Give some thought to your tent pegs. Your tent won’t be anything without them, or without good ones – and they can weigh nearly as much as the tent! In windy weather tie your tent stakes to your guy by threading them through the hole in the peg. This allows you to push the stake completely under the ground for maximum purchase and ensures the guy cannot flap loose from the peg. This is much easier to do if you use Clam Cleats mini line locks: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/the-perfect-guy-line-for-a-hiking-tenttarp/ You can use mini carabiners such as these http://gossamergear.com/gg-logo-mini-biner.html to make this easier still at approx 3 grams per guy. Tip: the angle your stake should be driven in should be a little less than 90 degrees to the guy line, enough so that the force vector is inclined to push the stake in rather than lift it pout.
Some good stakes: Vargo have five stakes I would recommend: 1. The lightest their fluoro shepherd’s hook stake: http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-tent-stake-fluorescent-orange-head.html#.Vy6gKdR97IU Length 165 mm Width 3.5 mm Weight 8 grams which have a little extra bit that really anchors the hook to the ground when driven all the way in, (I don’t know why all tent stakes aren’t brightly coloured to prevent loss – all of the following can have a piece of reflective guy line added to increase visibility): 2. their Ultralight Titanium Nail Peg: http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-nail-peg-ultralight.html#.Vy6g6dR97IU Length 152 mm Width 4 Weight 8 grams 3. the Titanium Ascent Stake http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-ascent-tent-stake.html#.Vy6jX9R97IU Length 158 mm Weigh 10 grams 4. the Titanium Crevice Stake: http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-crevice-stake.html#.Vy6kE9R97IU Length 152mm Weight 12 grams. If you want really serious holding their 5. Aluminium Summit Stake is a good choice: http://www.vargooutdoors.com/aluminum-summit-tent-stake.html#.Vy6ks9R97IU Length 190 mm Weight 14 grams. The DAC JStake has been a competition winner for years and is just about unbendable: http://www.mont.com.au/dac-j-stakes-6- pack Length 160 mm Width 11 mm Weight 11.3 gm
A couple of others to consider: Zpacks 6.4 inch Carbon Fiber Tent Stakes Length 16 cm Width 7.5 mm Weight 6.2 grams http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/stakes.shtml have superior holding ability (due to their width) yet are light and will pass through airport security! For really serious anchoring you can even get longer carbon fibre stakes http://www.rutalocura.com/Tent_Stakes.html Length 22.5 mm Weight 7.5 grams
A similar longer stake is the Easton Nano Nail Stake Length 20 mm, Weight 12 grams: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=104
For extra purchase in sand or snow, try this: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/trowel-peg/
