Screw-In Tent Pegs Suck, Here's Why...

1. They cost more than $2 - That's all I expect to pay for a lump of steel.
2. I love hammering in dozens of old fashioned pegs - Nothing wrong with ‘em. They've been used for thousands of years, why should I change now?
3. I have no issue taking ages in the hot sun or rain to hammer them in and sometimes much longer to take them out.
4. I still commute on a horse - Cars pollute and cost too much to run.
5. I don't mind occasionally smashing my hand with the hammer.
6. What happens if my cordless battery runs out? - I don't know how to recharge a battery and have no idea how to use a wrench.
7. They won't go through a rock - Actually… nor can my tent pegs now.
8. I don’t care about the wind wrecking my new annexe / tent / pop up / tarp etc when the wind rips out my old pegs.

 GROUNDGRABBA (THE ORIGINAL AND STILL THE BEST), SCREW-IN TENT PEGS THAT CONVERTS HATERS INTO BELIEVERS!

HERE'S WHY CAMPERS CAN'T GET ENOUGH

Hi, I'm David Levine, the inventor and co founder of GroundGrabba. Together with Susu (my partner in life and business) sold our first GroundGrabba on FaceBook in March 2017.

Since then we have extended our range to suit not just camping but so many other application uses from holding a beach volley ball net to billboards and portable solar farm installations. The Australian Army have also used GroundGrabba.

 Why GroundGrabba?

GroundGrabbas Pro series have been designed and built especially for ground holding. In fact, GroundGrabba Pro series screw-in tent pegs hold up to 7X more than of the equivalent length and girth of hammer-in tent pegs.  This is why we confidently (and with proof) often use the tern "ground anchor" or "Earth Anchor". The secret to the extreme grip are the full length welded flights (or spirals) that spread out from the shaft to grip like the trunk of an old tree.

Zero Risk To Try 

I get it....  To fork out hard earned dollars $$$ at the say so of someone who sells a product is risky.  They'll spin any story to make you part with your cash. And it's even riskier and more hassle when you buy online and not in store.

What if they let you down and it’s too late to get your money back? Imagine buying them now but not testing them until months later, only to find out the 30 or so day return window has already slammed shut—if it exists at all.

With GroundGrabba, the Risk Is Ours. Enjoy a 12-Month, 100% Unconditional Money Back Guarantee, including shipping. We’ll even consider letting you keep the product! 

CHECK OUT OUR RISK FREE SPECIALS NOW 

“Highly recommend GroundGrabbas gear! On our last beach trip it got super windy but the pegs held our awning down as if they were bolted to concrete! super stoked with the purchase and couldn't be happier with their customer service!           Duncan Mecok”

Wind Guarantee

 What on earth is a wind guarantee?  It is this.... If you are set up and a wind storm comes through and rips your GroundGrabba's out of the ground, then ask for your money back! The only condition is that you have used one GroundGrabba per tie down point and you have used a GroundGrabba Pro I or Pro II if in sand.

And Lastly, please feel welcome to reach out to myself or Susu  personally should you have any questions about our products.

Warm regards

David and Susu

1300 988 655

• PS.  Remember our LIFETIME REPLACEMENT WARRANTY
• PSS. You get a 12 month 100% unconditional money back guarantee including shipping costs
• PSS. Act now and add a FREE Socket Driver to match your order and use this code 'SOCKETOME' for it to be yours with your minimum order value of $57.

BUY OUR MAIN PRODUCTS HERE

 

 

 

GroundGrabba anchors are the perfect solution for securely and safely anchoring your festival tents and outdoor structures. Whether you are hosting a wedding, music festival, or outdoor gathering, GroundGrabba anchors will keep your tents and structures firmly in place and provide you with the peace of mind that your event is safe and secure. GroundGrabba anchors are made in the USA from top quality high-grade USA-sought carbon steel and are designed to be easily installed.

They are also highly versatile and capable of anchoring in a range of different applications and ground types, including soil, grass, clay and sand. Furthermore, they are incredibly strong, and able to withstand high winds and strong weather conditions. With GroundGrabba anchors, you can be sure that your event will be held securely, no matter what Mother Nature throws your way.*

Features of GroundGrabba anchors

There are several features that make GroundGrabba anchors the perfect choice for securing outdoor structures and festival tents. First, they are available in three lengths. Given they hold up to 6X that of a similar girth and length spike stake, you may need less stakes to secure your structure or tent.

• Three standard commercial lengths are available:

1. 450mm (18")
2. 600mm (24")
3. 900mm (36")

• 1" AF hex head to fit your large impact wrench
• 40mm (1 9/16") collar flange
• 15mm (9/16")diameter shaft
• 45mm (1 3/4") diameter flights (spirals or wings)
• 2mm (1/16") thick flights (spirals or wings)
• Fully hot dip galvanized
• Made and steel sourced in the USA
• Installed and extracted with a handheld impact wrench
• Lifetime replacement warranty

 

Custom build service to your specification available on application.

GroundGrabba anchors are also extremely durable coming with a lifetime replacement warranty* long-lasting, ensuring that you get the most use out of them. Finally, they are incredibly easy to install with a high torque impact wrench, making them ideal for both professional and amateur grounds managers and installers.

Benefits of using GroundGrabba anchors

There are many benefits associated with using GroundGrabba anchors to secure your outdoor structures and festival tents. First and foremost, they will keep your event safe and secure. They are also extremely easy to install, requiring only a high-torque impact wrench and a few minutes to install. Finally, GroundGrabbas are relatively inexpensive, allowing you to secure your structures without breaking the bank. 

• Reusable
• Fast to install
• Super fast to extract
• Up to 6x greater ground holding compared to a similar length spike stake
• Virtually unbreakable
• No heavy equipment needed to install or extract
• No damage to the surrounding ground from heavy extraction equipment
• No need to haul around or hire expensive installation equipment
• One man installation
• Save Money
• Easy to adapt to ropes, chain, steel cable via your rated Bow or D shackles

 

Examples of what GroundGrabba anchors are used for

GroundGrabba anchors can be used to secure a range of outdoor structures, tiny portable and relocatable housing, dongas, emergency disaster housing, festival tents, hot air balloons, jumping castles, outdoor stages, bleachers road barriers, building construction and virtually anything that you may need to hold down outdoors. They are also ideal for securing sports equipment such as nets and goals, farming equipment, and outdoor signage. No matter what structure or equipment you want to secure, GroundGrabba anchors are up to the challenge.

Conclusion

GroundGrabba anchors are the perfect solution for anchoring your festival tents and outdoor structures. They are durable and long-lasting, well-priced and able to withstand the high winds and weather conditions common to outdoor events. They are also incredibly easy to install and use, requiring only a few minutes and a high-torque impact wrench. Most importantly, they are very affordable, making them a viable and popular option for securing your structures. With GroundGrabba anchors, you can be sure that your event will be held securely, no matter what Mother Nature throws your way.

*Conditions apply

The age old argument continues and may just continue to do so even after you read our findings.

We set out to answer this question once and for all. Did we answer it, you be the judge.

How we went about it

After setting up our 5T Post Puller we were ready to carry out tests to determine the maximum ground holding in Kilograms.  

We used many different tent pegs, stakes and ground anchors and tracked the results.

* Please read the foot notes

Our first lot of tests were with spike stakes to represent the old hammer-in style tent pegs. These had a 10mm diameter shaft which is the same diameter as our GroundGrabba Pro Series.   The lengths of 300 and 450mm also replicated our GroundGrabba Pro and GroundGrabba Pro I and Pro II.  

First we hammered them in straight down (vertically) and pulled up directly above for a vertical pull out load.  Then we did two more tests for each of the same type of tent peg, tent stake or ground anchor used.  These tests placed the peg at a distance away from the puller to represent a similar angle of strain when using a tent guy rope.  For one of these tests we hammered the tent peg down vertically the other we hammered them in on an angle away from the load as this is a common practice when out camping.

All of these tests were in a small area of our back yard which is grass on top of a very sandy soil as we live very close to a beach. The crane scale used was not calibrated but I have tested it with our shipping scales to find about a 2.5% variation.  See foot notes below.

Note: Tests were carried out approximately five dry days after 6mths of almost continuous wet weather.

The Spike tent peg stakes tested were:

• 300mm x 10mm
• 450mm x 10mm
• 600mm x 10mm

We tested the spike stakes, then our range of GroundGrabba ground anchors and then also couple of different brands:

• GroundGrabba Pro (300mm)
• GroundGrabba Pro I (450mm)
• GroundGrabba Pro II (600mm)

 

First the spike tent peg stakes for a control result

(Peak results highlighted in orange)

Test 1

• 300mm spike tent peg stake vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Results = 17kg

• 300mm spike tent peg stake vertical inserted and angled lift
• Best Results = 35.5kg

• 300mm spike tent peg stake angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 29kg

Test 2

• 450mm spike tent peg stake vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Results = 30kg

• 450mm spike tent peg stake vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 89kg

• 450mm spike tent peg stake angled inserted and angled lift
• Best Results = 96kg (This bent the mild steel shaft) 

Test 3

• 600mm x10mm spike stake vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Best Results = 46kg

• 600mm x10mm spike stake vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 132kg

• 600mm x10mm spike stake angled inserted and angled lift
• Best Results = 166kg (This bent the mild steel shaft)

 

Next GroundGrabba Pro Series 

 

 

Test 4

• GroundGrabba Pro 300mm vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Best Results = 63kg

• GroundGrabba Pro 300mm vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 59.5kg

• GroundGrabba Pro 300mm angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 55.5kg

Test 5

• GroundGrabba Pro I vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Results = 176kg

• GroundGrabba Pro I vertical inserted and angled lift
• Best Results = 179kg**

• GroundGrabba Pro I angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 138kg 

Test 6

• GroundGrabba Pro II vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Results = 290kg

• GroundGrabba Pro II vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 329kg (this test bent the shaft)

• GroundGrabba Pro II angled inserted and angled lift
• Best Results = 389kg (This bent the shaft)

 

 

 

Test 7

• GroundGrabba Lite screw in tent peg ground anchor vertically inserted and vertical load
• Best Results = 101kg

• GroundGrabba Lite screw in tent peg ground anchor vertically inserted and angled load
• Results = 98kg

• GroundGrabba Lite screw in tent peg ground anchor angle inserted and angled load
• Results = 54kg 

Conclusive? In my opinion I don't think so, but it gives us food for thought!  

Perhaps these next results may give a little more clarity. 

We tested two other brands. One design is a long coach bolt and the other brand made for purpose as screw-in tent pegs / ground anchors in two varieties. 

Please note that this is not a comparison test for which tent peg is better. The word 'better' is subjective given things to be considered 'better' would mean different things to different people.  Some things to consider is price, ease of use, any special equipment needed, how much they'll hold in what type of ground, longevity, warranty, where they're made and so on.  What is 'better' is for you to decide.

First the long screw Coach Bolt style Tent Peg  

Test 8

• 270mm coach bolt style tent peg stake (similar to our GroundGrabba Junior) vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Best Results = 36.5kg

• 270mm coach bolt style tent peg stake (similar to our GroundGrabba Junior) vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 21kg

• 270mm coach bolt style tent peg stake (similar to our GroundGrabba Junior) angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 12kg**

Next

The Made for Purpose Screw-In Tent Peg Ground Anchors

Test 9

• Stainless steel screw-in ground anchor tent peg stake vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Best Results = 30kg

• Stainless steel screw-in ground anchor tent peg stake vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 18.5kg

• Stainless Steel screw-in ground anchor tent peg stake angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 23kg

Test 10

• Aluminium aggressive spiralled ground anchors vertical inserted and vertical lift
• Best Results = 78kg**

• Aluminium aggressive spiralled ground anchors vertical inserted and angled lift
• Results = 64kg

• Aluminium aggressive spiralled ground anchors angled inserted and angled lift
• Results = 46kg

Conclusion

One our first test day we didn't get to test the 600mm spike stakes nor the GroundGrabba Pro II 600mm.  The results from these additional tests changed my previously held beliefs via new evidence.

New evidence suggests that there is a difference between screw-in tent peg stakes and the old traditional hammer-in tent pegs when it comes to lift out holding ability mainly for the shorter screw-in stakes under 450mm in length.

Hands down, all less than 450mm screw-in tent peg stakes held much more vertically installed and vertically pulled than the traditional tent peg and the results suggests that vertical installation to be the better choice of inserting against the 45degree angle for these sized stakes.

The 450mm and 600mm tests yielded different results.  These showed that angled insertion and or pull out held higher anchoring but given the forces involved had bent the shafts.  Also angled tensions tended to hold higher loads over a longer period of time giving a controlled failure result as opposed to a catastrophic failure of vertical loaded spike stakes.

The sub 450mm screw-in variety of tent peg stakes or ground anchors seem to mostly hold best in a vertical load situation.  This of course is not always practical with guy ropes given they are used usually in combination of tent poles so need to be inserted at a distance from the pole.

Traditional hammer in spike tent peg stakes gave mixed results with vertical insertion and an angled pull out force. The 300mm tent peg maxed out at 35.5kg for vertical insertion angle pull, and the 450mm tent peg stake maxed out for the angled pull out load and angled insertion at 96kg!  It seems a little counterintuitive doesn't it?

These two results contradict each others logic yet, that's what we found. The shorter 300mm did better hammered in vertically and pulled at an angle yet the longer 450mm and 600mm tent peg held better when both the insertion and pull out were at an angle.

Surprisingly the shorter screw-in type tent peg ground anchors (like the GroundGrabba Junior) gave the highest pull out force readings when inserted vertically and pulled out vertically.

The longer GroundGrabba Pro I and Pro II yielded best results on angles.  The Pro I when vertically installed and angle pulled and for the Pro II angled inserted and angled tension pull.  See the foot notes below.

Will a conclusive answer be found testing in different substrates? 

So, what do you think now?  Did this answer the question for you if tent peg stakes are supposed to be put into the ground vertically or horizontally?  

In a nutshell

For our tests carried out in this one type of substrate, hammer-in spike takes tend to hold better at traditional angles but screw-in stakes of lengths less than 450mm hold better in a vertical insertion and load situation.

Screw-in ground anchors 450mm and longer hold better angled but under massive loads can bend.  For camping purposes I'd suggest you'd not want to put so much stress on your tents, tarps and shade canopies so would prefer to insert vertically under less strain.

* Foot Notes

• Crane scales used were not calibrated but checked against our shipping scales found there to be about a 2.5% inaccuracy factor
• We cannot guarantee the substrate was the same density in all tests done
• Angled pull out tests were around the 45 degree mark + or -
• Vertical pull out tests may not be exactly vertical
• We only did one test for each finding, if we did say six for each then perhaps there'd be a better figure averaged out
• Maximum peak values per the digital readout were noted if only momentary 
• Different ground types may give different results
• The spike stakes used were all 10mm diameter in shaft thickness and shaft length which is the same shaft thickness as the GroundGrabba steel ground anchor tent pegs tested
• The other brands tested shaft lengths and shaft thicknesses differed to the spike stakes and were only tested to find out the answer to the question if vertical or angled insertion of tent pegs is best
** The highest result was seen on video playback

Last updated 24th May 2022

Not sure what part of Australia you live in, but we live in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.  It has been raining pretty much since December last year (2021) around here.   

We've been waiting since December to carry out in-ground pull out testing of all our products in dry ground. Recently though we were contacted to have our products tested for a solar farm installation and didn't matter if the ground was wet or dry but for the tests it was probably best wet, because that's when the ground is softer and takes less to pull out ground anchors, stakes or pegs.

We took along our prototype GR14 range and some other even larger prototypes which as of the date of writing this blog are unavailable for retail sale. If you would like to order some or know more please contact us.

It was a typical rainy and cloudy on & off kind of day. We met on site in Wardell.  The installation is to go nearby for Ballina Council.

Susu and I met the testing team and watched as they were screwing down large pile ground anchors about 2m long with a hydraulic drill attached to the front of a mini excavator machine.  

The large 2m screw piles made our GroundGrabba's look like tooth picks! 

When they'd completed their tests on the screw piles it was our turn.

First I tried driving in our new prototype samples of 75mm diameter auger and then the 180mm even larger auger into the ground.

 

We could drive the 75mm into the sandy ground but could only drive the larger 180mm down to just below the auger flights. We also had much trouble extracting both of them. Back to the prototype drawing board for these ones!

The 75mm drove in well and held well over 600 kg in this substrate.

The 180mm didn't go full depth and therefore held very little upwards tension but almost pulled up a huge chunk of soil with it.

Next we tested two of our GR14 commercial samples.

Our GR14 commercial GroundGrabba's come in three lengths:

• GR14S 450mm
• GR14M 600mm 
• GR14L 900mm

GR14M and GR14L shown above.

Designed with a 25mm Hex Head with larger 40mm diameter flange collar.

The 25mm hex head is 20mm high and our test samples have a 10mm hole running side to side for use with bow shackles etc.

Below is the GR14L 900mm being driven into what appears to be sandy dirt. When driving these downs it is easy to tell that the substrate is not the same all the way down. It varies from the GroundGrabba drawing itself down to other times where downward force is needed.

Note that the Makita DTW1002Z Impact wrench being used has a nut busting 1800Nm of torque.  The GR14 models are not toys and you'll need a heavy duty high torque driver much like this or the higher rated Milwaukee M18 ONEFHTWF1.

 

GR14S 450mm shown below.  The GR14 is made to screw through a hole diameter of 30mm through material up to 8mm thick.

 

 

We didn't bother testing our GR14S 450mm ground anchor at the sandy dirt site because the substrate being so soft on the surface there'd not be enough depth of reach to provide adequate anchoring.   

Both the GR14M 600mm and GR14L 900mm performed well with the GR14L readings in excess of 750kg.

Here is a video of the pull out testing for the GR14L 900mm at Wardell which had sandy dirt substrate.

 

Keep in mind we were not testing for maximum hold, only for passing the engineering specifications set for this particular solar farm installation.

Things that need to be considered to pass the tests are vertical movement and lateral movement or in other words lift out anchoring hold and sideways movement in the ground.  For lateral movement tests, it is the wider diameter shafts that offer less movement compared to narrower shafts.

Next site...

Next we headed off to another site in a little regional town called Alstonville where the ground was completely different.

On this site was grass on top of compressed or compacted rubble and dirt with many rocks of all sizes.  In past days there was construction on this exact area which was demolished and the heavy machinery movements plus rehabilitating the site created a substrate which to me was anything but normal.

First I drove in a GR14S 450mm and I could really feel it bite quite well. Next was the GR14M 600mm and it was not easy getting this in. I had to poke and prod around until I found a spot that allowed it to go down to full length.  It bit into the ground REALLY well.

This video doesn't show my first failed attempt at screwing the 450mm GR14S in as it hit an underground obstruction. So I moved the position and tried again but this time finding a gap in the rubble below.  I was lucky with the GR14M 600mm and found a spot straight up but could feel that the last 300mm of substrate was harder/different and slowed down driving quite a bit.

There's no video of us trying to deploy the longer GR14L 900mm as I couldn't get past the 600mm mark due to the amount of rubble underground.

There is, or was the potential of drilling a pilot hole which we didn't do.

The results from the 600mm version surpassed the engineering spec's.

The video below is pull out testing of the 450mm GR14S at Alstonville site with mixed dirt and rubble substrate...  It achieved a remarkable maximum peak of about 440kg.

Now for the GR14M 600mm... which peaked at a whopping 876kg

 

There was another type of ground anchor (below) made of cast aluminium to test however this particular product pulled out virtually by hand.  In this image both a new and old one are side by side. Notice the wear. 

The old one has been commercially used for event tent set ups.  The aluminium hex head is almost rounded and the threads have worn down substantially. 

For one-off installations there'd be minimal loss through wearing of the aluminium but for commercial day to day use, wouldn't you want to use steel? All GroundGrabba Pro ground anchor products are heat treated carbon steel.

With a plethora of screw-in tent pegs or tent stakes out there, why would auger spiral screw in pegs be any better than just a screw-in tent peg like that of those based on a coach bolt or longer speed hex screw design?
GroundGrabba ground anchors are designed based on an auger.

Let's start by taking a look at the two different basic designs.

 

Coach Bolt     

 

 

   Auger Style Ground Graber Pro I

You'll notice that the coach bolt design has a thread that looks like it has been cut into the shaft whereas the auger spiral screw in peg like the GroundGrabba Pro I has what is called 'flights' which are hand welded to the shaft and clearly spread out from the shaft.

This has a significant effect for ground holding. In fact a good quality ground anchor like the GroundGrabba products are made for the purpose of holding the ground with superior performance to that of a traditional hammer-in tent peg.

SHOP NOW 

Why is the performance better from an auger spiral screw in peg design?

Because the flights spread out under the ground, they perform kind of like tree roots and effect the surrounding ground which become part of the anchoring process.  A coach bolt or elongated screw is not more than a spike peg like have been used for thousands of years.  These do not use a larger area around the peg to help anchor but rely on the area of earth touching the shaft.

Ground holding ability relies on several factors such as;

• Ground type
• Ground density
• Wet or dry ground
• Type of peg, stake or ground anchor used
• Substrate in direct contact on the shaft
• Depth of the shaft
• Angle of load, vertical lift or angled tension

Take a look at the images below, one represents a spike stake or a typical tent peg design in a vertical lift situation and the other an auger design such as our Ground Grabba Pro II.

Notice how the spike stake design has little additional holding from the surrounding earth compared to the Ground Grabber which shows a kind of inverted cone shape of earth weighing down on tp of the flights (wings or spirals).

Steel spike style hammer in tent peg above.

A Ground Grabber auger spiral screw-in peg above.

What Effects the Holding Power of the Auger Spiral Screw in Peg?

There are a few factors you'd want to think about to determine how much holding power you want.

Depth is probably the main thing though.  Substrate density is another. One more is the width of the flights.  

The deeper the spiral auger is and the wider the flights, the greater it will anchor down.

Check out our hold down test results here>>>

Ground Grabbers come in various models of augur spiral screw in pegs and can be used for recreational purposes like camping to commercial uses like holding horse jumps, signs, trampolines, outdoor furniture, pets and many things needing to be held down outdoors.

We even have a commercial range of augur spiral screw-in pegs with thicker shafts for higher loads like festival tents, tiny homes, emergency housing, relocatable homes, ground mounted solar, communication masts and towers and more also.

GroundGrabba Pro (300mm) Hot Dipped Galvanised (HDG) 1008 carbon steel 

GroundGrabba Pro I (450mm) HDG 1008 carbon steel

GroundGrabba Pro II (600mm) HDG 1008 carbon steel

GroundGrabba Lite (400mm) Reinforced Nylon (recreational grade)

GroundGrabba Commercial Pro (450mm) HDG 1008 carbon steel

GroundGrabba Commercial Pro I (600mm) HDG 1008 carbon steel

GroundGrabba Commercial Pro II (900mm) HDG 1008 carbon steel

 

Perhaps you have a more permanent structure like a garden sculpture or a park bench that you need to secure to the ground but the anchor hole is of a small diameter, then we have a range of threaded auger spiral screw in pegs that might be suitable for you. 

Here are some other ideas for uses in other applications>>>

 

If you have any questions about our Ground Grabber screw in auger style ground anchors, tent peg stakes use this contact page.

 

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