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Vent: That one guy at a campsite in Montana told me my tent stake hammer was overkill and I still think about it
He just laughed and drove a stake in with his boot heel while I was fumbling with a 3-pound sledge, and now I wonder if I should ditch the extra weight or if his old-school method was just pure luck on that rocky ground.
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elliot_barnes18d ago
Funny how one little moment like that can stick with you. It's like those situations where you realize there's a simpler way to do something and you've been overcomplicating it your whole life. That boot heel trick probably works fine on soft ground, but your sledge gives you peace of mind when the ground turns rocky. I've noticed people get real hung up on gear and tools, thinking the expensive or heavy option is always better, when really it's about knowing your own conditions and what works for you. Your mileage may vary, but that's true for most things in life, not just camping.
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jackson.matthew18d ago
Elliot Barnes makes a good point about knowing your conditions, but I'd push back a little on the idea that people always assume expensive gear is better. A 3-pound sledge is definitely overkill for most tent stakes unless you're dealing with permafrost or something extreme. For normal campground dirt, a rock or your boot will work just fine and save you the back strain.
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