Spent 10 years thinking I had to pound tent stakes straight down

I was at a campsite in the Smokies last spring and watched this old guy hammer his stakes in at a 45-degree angle pointing away from the tent. My fly had been flapping in wind for years and I just figured that was normal camping. Has anyone else had a stupid gear revelation that made you feel like an idiot?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sage1mo ago

Just hammered them straight down for years until someone corrected me too.

dylanwilliams1mo ago

You ever notice how many of those straight-down stakes just pop right out when the ground gets a little soft? I had one fly straight up and nearly take my buddy's eye out during a storm in Colorado... switched to angling them outward after that. Now I even use those big orange screw stakes for the guy lines on my fly, no more waking up with a wet sleeping bag.