Wall Tents Tips and Tricks

[jrebel]

I never could find stakes I liked, so we took a couple days and built our own stakes out of 12 inch nails for all my tents, I now have three 5 gallon buckets of nail stakes. I found cases of 12" Nails, we welded a washer about 1 to 1.5 inches from the head of each nail. Don't have a photo handy of them so will post a drawing. I like them because I can pound them in tight to the ground and the head sticks up enough to use a claw hammer to pull them out even after ice builds up on the ground around the sides of the tent. These 12" nails (which are the longest I could find) work great 95% of the time.

Sometimes in soft soil areas I will use two nails to stake down each tent rope. Someday I hope to cut some rebar 18" long and weld a couple washers on to get longer but similar style stakes for soft soil areas.

@bearpaw

We use 18" concrete stakes and they work amazing.  If we are worried about he ropes sliding on the stakes, we can run a nail through the holes at our desired height and place the rope below the nail.  We carry tennis balls or 20mm shell casings to cap the ends if we have kids around to keep them from falling on them and injuring themselves. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Steel-Rebar-Pins-Common-0-75-in-x-18-in-Actual-0-75-in-x-18-in/4008133?store=152&cm_mmc=shp-_-b-_-prd-_-pro-_-ggl-_-LIA_BDM_000_PRO-_-4008133-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W_ige48cvAFUSDTGhHZP8R6_&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq-u9BhCjARIsANLj-s3dkdABEGwR45n-YfINPX2BjKDw5Ku6vB5QzLHKKM3gcLU9A2cn9rcaAtAqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

You can find them cheaper if you look around and find them on sale. 

[bearpaw]

I never could find stakes I liked, so we took a couple days and built our own stakes out of 12 inch nails for all my tents, I now have three 5 gallon buckets of nail stakes. I found cases of 12" Nails, we welded a washer about 1 to 1.5 inches from the head of each nail. Don't have a photo handy of them so will post a drawing. I like them because I can pound them in tight to the ground and the head sticks up enough to use a claw hammer to pull them out even after ice builds up on the ground around the sides of the tent. These 12" nails (which are the longest I could find) work great 95% of the time.

Sometimes in soft soil areas I will use two nails to stake down each tent rope. Someday I hope to cut some rebar 18" long and weld a couple washers on to get longer but similar style stakes for soft soil areas.

@bearpaw

We use 18" concrete stakes and they work amazing.  If we are worried about he ropes sliding on the stakes, we can run a nail through the holes at our desired height and place the rope below the nail.  We carry tennis balls or 20mm shell casings to cap the ends if we have kids around to keep them from falling on them and injuring themselves. 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Steel-Rebar-Pins-Common-0-75-in-x-18-in-Actual-0-75-in-x-18-in/4008133?store=152&cm_mmc=shp-_-b-_-prd-_-pro-_-ggl-_-LIA_BDM_000_PRO-_-4008133-_-local-_-0-_-0&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W_ige48cvAFUSDTGhHZP8R6_&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq-u9BhCjARIsANLj-s3dkdABEGwR45n-YfINPX2BjKDw5Ku6vB5QzLHKKM3gcLU9A2cn9rcaAtAqEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

You can find them cheaper if you look around and find them on sale.

That's a great idea, the nails work good most of the time, but I might get some of those concrete stakes for softer soil areas. Thanks 

[trophyhunt]

Concrete stakes saved our butts once in the blues during a freak wind storm, solid rock but they went in good enough

[Buck Rub Jr]

I think it was Jackelope that mentioned it earlier in this thread that gave me this idea. Cut down heavy green T posts 16-18” long and on the 4 corner posts I drilled a hole to attach a shackle so I could use ratchet straps on the corners. Worked really well. Survived some real windy days in Montana this year.

[Rainier10]

I think it was Jackelope that mentioned it earlier in this thread that gave me this idea. Cut down heavy green T posts 16-18” long and on the 4 corner posts I drilled a hole to attach a shackle so I could use ratchet straps on the corners. Worked really well. Survived some real windy days in Montana this year.

That’s what do but I have ratchet straps at every loop and stake.

The T-posts give you more surface area to pull against versus the round nails or form stakes.

[ghosthunter]

Well wife taking advantage of good weather to put a new removable stove jack flap on my tent before I leave for turkey hunting.

The original burned up on the Moose hunt last November.

[ghosthunter]

Tents all tuned up, ready for season.
Went through boxes, made sure everything in right box.

Almost time for a little canvas time.

Got new pain on stoves.