05/28/2026
Due to the nature of Carolina soil (i.e. red clay), you encounter only two ground firmness conditions when it comes to tent/pavilion stakes.
1. The stakes slides into the soil using only an index finger and comes out if someone sneezes too hard.
Or
2. The stake requires a 40 lb sledgehammer or a steamroller and will require an assembly of pulleys and a 40 team mule team to remove.
Since it only rains once in the summer, guess which conditions you mostly use the stakes in...
This causes excessive wear on the curved portion of the stakes. Even one of these 5/8" stakes wear out from the heavy strikes when steel hand sledges are used to drive them in.
Here you can see how I repair the stakes so they may continue their original purpose. In the final picture, you can see the mini hammer made from the broken off piece.
Have fun, make stuff!
