Do Tents Come With Stakes?

Do tents come with stakes? The simple answer is yes, almost all tents come with tent stakes! It is commonly advertised that tents come with stakes but the type of stake is not always advertised. This is because most stakes that come with the tent are poor quality and shouldn’t always be used. This depends on the company of the tent but most of the time you get what you pay for. Meaning if you aren’t spending hundreds of dollars on a tent you are probably getting cheap stakes.

The most common tent stake that comes with the tent is a metal hook shape, usually made from aluminum or plastic. This style and material can work for most situations but isn’t ideal. These cheaply make stakes easily break and only work in softer dirt.

How to Know If A Tent Comes With Stakes?

If you need tent stakes to come with your tent we will show you how to know if they do. There are a few different ways to check if stakes come witha tent or not. 

Looking into product descriptions and product photos will help show what you will get with the purchase. Most tents will advertise and show tent stakes if they come with them. 

 

Looking at the reviews can also tell you if it comes with stakes. Most tents should and will come with stakes so if a tent doesn’t it is very common for someone to mention that in the reviews.

If you can’t find the answer you are looking for contact the manufacturer for the best answer.

Product description of a tent

Should I Get New Tent Stakes?

Depending on where you plan to camp will affect whether you should get new stakes or not.

The location and weather of camping are the biggest indicators of what type of tent stake you will need. Camping near softer dirt and sand doesn’t require heavy-duty stakes as any type of tent stake can stick in soft ground.

Rocky of frozen ground will require a more durable stake than the common tent comes with. If you try to stake into a rocky ground with plastic or aluminum stakes they will easily brake or band with almost any resistance. Steel or titanium are stronger and less malleable. This means they won’t bend or break when hitting hard ground in frozen or rocky spots.

If you plan on camping in winding conditions the style of your tent stakes will matter. This is because the different styles of stakes will hold better in windy conditions than typical hook shape stakes. Longer-length stakes are key in windy conditions. The longer the stake the better it will hold in the ground when getting pulled on. Most tents come with shorter stakes meaning you may need better stakes if planning to camp in harsh weather.

There is also a difference between backpacking and traditional camping stakes. Backpackers need lightweight stakes while regular campers mostly need to worry about durability. Backpackers need to find the middle ground of durability and weight for the best backpacking tent stake. Backpackers should look for titanium and aluminum stakes which are sometimes what tent comes with.

Do You Need Tent Stakes?

You do not always need tent stakes while camping. The common camper rarely finds themselves in conditions that require stakes due to wind but most rain flies require stakes for proper setup.

Learn more about when to know if you will need stakes and how to secure a tent without stakes!

Conclusion

It is almost a guarantee that any tent you buy will come with stakes. These stakes aren’t always the best quality but will do the job in most situations.

 

The location and weather of where you plan on camping will have the biggest effect on if you need different types of stakes than the tent comes with.