Staking Tents/Canopies in the Deserr

[Malamute]

I think of a cordless drill/screw gun as a part of my vehicle toosl when on the road. Mine are older Dewalt, not impact, just standard. The impacts at the time I bought mine were about double what a regular 18v gun cost and I found I rarely used it when i had one. I think the current crop are better, lighter and cheaper and probably worthwhile. I have 1/4" and 3/8" drive socket adapters and use mine as a driver for nuts and bolts as well, like we used to use air drivers at the bike shop.

 

[maki2]

The chains keep the rope from getting chewed up by rubbing against the sharp rocks.

Putting the screws in with an impact drill driver is vastly easier and faster than pounding in rebar stakes versus using a 2 lb jammer. I have both types and have tested them.

I had a direct hit in my screen shelter by a large dust devil. It bent a rebar stake although it did not pul it up out of the ground. The screws Abnorm suggested faired better. But both types work and grip in the rocky desert soil. I do t know which type will work better in other soil types as I have not yet tried them elsewhere. I did try regular smooth shafted tent stakes here, sometimes they held but most of them started pulling up out of the ground during wind events.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I feel, if the wind picks up enough to possibly pull large pegs I take my canopy down. If it pulls pegs out it can tear eyelets even if the pegs don’t move, so if I see/feel it coming, down it comes the trick is to have something that goes up and down easily. I guess a tent is a different story.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I have used rebar driven in to form an X....and tied to them where they crossed. The challenge with sand is make as much resistance as possible in the ground.

 

[HappyLife1977]

Thinking this over for our travels, too. What about anchoring at least one side of a pop up canopy or tent under your tires? Unless your on a motorcycle or bike, that is?