A stretch tent stands or falls on its anchoring. Fabric, poles and ropes all matter, but without the right tent pegs your tent will not stand taut and safe. Which size you need depends on three things: the size of your tent, the ground, and how often you set up and break down.
Ground anchor and tent peg mean the same thing: a solid steel pin you drive into the ground, with the guy rope pulling on it. We supply four sizes.
The four sizes at a glance
| Size | Weight each | Pull-out force | What for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 x 20 mm | 2 kg | around 86 kg | base plates and light fixing |
| 800 x 25 mm | 3 kg | around 267 kg | mobile set-ups on grass, frequent setting up and breaking down |
| 1000 x 30 mm | 6 kg | around 403 kg | most stretch tents — standard size |
| 1000 x 35 mm | 8 kg | around 463 kg | heavier and longer-standing set-ups |
600 x 20 mm: for base plates, not for main anchoring
You use the smallest size mainly to fix down base plates and foot plates, so the base of your tent stays put during set-up and use. Easy to handle, quick to drive in and simple to remove again.
At around 86 kg of pull-out force it is not meant as the main anchoring of a large tent. It does not reach as deep as the other sizes, and on soft or sandy ground it finds too little grip to take the pull of a large sheet of fabric.
800 x 25 mm: the in-between size
200 mm longer and 5 mm thicker than the small size, with around 267 kg of pull-out force at 3 kg of weight. Made for situations where a full metre is not needed but the 600 x 20 mm gives too little hold: mobile set-ups on normal grass.
If you set up and break down every week, in rental or at events, the weight of each peg adds up. Across a set of thirty pegs this size saves ninety kilos or more against the one-metre sizes. Setting up your own garden party or wedding? The same applies: less lifting.
1000 x 30 mm: the standard size
This is the size most often used on stretch tents. At 1 metre long and around 403 kg of pull-out force it reaches deep enough for medium-sized tents, marquees, markets, festivals and garden weddings, and at 6 kg it stays manageable.
Works well on mixed ground: grass, clay and sand. If you want the balance between handling, weight and strength, this is the right choice in most cases.
1000 x 35 mm: for heavier and longer-standing set-ups
The same length as the standard size, but 5 mm thicker and 2 kg heavier. That extra mass brings around 463 kg against 403 kg: sixty kilos more resistance against pulling out. You choose this size for large tents, permanent or seasonal set-ups, and on sites where the ground is loose or the weather less predictable.
Which size suits your situation?
In short: 600 x 20 mm for base plates and light fixing. 800 x 25 mm if you often set up and break down on normal grass. 1000 x 30 mm for most stretch tents. 1000 x 35 mm if the tent is large, stays up longer or the ground is loose.
Torn between two sizes? Take the longer one. A peg that is too short for the ground is the weakest link in your whole set-up.
When you cannot drive a peg in
You do not drive a peg into concrete, paving or a terrace. For those situations there are other solutions: a sand anchor you screw into the sand, an IBC container you fill with water as a counterweight, or a wall anchor M10 to fix the tent to a brick facade or wall.
Driving in and pulling out
To drive pegs in you use a 5 kg sledgehammer or a peg driver. To pull them out, a peg puller; our own version works on pegs of 20 to 35 mm and so covers all four sizes. The tools are together in the tools collection.
Besides the anchoring in the ground, the tension on the lines decides how taut your tent stands. Rope ratchets let you tension the guy ropes. Together with the right pegs they form the basis of a stable set-up.
Buying tent pegs
All four sizes are in stock and can be ordered per piece. Have a look at the tent pegs collection.
Note: pull-out force is indicative
The pull-out force per peg depends on the soil. In loose sand you need more pegs for the same force than in cohesive ground. Always establish beforehand which soil type you are dealing with and which anchoring suits it. The figures given are indicative, not a guarantee.
