Topic: Tent Peg Mallet? (Read 13604 times)

cerbera147 · « **on:** May 25, 2011 »

So what makes the better peg mallet?

The lightweight plastic ones or the traditional rubber mallet?

vs

Paul72 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2011 »

Rubber, you need a bit of weight behind it!

RedLeader · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2011 »

One of those is going to be a bugger to get to a summit camp

cerbera147 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2011 »

Both what I was thinking

I just can't see how the plastic one can do the job. A rolled up Belfast Telegraph would do a better job

Trespass have the plastic one's at £1.95 whereas ASDA / Tesco have the rubber one's for £3.

simon · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2011 »

I've never used a mallet. V-pegs for soft ground, spikes for harder ground ... and for very hard ground the guy goes round a rock.

cerbera147 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2011 »

Quote from: simon on May 25, 2011

I've never used a mallet. V-pegs for soft ground, spikes for harder ground ... and for very hard ground the guy goes round a rock.

Think I need some schooling on different pegs

So should I invest in some V-pegs? I assume they can be pushed into the ground with ease using foot power if necessary.

VMCC · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2011 »

The pegs that come with the tent are usually pretty rubbish. They are fine for spares, and that's what I keep them for. I use the V pegs on structural points on the tent itself - so one in each corner of the tent (my tent is rectangular). Then I use yellow plastic pegs on all the guys on soft or sandy ground. The extra bulk of the peg means that there's more surface area and so it doesn't get pulled right through the mud or sand so easily. Lastly I have Rock pegs, these are sometimes called Ground Hogs (Halfords). They are essentially a long nail with a sharp end and you need a claw hammer or a club hammer to get these in. That's because they go through the rock, stones or dry hard ground. You also need the claw hammer to pull them out again. I went to Staffordshire last year and had it not been for the rock pegs I would not have been able to put the tent up as the ground was so unbelievably baked.

I use the rock pegs on the guys, especially on the type of tent (like a tunnel) where the guys are the thing holding the tent up (ie it's not self supporting like a dome tent is).

The best pegs, if you've got the space, is the Delta Pegs. I have a code to get 10% off if anyone wants it PM me. Deltas are shaped like a number 7. The more pressure on these pegs the more they dig in - they won't just slide out in soft ground. Deltas are awkward to carry and not a lightweight option. I don't have any yet but I believe they are the mutts nuts. I need to get four for my Quechua base seconds because it takes off like a kite with it's straight sides...and I think Deltas are the only solution.

As for hammers, I take a rubber mallet and a claw hammer. That's so that two people can set about setting up the tent which saves time. The claw hammer is also stronger than any shop bought 'tent peg puller' and it means you don't have to bend over so far as it essentially lengthens your arm.

I would say if you're lightweight camping you'd take neither, as a good big stone would do the job of getting the pegs in the ground.

DryBag · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2011 »

The last couple of tents I've bought have actually had pretty decent pegs. the vango even came with 4 Vs for the corners, and the wires are starting to come closer to the strength of rock pegs than I've ever seen before.

My current preferred mallet is a size 10 salomon x aero.
but we've a couple of rubber ones because the kids aren't as heavy as me,

cerbera147 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2011 »

Thanks for all the advice

Spoke with a nice man in Cotswold today

They have 15cm Alloy V-Pegs for £5; he recommended them for the Banshee 300 and that a mallet would be unnecessary for normal usage.

They also has steel V-pegs. They were 23cm long and weighed a flippin' ton

Quite like the idea of the Delta Pegs though.

RedLeader · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2011 »

Check these bad boys out:
http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16471&category_id=253

They're Alpkit Y-Beams. Only £5 for 6 (delivered). They're quite light but incredibly sturdy and stay in way better than a normal hooked peg.

suspectmonkey · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2011 »

Like RedLeader I use a mixture of Alpkit Y Beams and Alpkit Ti-pins. The Y Beams hold really well, even in soft water logged ground where other pegs would just slip out. The Ti-pins are also remarkably good, being slim enough to find their way between rocks and stones whilst still providing a good hold. Only downside with Ti-pins is the price really, but I like carrying a mixture of both pegs to cope with differing terrain. One thing I would say is that the titanium V pegs don't really appear to be worth the money. They are actually only 2g lighter per peg than the Y Beams, but cost over twice the price. Anyway, that's just my choice

PS: Y Beams can be a bit nasty on the thumbs pressing them into the ground due to the shape of their head - you can get lots of "Y" shaped impressions! Best way to pop them in is to use another Y Beam horizontally across the top of the peg to press it in. The loop of cord on the top of the peg makes them really easy to find and remove when you are striking camp.

RedLeader · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2011 »

True, I've come home from the odd weekend bivvied on hard ground with my palms full of Y shaped imprints. I'd defo avoid titanium pegs, don't see the point since there's not that much of a weight difference and I can't imagine them being any tougher than Y beams.

Quote from: suspectmonkey on May 26, 2011

Like RedLeader I use a mixture of Alpkit Y Beams and Alpkit Ti-pins. The Y Beams hold really well, even in soft water logged ground where other pegs would just slip out. The Ti-pins are also remarkably good, being slim enough to find their way between rocks and stones whilst still providing a good hold. Only downside with Ti-pins is the price really, but I like carrying a mixture of both pegs to cope with differing terrain. One thing I would say is that the titanium V pegs don't really appear to be worth the money. They are actually only 2g lighter per peg than the Y Beams, but cost over twice the price. Anyway, that's just my choice

PS: Y Beams can be a bit nasty on the thumbs pressing them into the ground due to the shape of their head - you can get lots of "Y" shaped impressions! Best way to pop them in is to use another Y Beam horizontally across the top of the peg to press it in. The loop of cord on the top of the peg makes them really easy to find and remove when you are striking camp.

suspectmonkey · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2011 »

Quote from: RedLeader on May 26, 2011

True, I've come home from the odd weekend bivvied on hard ground with my palms full of Y shaped imprints. I'd defo avoid titanium pegs, don't see the point since there's not that much of a weight difference and I can't imagine them being any tougher than Y beams.

Despite claims of people being able to hammer Ti-pins into planks of wood like a nail, I've still managed to bend a couple and they are considerably harder to straighten out than aluminium! That said they are pretty resilient, but the Y Beams are bomb proof! Haven't had one bend on me yet, really impressed by them and they are surprisingly light despite their looks.

Actually, the first time I took Ti-pins out with me I misplaced two of them when I was packing up. Searched around for ages, as it was the equivalent of leaving a few quid lying around in the grass. In the end I gave up, but was relieved to find them in the bottom of my rucksack where I'd thrown them when I got home

RedLeader · « **Reply #13 on:** May 26, 2011 »

I did bend a Y-Beam at 45 degrees trying to kick it into stony ground. Don't think it'll ever straighten.

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Author Topic: Tent Peg Mallet? (Read 13604 times)

cerbera147

Tent Peg Mallet?

Paul72

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RedLeader

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cerbera147

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simon

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cerbera147

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VMCC

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DryBag

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cerbera147

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RedLeader

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suspectmonkey

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RedLeader

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suspectmonkey

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RedLeader

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