For Staking A Tent Like A Pro
Staking a tent will not be mind surgical procedure, however there are just a few methods that differentiate skilled campers from inexperienced persons.
Here are the 9 suggestions that can enable you to stake a tent such as you’ve finished it one million occasions earlier than.
Choose A Suitable Location
Don’t pitch your tent on the primary spot you step onto.
You need to discover the proper spot with the perfect sort of soil round. For occasion, you’ll stake a tent in place a lot simpler on laborious soil than on sand.
What’s extra, you don’t need any laborious rocks or tree roots round. Not solely can they make it more durable to hammer down stakes, they will additionally make for a fairly uncomfortable floor to sleep on.
When choosing the proper spot to pitch your tent, take pure windbreaks into consideration. They’ll assist preserve your tent staked in windy climate. If you possibly can’t discover a pure windbreak, you should use tree branches to make one.
Bushes, timber, massive rocks – all of those can assist shield you from the wind.
Tie Guylines
If you personal an outdated canvas military tent, then you recognize that guylines are a necessary piece of kit. When tied to stakes, they’re what permits the tent to maintain its form.
In the case of a freestanding tent, guylines are usually optionally available. But when you’re in search of additional stability throughout windy situations, they’re your finest good friend.
And not solely that!
If you could have a double-walled tent – the sort with the mesh partitions and a rain fly – guylines assist with offering higher airflow.
See these loops in your tent or rain fly?
They’re referred to as guyout factors. One finish of your guylines goes onto these loops, and the opposite round your stakes. Usually, tents include extra guyout factors than guylines, so you possibly can select the place you need to tie them.
If it’s windy, you need to tie the guylines to the upwind aspect of the tent, on the very least. But ideally, you need to stabilize either side equally. After all, the wind modifications path right away.
To connect a guyline to the loop, you have to make a safe knot – one which gained’t untie below stress. For this, I’d advocate a taut line hitch. It’s straightforward to tie and untie, and it’s adjustable.
Choose The Stakes According To The Surface
Nowadays, most tents include customary shepherd’s hook stakes.
You can examine them to all-season tires. That means they’re designed to carry out effectively in several situations and on various kinds of soil.
But, it goes with out saying that winter and summer time tires will carry out even higher through the seasons they’re designed for.
Well, the identical goes for stakes. They come in several designs for various seasons.
Stakes designed for comfortable soil, like snow or sand stakes, are normally extensive, V or U-shaped, and have holes alongside the size that add extra stability.
For laborious soil, however, your finest choices are nailhead stakes that you would be able to hammer into the bottom. Just make sure that they’re at least a ¼ inch in diameter, or else they’ll bend as quickly as they encounter a rock.
If space for storing will not be an issue, pack each kinds of stakes, simply to make sure. You by no means know what sort of soil you’ll encounter in your tenting journey. It’s all the time finest to be ready for various conditions.
Hammer The Stakes All The Way In
To make the perfect use of your tent stakes, hammer all of them the best way into the bottom.
Leave simply sufficient to have the ability to take them out on the finish of your tenting journey. When they’re all the best way in, no sturdy wind can bend them and take them out of the soil.
When I say hammer the stakes down, I imply it actually.
A rubber mallet ought to be in your tenting gear record, but when it isn’t, go for a flat rock or a thick piece of wooden.
I say this since you could be tempted to make use of your foot to drive the stakes into the bottom.
This is a recipe for catastrophe.
Either you’ll bend your stakes, or they’ll act like a shovel and dig out the soil, thus decreasing their holding energy.
Drive Them In Vertically
One piece of recommendation that tenting lovers like to cross on to beginner campers is to drive the stakes in at an angle.
To most of us, it made sense and we blindly adopted it.
But, it appears we had been mistaken.
Here’s why:
When a tent stake will get hammered straight into the bottom, it has a powerful holding energy whatever the path the wind blows. It maximizes the soil wedge that gives resistance in opposition to the tent stake.
To be trustworthy, I used to be fairly skeptical about this. But after seeing it in motion, I by no means went again to staking on the good ol’ 45 diploma angle.
More Is Better
Not certain the quantity of stakes you’ve used goes to be sufficient to maintain your tent safe?
No downside.
Just add just a few extra.
They don’t actually take up a lot area round your tent, so packing additional stakes gained’t be a nuisance.
Besides, it solely takes you a couple of minutes extra to drive them in or take them out of the bottom.
Face Stake Hooks Away
Most stakes in the marketplace function a hook resembling the letter J. While it appears self-explanatory, I’ll tackle this simply in case – the hook ought to face away from the tent.
As you recognize, tents transfer within the wind. And as they transfer, so do the guylines they’re related to the stakes with. If a stake hook is pointed in direction of the tent, the guyline can simply slip off within the slightest breeze. As a outcome, you’re left with a floppy tent aspect.
Reinforce Weak Stakes
Depending on the soil, your stakes may not be as sturdy as you’d need.
If there are rocks close by, these can show to be fairly useful. If you place a heavy stone over your tent stake, there’s no wind sturdy sufficient to maneuver it.
What’s extra, you possibly can exchange tent stakes with stones altogether.
On actually rocky floor, staking will not be an choice. In that case, you possibly can place heavy stones on all of the corners of your tent.
Trust me, a 25 pound rock can maintain your tent in place even higher than your customary stakes would.
There’s one other method you should use stones as an alternative choice to staking.
For this, you’ll want each a smaller and a bigger rock.
Take your guyline and tie a loop round a smaller rock. Position it on the bottom in a method that retains the guyline taut.
Then, take a big rock and place it on the guyline proper earlier than the purpose the place it’s tied across the small rock. That will work as an anchor and preserve it safe.
Create Equal Tension
When staking out the corners of your tent, you have to make sure that all sides are at equal stress, in any other case it gained’t be very sturdy.
Here’s what I imply:
Unpack your tent and unfold it on the bottom. Imagine there’s a letter X connecting reverse corners of the tent. Those imaginary traces principally present you the path during which you need to pull the guylines.
To preserve the stress uniform, the order during which you stake the tent corners issues.
Start with staking whichever nook you need. Next, go to the alternative aspect and pull the tent till it’s taut. Then, stake that nook.
Repeat this with the opposite 2 corners.
How to stake a tent on numerous surfaces
But not each tent is simply as straightforward to stake. Here are some conditions and what you need to do in every case.
How do you stake a big tent?
Staking a big tent is similar to staking some other smaller tent.
However, tying man traces are much more necessary with regards to massive tents.
That’s as a result of the taller the tent, the much less steady it’s in windy climate.
For that purpose, use all man traces obtainable. In this case, extra is healthier.
Also, make sure that to make use of robust stakes. Most tents include customary shepherd’s hook stakes. They’re good, however they’re not nice.
And in less-than-ideal climate, you need the perfect stuff at your disposal. Pick the stakes designed for the kind of terrain you’re going to camp on.
How do you stake a tent on laborious floor?
A giant ol’ rock is your finest good friend right here. And you guessed it, we’ll be utilizing it as a hammer.
Of course, it’s also possible to use a mallet (I normally preserve one with my tenting gear).
But there’s a pleasant little trick you are able to do to make your job a bit simpler.
If you could have water to spare, pour a bit on the place you intend on hammering down the stake. Let it relaxation for a couple of minutes.
Now, seize the stake in a single and the rock within the different hand. Smash the life out of it till it’s sufficiently into the bottom.
How do you stake a tent on snow?
For this, you’ll want snow stakes. Regular stakes gained’t maintain effectively sufficient within the snow.
Make certain the floor beneath you is strong. Stop the snow along with your boots till it’s agency sufficient.
Then, let it harden for no less than half an hour earlier than you begin organising your tent.
Stamp the snow pegs into the snow, and do the identical for the world round them.
This will additional harden the snow in order that they don’t extra. Leave them for no less than quarter-hour earlier than attaching guylines to them.
Snow is a difficult terrain to control, so strive organising as many anchor factors as you possibly can.
How do you stake a tent on the seashore?
Sand is a good worse floor for staking a tent because it’s unfastened and simply moved by wind.
But if there are rocks close by, you should use them for anchoring.
Basically, you want a big and flat rock, over which you’ll wrap the guyline earlier than pushing the stake into the sand. Then, you stack extra rocks on prime of the entire thing.
If no rocks can be found, you then’ll need to make the so-called deadman anchor.
What you have to do is wrap your guyline round a stick or a stake and bury it about 12 inches deep into the sand.
How do you stake a tent in frozen floor?
In this case, the traditional nail stakes and screw stakes will each work.
Screw stakes are fairly simple to make use of. As the identify signifies, you merely screw them into the bottom.
For ice, metal stakes are your finest guess. They don’t bend and gained’t break from being pounded on.
But don’t stake all of them the best way in. That might make it a lot more durable so that you can take them out once you’re leaving.
FAQ
After going by these tent staking suggestions, there are most likely nonetheless some stuff you’re questioning about.
In this part, I’ll reply a few of the commonest questions which may’ve popped into your head.
How lengthy ought to tent stakes be?
Standard tent stakes are 6 inches lengthy.
They carry out effectively on various kinds of soil. But clearly, the longer the stake, the extra holding energy it has. So when you’re tenting on comfortable floor like sand, take into account bringing longer stakes.
Do you have to stake a tent?
In case there’s no wind, you may get away with out them. But I’d advise in opposition to that.
If you allow your tent unattended and it begins blowing, there’s a chance of your stuff flying away.
Can you safe a tent with out stakes?
You can, nevertheless it requires a bit extra work.
You can use heavy issues like stones or wooden logs to maintain your tent in place.
What’s extra, you may be capable of discover timber positioned in such a method that they let you tie just a few tent corners to them with man traces.
What angle do you stake a tent?
Contrary to common perception, you need to drive the stake into the bottom vertically, and never at an angle.
You see, it’s the friction that holds the stakes within the floor. And the additional into the soil the stake is, the extra friction is utilized to it.
What Now?
A poorly staked tent is usually a actual downer on any tenting journey.
But doing it proper is as straightforward as ABC.
So now that you recognize the science behind tent staking, there’s no method your tent will budge – even in excessive wind.