Okay, so you are buying a new tent and wondering if tents come with stakes. The short answer is yes, most tents do come with stakes. However, depending on the tent and type of stakes, it might not be a bad idea to place them.
Yes, most tents come with tent stakes. You can confirm this by looking at your tent description, looking at product images, reading the reviews, or contacting the manufacture. If your tent does not come with stakes, you can purchase them separately. If you’re camping in fair weather, you might not need them.
How to Tell If Your Tent Comes With Stakes
Before you go off and buy extra stakes, you want to make make sure if your tent already comes with them. So, how can you tell?
Well, most big brands will come with stakes. I even emailed Coleman and asked if Coleman tents come with stakes. This is what they had to say:
Thank you for contacting Coleman, the Outdoor Company. Thank you for reaching us regarding this matter.
All of our tents have an included stakes in it.
But if you’re still unsure, there are a few ways to check:
1. Read the product description. sometime the description will tell you everything the tent comes with. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case all the time.
Here’s an example of a tent description that tells you stakes are included:
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2. Another place you can look is at are the images. Sometimes you’ll find an image of the tent with everything it comes with.
Here’s an example of a Coleman tent that shows stakes are included:
3. If you still can’t tell, you can read the reviews. If the tent has a lot of reviews, people will mention the stakes that come with the tent.
Here’s an example with the Ozark Trail tent:
4. Lastly, If you still can’t tell, you can email or call the manufacture.
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What Are Tent Stakes For?
Tent stakes, also called tent pegs, are for holding the tent to the ground and help give the tent its shape.
Believe it or not, some campers have had their tent be blown away by the wind! Stakes definitely help keep your tent anchored to the ground.
It’s always a good idea to place your tent stakes down early when setting up a tent to prevent it from shifting around and blowing away.
Do You Need Tent Stakes?
You don’t always need tent stakes when setting up a tent. I’ve pitched tents before without using stakes with no issues.
However, if you are camping in windy or rainy conditions, you’ll want to use tent stakes. A strong rigid tent will help prevent the tent from flapping and help shed rain (see article: Are tents waterproof?). If you have a 4 seasons tent (see article: Different between 3 and 4 season tents) or camping in harsher weather, definitely use them.
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Tent Stake Alternatives
If you don’t have tent stakes, you can get them fairly inexpensive from Amazon. Some of the best tent stakes are Eurmax tent stakes. These are a lot tougher than the normal stakes that come with most tents. The problem with those stakes are that they can be easily bent and don’t have a flat top to hammer them into the ground with. The Eurmax solves both of these problems.
If you don’t have tent stakes, what else can you use?
One alternative to tent stakes is to use sticks. This is not always convenient since you need the right length, durability, and thickness. Plus, they can break, especially when you are driving them into the ground.
Another option for tent stakes is to use long bolts or screws. These can be free if they are already hanging around your garage. While you can buy these from your local hardware store, they might just cost more than real tent stakes. Still, they might work in a pinch.
