THE BEST TENT PEG

The best tent peg is a question of what works for you but the debate will rage for as long as there are different tent pegs.

Whichever is the best tent peg is not the right question. We should ask which is the best tent peg for my purpose. Campers will still not agree but at least the camper with a problem can get answers from which he can make an informed decision.

The least effective peg is the peg that fails as an anchor. A tent peg should never, through its working or during operation, remove itself from the anchor position as that renders it useless.

It then follows that the best tent peg is the peg that does what it should do effectively. It should always stay anchored without pulling out of the ground.

There is a saying that if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will always be a failure. If you use a tent peg for a purpose it was not designed for, it will fail.

Would you use a 250mm tent peg on the beach in a 90km/h wind? Would you use a 450mm tent peg in cement-like compacted soil? (Sometimes called “Satara soil” after the extremely hard ground at Satara Camp in Kruger Park)

Best tent pegs for sand

Sand pegs in the market are usually flat aluminium with openings or holes in the flat metal peg. This is meant to allow sand to get a grip on the metal and increase stability.

Best tent pegs for high winds

Pegs for strong winds are mostly longer pegs with a few on the market that screws in or have some other form of expected tightness in the ground.

Best tent pegs for rocky ground

Tent pegs for rocky ground are mostly pegs made from stronger or thicker steel and sometimes screw pegs made from steel or hard plastic.

Best tent pegs for hard ground

Tent pegs for hard ground tend to be the same as for rocky ground.

Best tent pegs for sand

Sand tent pegs are usually longer or are designed to be buried in soft sand to increase the surface area and in that way make the area larger where sand can grip to. The most effective peg for sand is a sand anchor that gets buried and has a construction that facilitates strong anchoring.

Best tent pegs for backpacking

Pegs for backpacking are smaller and lighter to fit into a backpack and not to add unnecessary weight to a backpack. Backpackers use smaller tents that need light pegs.

Best tent pegs for beach sand

Tent pegs for beach sand are pegs that can be buried to increase anchor stability.

Best tent pegs for tents

Pegs for tents are designed for tent size and weight and not for soil type. That is why many tent owners buy additional tent pegs better suited to their needs.

Best tent pegs for the desert

Tent pegs for desert use are often illustrated as sand pegs although the desert soil can be extremely hard or rocky. There is no reason to have “desert” tent pegs, it all depends on the soil type.

Best tent pegs for snow

Snow tent pegs will also be dictated by the density of the snow. Fresh snow is soft so pegs that can be buried could be the best choice.

Best tent pegs for sandy soil

Bent pegs for sandy soil are also designed to increase the surface area for the sand to hold on to.

The best tent peg for windy conditions

Wind used to be a factor in seaside camping but recently became a risk in the interior as a result of global warming.

The first reaction humans have when encountering natural forces is to resist.

But, it has been proven repeatedly that there is little success against severe winds, fire, heat and cold.

The wise action is to work with nature.

In nature, it is the tree that bends that survives the storm and the low shrub with strong branches that survive continuous wind from the sea. In human terms, it is the boxer that rides the punch that avoids the knock-out.

Using an immovable tent peg in an effort to withstand storm winds often fails because equipment failure will happen where the weakest point is.

That is usually where a tent pole can be lifted and disassembled or where the tent canvas tears.

The best way to avoid equipment failure is to try and work with natural forces.

If the anchor system can withstand wind force by working with it, your camping setup should survive most storms.

Using springs with your pegs is an effective way of doing it.

Best stakes for hard ground

Image: Range of tent pegs. The peg on the left has a spring that is longer and thicker (85kg). Some pegs are longer with lighter springs for softer soil and stronger winds (second from right).

Tent pegs for use in the wind are designed to withstand wind pressure against the tent and to withstand the push and pull of wind gusts.

Tent pegs for hard ground need not be long but they must be strong to penetrate the hard soil and at the same time be an effective and reliable anchor.

How do you get tent pegs into the hard ground?

Well, you take a hammer and you hammer it into the ground!

But, if the hammer fails because the soil is too hard and the peg too weak or you hammer a steel peg into beach sand, your hammering will have little advantage.

Conventional pegs sometimes need a little help. In Satara soil or between paving bricks you may find that drilling a hole first makes it easier to get the peg into the ground. In beach sand, you don’t need a conventional hammer and peg. Most conventional steel pegs will be easy to hammer into most types of soil in South Africa.

Maxcon tent pegs are manufactured from tempered spring steel and aided by a Max-Thor hammer should penetrate any soil. It has the advantage that it does not need a tight hole. The Max-Peg can be loose in the hole and still be effective due to the compression spring which makes up for the peg movement in the hole. The peg will not fail although anchoring may fail if the soil fails such as with sand.

Cost

The main reason why campers have inadequate camping accessories is the cost. Most campers only camp over weekends and school holidays, so they don’t want to spend large sums of money on camping accessories.

One reason is that campers believe that manufacturers of caravans and tents will sell equipment that is up to the task. Other reasons are that equipment is made to be affordable (Read: what people are prepared to pay) and that tent pegs, pole anchors and guy ropes are bought without considering whether they will be effective against severe weather.

When we buy camping equipment we think in terms of the amount we pay, not the quality of the equipment. It may also help our decision-making if we would consider the cost of failure of cheap equipment.

One could compare the cost of tent pegs, guy ropes and pole anchors that eliminate the need for storm bands or storm nets, to the cost of conventional equipment that needs extra expenses for additional storm-resisting equipment.

Tent pegs and anchoring accessories involve informed and wise decisions to protect your caravan and tent investment and ensure a peaceful camping experience.