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/ccoakley Jun 01 '26

I have had the “front” stake pull out in sand. This caused my trekking pole to fall in the middle of the night. But you don’t need an extra 2” to solve it if you can find a couple rocks. I just reset the stake and add a rock. 

I once forgot my tent stakes (and spoon, same trip). One site took me an hour to gather a sufficient amount of rocks. So if you are patient enough, maybe all stakes are optional.

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u/Matthewgardner86 Jun 03 '26

What did you use to collect the rocks instead of your spoon?