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