All that glitters is not gold…

In a small stuff sack, in my basement, dwells my most treasured piece of outdoor equipment. The sack is full of parachute cord, my tarp ridgeline and a fistful of MSR Groundhog stakes. But the true riches concealed there are irreplaceable: six 9 1/2″ long Black Diamond T-Stakes.

Truth be told, they’re a little shorter than that now. Maybe closer to 9 and a quarter. Because I’ve spent the last thirty years pounding them into some of the most hostile terrain in North America.

I bought my T-Stakes in the early 1990’s when I worked at Life Tools. Their first challenge was securing my non-freestanding tunnel tent on an unplowed road in Michigan’s UP. We were on a weekend ice climbing trip and I used an ice hammer to pound them into the frozen gravel. Since then they’ve travelled with me anytime pack weight wasn’t my primary concern. Winter trips, sea kayaking, canoe travel and car camping. They’ve been pounded with axes, hammers and rocks. And they’re still going strong. The T-Stakes have never let me down.

If you’re under 40 you may never have seen the King of Stakes. I don’t remember when they disappeared from Black Diamond’s catalog. Probably around the same time that funky headlamp with the rubber headband went the way of the dodo. Hard to say, I wasn’t paying attention. If I was, I would have grabbed a half dozen more before they were gone forever.

T-Stakes were extruded from 2024-T3 aluminum and hard anodized to protect them from corrosion. This is a particularly hard aluminum alloy that’s used in aircraft production. They’re drilled with lightening holes that double as anchor points if you need to bury them as deadmen in sand or snow. They aren’t the lightest stake out there. The 9″ version comes in at over two ounces. But they are, without questions, the strongest, lightest tent stake I’ve ever used.

Let’s face it. Most tent stakes are rubbish.

Those little wire skewers that used to come with tents were a joke. These days, most tent manufacturers include something slightly better. But even these upgrades can fall short. The stakes that came with my Big Agnes Copper Spur HV 2 Expedition are distinctly un-poundable. The tent is outstanding, but the pegs are too soft. If even the breath of a hammer comes near them they bow their heads in submission.

The best lightweight, semi-poundable modern stake I’ve found so far is the MSR Groundhog. I’ve got a couple dozen of these in my arsenal and use them with tents and tarps on lightweight outings. They’re pretty good. But they’re nowhere near pound into a frozen gravel road good. For that, you need the King.

Alas, the King is no more. I can’t even find them on eBay.

Why, then, write a gear review for a piece of equipment that can’t be bought? Because they’re simply the best. And maybe one of you out there has a handful you’d like to sell. Or maybe we should crowdfund a T-Stake company and restore the King to his rightful spot on the throne.

I’m sure we would sell tens of them…

In the meantime, I’ve got my eyes peeled for spares. If you see any T-Stakes lying around, grab them for me, will ya?

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