More than one person has told me they use heavier tent stakes in the winter because they have problems with the Ti Stakes in the cold ground. I have only used them in 3 season camping but had planned on using them in winter. Anybody use them in very cold weather??

I've only had one occasion to pound stakes in frozen ground, normally we have snow cover. I used those aluminum stakes that look like knitting needles and they worked fine perhaps someone else might have some input...

You can't really get the lightweight ti stakes into very hard, frozen ground without drilling pilot holes with a heavier ti nail stake. For me, the weight savings of using the lighter stakes is not worth the trouble in winter.

I use Vargo Outdoor Titanium Ascent Tent Stakes. These angle iron with holes on walls work real well, and if I want additional security in snow, I can pour a little water onto the stake and it will form a kind of ice block for better anchoring. The ice block will likely require additional time to remove and will need to thaw before using again.

Edited by mikes on 01/30/2006 10:26:53 MST.

Mike, I took a good look at The Vargo Ascent stakes last week at REI, thinking they would be ideal when you weren't sure whether you would be camping on snow or bare ground. Ultimately, I bought the much larger(and heavier)SMC SnoStakes,reasoning that they would hold better in snow. I'm wondering if I got the wrong stakes. Do the Vargo Ascents really hold well in snow?

Yes they do when you hard pack the snow first. If a strong wind is expected then I pour just a little water on the stakes which will quickly create a small ice block for a larger / stronger anchor point. This little water was a trick I learned from the video that came with my "Ice Box" igloo kit.