Staking down a tent in Sand?

[spressomon]

Forget all those.
Just use a deadman on each tie down. Tie off your guy ropes to a piece of drift wood or firewood and bury it a foot or so deep in the sand. I guarantee it will work better than any of the purchased options listed above. A 1 gal plastic milk jug filled with sand and buried would work well to.

But between the large hotel tent we had, the shower/outhouse enclosure and the hurricane winds at O.Dunes we used 12-sand anchors. Not enough firewood down there laying on the beach and I can't drink 12 gallons of milk on a camp out nor have the space _|_ :shakin:

And if you've got time...just head down to your favorite fabric salvage/wholesaler and buy HD canvas...cut into 12-18" squares, grommets in the corners, with cord...you get the idea. Lightweight, compact, relatively cheap, works perfect...and I tested 'em.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Those sand/snow stakes that resemble nylon bags or little mini parachutes work great in a variety of situations. I used those on many a mountaineering trip and also on my 800 mile kayak trip down the Baja. You can bury them or if winds are mild, just drop a big rock in them. They sure make using rocks a snap. When it gets absolutely horrid, just load a melon sized rock in the little bag and bury it. The bonus with those stakes - they pack to nothing and you can leave them attached to your tent even if you opt for "real" stakes. I've used those REI snow/sand stakes. They work very well.

 

[rusty_tlc]

But between the large hotel tent we had, the shower/outhouse enclosure and the hurricane winds at O.Dunes we used 12-sand anchors. Not enough firewood down there laying on the beach and I can't drink 12 gallons of milk on a camp out nor have the space _|_ :shakin:

And if you've got time...just head down to your favorite fabric salvage/wholesaler and buy HD canvas...cut into 12-18" squares, grommets in the corners, with cord...you get the idea. Lightweight, compact, relatively cheap, works perfect...and I tested 'em.

Cheap is almost as good as free.:shakin:

 

[adventureduo]

Thanks for all the ideas so far.. you guys rock! Great info!

 

[texas taco]

hey. Mountain Hardware makes a sand/snow 6x6 parachute. It works really well. I purchased mine at Mountain Gear.com

 

[xtatik]

Hey, my second post!
You guys are pretty sharp, and I don't always feel I've got a notable solution.
This time, I think I might. It's similar but much less expensive and very compact when stored. Simply use smallish nylon stuff bags (approx.quart to 1/2 gallon size). Fill with sand, tighten drawstring, and bury a few inches.
I've used this in several situations where the dogs were blowin' off chains.
When you strike the tent, they all stuff into one of the bags....very compact.

 

[tdesanto]

I just finished a trip on Padre Island National Seashore in the Gulf. For our canvas canopy that's really heavy, I used large stuff sacks as sand bags. These were approx 24" x 14" or so. Probably could have used smaller ones, but the tarp is really big and heavy.

For the tent, as suggested, smaller stuff sacks work as great sand bags. Those smaller 6"x6" parachute style anchors are pretty small. They work better in snow where you can get the snow to melt and form a solid anchor. In soft sand, weight is better.

I also tried the small 1.5# and 3# claw style kayak/canoe anchors. They're not only inexpensive, but designed to do just what you're looking for. Easy to deploy and easy to pack up. I ended up using a combination of stuff sacks and anchors as I was curious to see which did a better job. Actually they both worked. The stuff sacks are easier to stow and carry; however, a bit more work to setup. The anchors are obviously heavier, but not outrageous, and a bit larger to carry--I dedicated a small tool bag for the job.

Here's a picture: View attachment 8957
The 1.5# anchors are actually pretty small. They almost fit in the palm of your hand.

Also, regardless of the anchor or stake you choose, use long guy lines so that you get a really low angle. This helps keep the anchor buried in the sand and pulling against all of the sand. A higher angle will help pull the anchor out of the sand, therefore not doing as effective a job as you'd want.

I would stay clear of the snow stakes at REI, as I don't think they're long nor wide enough for soft sand. For firm sand, maybe.

 

[Willman]

Hey, my second post!
You guys are pretty sharp, and I don't always feel I've got a notable solution.
This time, I think I might. It's similar but much less expensive and very compact when stored. Simply use smallish nylon stuff bags (approx.quart to 1/2 gallon size). Fill with sand, tighten drawstring, and bury a few inches.
I've used this in several situations where the dogs were blowin' off chains.
When you strike the tent, they all stuff into one of the bags...very compact.

Welcome to the ExPo!!

When i camp in Lake Powell...the wind can get pretty bad....I will double and even tirple stake my tent down in the sand......I bought some great stakes at an army sirplus store made out of alum....wish i had a picture of the triple....pictures tell a 1000 words!

Good luck!