What are the better tent stakes for soft sand?

[Sid Post]

As noted in my other thread, ~35MPH winds with a Gazelle tent in soft sand while salt water fishing. My normal stakes work great in "hard" soil conditions but, were useless in soft sand.

What are my better stake options for soft sand. Lashing my tent to my pickup sort of worked but, it was less than ideal for many reasons.

TIA,
Sid

p.s. Better bivvy sacks?

 

[EX121]

I have used plastic grocery bags. Filled with sand and buried a foot or so deep. Then tied to the tent stake loops.

 

[Fishenough]

As I camp beach side on the west coast of Vancouver Island as many days as possible each year, this is a concern also. I carry a sharp hatchet even backpacking to split long pieces of wood for stakes, or carve some branches, and have used 20-30 liter dry bags full of sand to ensure a stable quiet tent in 50mph winds.

 

[Markal]

I have used plastic grocery bags. Filled with sand and buried a foot or so deep. Then tied to the tent stake loops.

Agree with this. Used weighted anchors of some sort, buried in the sand. Logs, bags filled with sand, rocks etc

 

[s.e.charles]

backpacker trowels?

Best Backpacking Trowels [2023 UPDATE] — Ultimate Gear Lists

www.ultimategearlists.com

 

[Herbie]

These are what we use in the loose sand in our desert camping areas:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-in-Plastic-Stake-4150/202087431

10" plastic stakes with with a tapered "cross" feature gives them good purchase in sand. $3.50 each at home depot.


As you've found, there is no "one perfect" stake - different conditions require different options, so I carry some of the Home Depot stakes, but also some of the fancier steel ones that are easier to drive/retrieve and hold well in firm earth.

 

[IdaSHO]

Similar to the grocery bag idea…

We always have snow chains on board, and carry them in canvas bags with handles. They work great as anchors for canopys/shades. Either use as is and tie to the handles, or empty, use the chains themselves and/or fill bags with dirt/sand/whatever.

 

[NOPEC]

In sand, we scratch out or dig a slit trench perpendicular to the the run of the tiedown string and then loop the end of tiedown around the middle of a piece of stick . Then just bury it a foot or so down and stomp on it to pack it well. Often you can scratch out the trench with the same stick. The key is ensuring the leading trench wall is 90 degrees to the surface of the ground and that the trench is very narrow. It takes longer to type this message than to actually do it in good conditions.

Then of course, there is always heavy duty anchors, but not everyone has or wants those......

 

[nwoods]

Discs, not stakes.
Like this:
Or a combination approach:

 

[Sid Post]

Discs, not stakes.

Amazon links

Like this:

Beach Volleyball Sand Anchors - XLarge 6x6 inch Heavy Duty Plastic Boards + Elastic Thick Cord. Fits All Beach Volleyball​

Or a combination approach:

Park & Sun Sports Portable Volleyball Anchoring System for Beach/Sand or Grass, Black​

 

[Sid Post]

These are what we use in the loose sand in our desert camping areas:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-in-Plastic-Stake-4150/202087431

View attachment 831553

10" plastic stakes with with a tapered "cross" feature gives them good purchase in sand. $3.50 each at home depot.


As you've found, there is no "one perfect" stake - different conditions require different options, so I carry some of the Home Depot stakes, but also some of the fancier steel ones that are easier to drive/retrieve and hold well in firm earth.

Those tree stakes look really good!

 

[JaSAn]

Filled and buried stuff sacks were my go-to tent anchors in granular snow in the mountains ; should work well in soft sand.

We carried deadman snow anchors that were shaped to dig deeper when pulled on. I've seen something similar as an anchor for winch recovery.

 

[llamalander]

I've used these before in sand and they work well--lots of surface area

 

[Alloy]

I use MSR Blizzard stakes.

- tie the guy line to the bottom of the stake then drive the stake into the ground.
- tie the guy line to the middle of the stake then bury the stake horizantally in the ground so it makes T....same can be done with numerous items ...sticks/rock/bags/hiking pole.
- drive the stake (or tie it to a 2lb rock) in normally then put a large rock on top of the guyline.


I've sent up my tents with long (www.lawsonequipment.com) guylines to suit diffent locations.

 

[XJLI]

I've used these before in sand and they work well--lots of surface area

View attachment 831628

I use these on the beach, they work great.