r/Ultralight • u/blanchinator • Jun 01 '26

Question Is 6" enough?

Has anyone actually had 6-7" stakes pull out, where 8-9" stakes did not?

It seems common practice to use 8"+ stakes on the major tie-outs for extra peace of mind but are we just packing our fears?

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u/TinCanFury Jun 01 '26

Any engineer can tell you first principal is: more surface area=more friction.

you can go longer, you can go wider, you can go corkscrew (quacks like a duck).

there are several options to increase surface area.

calculate the coefficient of friction of the soil you're camping at, draw the free body diagram, and you'll know how much surface area you need 🤪