Tent Pegs

What a tent peg does

Pegs hold the corners of a tent and the ends of its guy lines to the ground, and they decide whether a tent stays put in the wind. The pegs that come with a tent may not suit every pitch: hard, stony fields bend thin pegs, and soft sand or snow lets them pull out. So the right peg depends on the ground more than on the tent. Carry a few spares, because pegs get lost and bent.

Aluminium, steel, titanium or sand pegs: which tent peg

• Aluminium alloy pegs, mostly 14cm to 18cm, are light and suit ordinary grass. They come with three-sided, V, round and triangular profiles; one 18cm peg weighs 13g and one 15cm peg 8.1g.
• Steel pegs are for hard and stony ground: forged steel in 20cm, 30cm and 40cm, galvanised 15cm pegs with a hook, and stainless 28cm stakes that twist in. See tent mallets.
• Titanium and carbon fibre pegs are the lightest strong pegs, for backpacking: a carbon fibre peg 12cm long weighs 3.7g, and titanium pegs come in lengths from 16cm to 40cm. See backpacking and trekking tents.
• U-shaped sand and snow pegs are wide aluminium pegs, 23cm and 31cm, made to grip sand, snow and soft ground. See beach tents.
• Decking stakes are stainless spiral springs that twist into the gap between deck boards, with octopus-style tensioners for guy ropes on decking.

Matching the peg to the ground

On ordinary grass, an aluminium peg with a three-sided or V profile holds well and weighs little. On hard or stony ground, use steel with a large head that takes a mallet; a thin aluminium peg will bend before it goes in. On sand, snow and soft, wet ground, a peg holds by its surface area, so use longer and wider pegs, such as the U-shaped ones. On a deck or a wooden platform, ordinary pegs have nowhere to go, which is what the spiral stakes are for.

Putting them in and getting them out

Push or tap each peg in at about 45 degrees, leaning away from the tent, so the pull of the line keeps it in the ground. Leave enough above ground to hook the line on and pull it out again. Several pegs here have a reflective cord or a bright pull cord, which makes them easier to find in grass, easier to pull out without digging, and easier to see at night.

Questions people ask about tent pegs

Can I hammer aluminium pegs?

Yes, gently, ideally with a rubber mallet. Steel pegs in hard ground take a steel hammer.

Which pegs for a winter or snow trip?

The U-shaped pegs, which are made for snow and ice. See winter and snow tents.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.

More to look at

• Tent mallets
• Guy lines
• Tent bags
• Groundsheets and footprints
• Beach tents
• Winter and snow tents
• Guide: Backpacking and trekking tents
• Guide: The festival tent guide