Really good stakes, bought for Habitude 6 footprint and additional tent guy ropes. These will not bend! Very slight design criticism is they are hard to push in (soft ground) by hand as there is no ‘head’ to them as such, but not a real problem

As Good As They Say!

I've seen the MSR Groundhog stakes recommended by experienced backpackers, campers and others in internet reviews. The consistent high ratings made them an easy choice. I used them the first time this weekend - they are as good, or better, than they say. My friend and I camped next to each other. She had the usual wire stakes, which tend to bend and are harder to get solidly in the ground (I had these, too, until my Groundhogs came from Campsaver). Groundhogs have a three "blade" shaft, and a nice point to pierce the ground, and cut into any soil. This would be an exception when in an area where bedrock is near the surface. I give them high marks for easy clean up. You can get them sufficiently clean by running your finger in the blade grooves, and wipe with any ... MoreI've seen the MSR Groundhog stakes recommended by experienced backpackers, campers and others in internet reviews. The consistent high ratings made them an easy choice. I used them the first time this weekend - they are as good, or better, than they say. My friend and I camped next to each other. She had the usual wire stakes, which tend to bend and are harder to get solidly in the ground (I had these, too, until my Groundhogs came from Campsaver). Groundhogs have a three "blade" shaft, and a nice point to pierce the ground, and cut into any soil. This would be an exception when in an area where bedrock is near the surface. I give them high marks for easy clean up. You can get them sufficiently clean by running your finger in the blade grooves, and wipe with any cloth. The red anodize just looks cool, as well as makes the surface easier to clean. These stakes hold your shelter very securely. I plan to buy another set for my portable privacy shelter used for dry camping.

Excellent tent pegs - strong and great holding power

These pegs were replacements for the ones that came with my tent. They were far superior in holding power and strength (i.e.not bending). However, not sure how they will be in frozen ground . In the past I found round pegs were easier to remove from frozen ground much the easiest.That said I'm very pleased with the groundhog stakes and recommend them highly.

I Am Sorry To Say That These Stakes Are Designed To Fail

I love MSR, your stoves and tents I have used for years, so much so that backpacker in Death Valley asked me if I was a salesperson for your company.As a retired civil engineer I was appalled several years ago to see that you had replaced your vee-shaped stakes, which served all of us very well, with a design designed to fail.Dimension changes, such as the one between the driving surface of this stake and the the portion of the stake driven into the ground, are scientifically proven to be more prone to fatigue stress than your earlier design. Please bring the old ones back. What were you thinking?Few things are worse than losing tent stakes. I hope that your company acknowledges this. Every other time I hit these stakes the head breaks off.I am now searching for ... MoreI love MSR, your stoves and tents I have used for years, so much so that backpacker in Death Valley asked me if I was a salesperson for your company.As a retired civil engineer I was appalled several years ago to see that you had replaced your vee-shaped stakes, which served all of us very well, with a design designed to fail.Dimension changes, such as the one between the driving surface of this stake and the the portion of the stake driven into the ground, are scientifically proven to be more prone to fatigue stress than your earlier design. Please bring the old ones back. What were you thinking?Few things are worse than losing tent stakes. I hope that your company acknowledges this. Every other time I hit these stakes the head breaks off.I am now searching for other stakes and would recommend to all buyers that they buy other brand back-ups.

Robust, reliable

First off: tent stakes, not tent steaks. Do not keep steaks in your tent.Got these to replace a smaller set of titanium stakes that came with a new tent. These are a bit heavier but I know I can rely on them to keep things in place – plus, the colour makes them really easy to spot (and harder to lose).

These stakes came highly recommended

These stakes came highly recommended from my buddy who is a manager at REI. I’m glad that I invested my hard earned moolah on these stakes. They are very strong, lightweight and stay in the ground very well. I’ve wasted my money on the cheap Chinese knockoffs sold on Amazon that either bend or break on first use. The Groundhog Stakes are absolutely worth the money! It’s a worthwhile investment!

Toughest Stakes

I've used the same set of 10 or so Groundhog stakes since 2015. I bought them new before my AT thru-hike, used them for the duration, and have continued using them frequently in the years since. I've used these stakes in nearly every kind of ground-type with great success. They're not fantastic in insanely hard ground or super sandy soft ground, but can be made to work if you use what's around you. I've only experienced one Groundhog failure, maybe a month into my thru-hike, and it was completely my fault. I was exhausted from a long day and impatient to get my tent up, so I stomped the stake directly into a rock under the topsoil and the stake bent real good. Even bent, I kept using it for the next few weeks with little issue. These things are tough as hell, so ... MoreI've used the same set of 10 or so Groundhog stakes since 2015. I bought them new before my AT thru-hike, used them for the duration, and have continued using them frequently in the years since. I've used these stakes in nearly every kind of ground-type with great success. They're not fantastic in insanely hard ground or super sandy soft ground, but can be made to work if you use what's around you. I've only experienced one Groundhog failure, maybe a month into my thru-hike, and it was completely my fault. I was exhausted from a long day and impatient to get my tent up, so I stomped the stake directly into a rock under the topsoil and the stake bent real good. Even bent, I kept using it for the next few weeks with little issue. These things are tough as hell, so when I read reviews about people breaking them, and knowing how hard I've abused mine, I can only imagine how rough they must be using their stakes. Or maybe they just got a dud batch.

Worked great on a 3000km through-hike

I bought eight Groundhogs to use with my Tarptent Scarp II ultralight tent during a 24-week through-hike of New Zealand's 3000km trail, Te Araroa.Y-shaped pegs such as Groundhogs are heavier than hepherd's crook-style pegs, which are basically just a piece of thick wire bent at one end and sharpened at the other.However, Y-shaped pegs have the important advantage of having much greater holding power in conditions involving sand, wind and loose soil.Te Araroa's varied terrain includes all three of those environmental factors - the first section alone involves camping on a beach.I was very happy with the way these pegs performed. During the 155 days I was on-trail, I only had pegs come loose two or three times. This was in very loose sand or hard soil which ... MoreI bought eight Groundhogs to use with my Tarptent Scarp II ultralight tent during a 24-week through-hike of New Zealand's 3000km trail, Te Araroa.Y-shaped pegs such as Groundhogs are heavier than hepherd's crook-style pegs, which are basically just a piece of thick wire bent at one end and sharpened at the other.However, Y-shaped pegs have the important advantage of having much greater holding power in conditions involving sand, wind and loose soil.Te Araroa's varied terrain includes all three of those environmental factors - the first section alone involves camping on a beach.I was very happy with the way these pegs performed. During the 155 days I was on-trail, I only had pegs come loose two or three times. This was in very loose sand or hard soil which prevented me from pounding the pegs in deep enough.They also proved to be sturdy. I regularly pounded them into hard soil with rocks, and only managed to bend one of the pegs.You do have to be careful not to hit the reflective string when pounding in the stakes.Negatives? They are heavier than titanium stakes. Also, they are expensive.Recommended.

[Rewarded Review] Best stakes

For a long time, I used Easton Nobendium stakes. I only ever bent 2 in 20+ years. My new MSR Groundhogs were purchased to help replace my Eastons. They are the best. They drive easily and go into the hardest ground. Moreover, they held in sodden muck after 5" of rain in WV's Seneca State Forest. I continue to be impressed. They are worth the money.

[Rewarded Review] Ground Hog Review

Spot on! This stakes worked perfectly, and gave me no grief. They stuck very well, and I was putting them into a very rocky / dense sand type of surface. Was able to use a rock to hammer them in, and they worked like a charm. With no fear of bending! Great product!