Always packed light, but a gusty night changed my tent stake policy

I used to think extra tent stakes were just taking up room for no good reason. On a recent trip to the pine forest, a big wind came through after dark. My tent started to pull up at the edges because I only used the basic stakes. I had to use rocks to hold it down, which was a messy fix. After that, I saw why people review gear like heavy duty stakes so highly. Now, I always bring a full set plus a few extras just in case. In my experience, it's worth the tiny bit of extra weight. Your mileage may vary, but for me, it's a lesson I won't forget.

3 comments

3 Comments

victor_jenkins13h ago

You used rocks? That sounds like such a mess to clean up after.

zaranelson10h ago

Ugh, tell me about it! I found small rocks in weird places for WEEKS after trying that. It honestly was not worth the hassle at all.

the_nora1h ago

Rocks always make a huge mess that's hard to clean up. I used them in my garden once and they spread all over the place. Finding little stones in my shoes weeks later was the last straw. The effort to collect them all again is just too much. Some shortcuts end up creating more work instead.