How Do You Stake a Tent Properly?
The short answer: stake a tent properly by driving each stake at a 45-degree angle leaning away from the tent, using every guy-out loop, and matching the stake type to the ground. Proper staking is what keeps a tent standing when the wind picks up.
The correct stake angle
Drive each stake into the ground at roughly a 45-degree angle, with the top leaning away from the tent. This orientation resists the upward and outward pull of the tent and guylines far better than a straight-vertical stake, which pulls out easily. The stake should go in until only the hook or notch remains above ground, giving maximum holding power. This single detail — angle away from the tent — is the most common staking mistake and the easiest fix.
Use every guy-out point
Tents come with guyline loops and stake points that people routinely ignore on calm days — then regret when the wind rises at night. Stake the corners first to set the footprint, then run and stake every guyline out to its own anchor, tensioned firmly. A fully guyed tent is dramatically more stable and quieter in wind than one held by corners alone. The extra two minutes at setup prevents a collapsed tent at 2 a.m.
Match stakes to the ground
The stakes included with most tents are thin and bend easily in anything firmer than soft soil. For hard or rocky ground, use thicker steel or aluminum stakes and a mallet. For sand or loose soil, ordinary stakes pull out — use wide sand stakes or bury a stake or filled bag horizontally as a "deadman" anchor. On concrete or decks where stakes cannot go in at all, anchor guylines to heavy weights, sandbags, or water jugs instead.
Tension and maintenance
After staking, tension the guylines so the rainfly is taut — a drum-tight fly sheds rain and wind, while a saggy one flaps and pools water. Use the sliding tensioners on the guylines to fine-tune. Check and re-tension after the tent settles or if wind shifts, since lines loosen as stakes seat and fabric relaxes. A taut, fully staked tent is the difference between riding out a storm and chasing your tent across the campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which way should tent stakes angle?
Lean the top of each stake away from the tent at about 45 degrees. This resists the outward and upward pull of the tent and guylines, holding far better than a vertical stake. Angling toward the tent, or straight down, lets stakes pull out easily under load.
How do you stake a tent in hard ground?
Use thick steel or aluminum stakes and a mallet to drive them into firm or rocky ground, since thin stock stakes bend. If the ground is too hard even for those, relocate to a spot with some give, or anchor guylines to heavy weights rather than forcing stakes that will not hold.
How do you secure a tent in high wind?
Stake every corner and every guyline at a 45-degree angle away from the tent, tension the fly drum-tight, and orient the lowest, most aerodynamic side into the wind. Add extra guylines or heavier stakes if needed. A fully guyed, taut tent handles wind that flattens a partially staked one.