Staking In Very Soft Ground..?

**Joe Fowler** · 04-17-2016, 18:13

This last weekend I struggled to get my tarp staked to the ground. The duff was so thick I couldn't even dig down enough.

Other than rocks and such, how do you all deal with ground that's too soft to hold a stake?

Especially if it's going to be pretty windy.

Thanks!

**DrPhun** · 04-17-2016, 18:35

Whittle a bigger stake out of a stick,two stakes in an x, tie around the middle of the stake and bury it, tie around a stick and bury the stick, fill a plastic bag with dirt and bury it. I also take a couple different types of stakes incl two snow and sand stakes (can be used as a digging tool too.)

**Joe Fowler** · 04-17-2016, 18:43

I should try the snow stakes. But the stick idea is good too. Thanks!

You never know what you're going to find or exactly what the conditions will be. Having more "tools" in my box will be useful.

**fallkniven** · 04-17-2016, 20:06

That's when I put my stakes back in my bag, and make some beefy one out of sticks.

**JasonACraft** · 04-17-2016, 20:13

Yup. What's the point (totally intended) of carrying a knife if you ain't gonna use it?

**mdwattsjr** · 04-18-2016, 06:12

I have always tried to find a large downed log to tie around. Always seems to be easier than trying to tie around a roundish rock...

**Country Roads** · 04-18-2016, 19:18

I use 9 inch carbon fiber stakes for the really soft, deep stuff. They are of good diameter (pencil sized), so have a lot more surface area than Ti stakes. The 9 inch ones "usually" get down through the duff to the denser stuff underneath. each stake weighs about 7.5 grams each. I only take four of these for the corners and use shorter stakes with rocks on top, or just use rocks (in WV, rocks are not that hard to find) or any smaller trees, stumps etc. They can be found at Ruta Locura; current price is $15/4 pack. I expect you could make your own from carbon fiber arrow shafts.

**OutandBack** · 04-18-2016, 19:34

If Ut is anything like Colo you can have 8-12" of pine needle duff and nothing but mtn below that. Large dead branches or big rocks can work in a pinch or if it's just wind don't deploy the tarp.