Originally Posted by
Dogwood
1) Be mindful of where and of what length you employ shepherd hook stakes. They don't grab well in the dry sand of Fla nor in water logged loose mud and soil. You could try longer ones but I'd still most often not have shepherd hooks as my Fla go to tent, ground tarp, or hammock tarp stakes nor use them under high winds. Might also not use on ridgeline ground tarp and hammock side guy outs as these locations receive a lot of force. Use a different stake in these locations. This is why some cottage gear and other outfitters vend stake sets consisting of different stakes.
2) When using and want to tie line to them hammer/push carefully(don't bend them) all the way into the ground so the top reversed tip is also in the ground but as vertical as you can get and place a stone on top. It keeps the guy out line from slipping off or the shepherd stake from rotating. It also helps keeping the line on the shepherd hook stake if you opt for a top curve with a longer tag end to which you then bend down towards the shaft after you tie on.
3) Not all Ti shepherd hook designs are equal at holding either. The thinnest gram weenie ones can bend or loosen up more easily than the ever so slightly heavier wire gauge.
I've bought entirely too many Ti shepherd hook stakes and experienced a pulled out shepherd hook at critical times like when windy or raining in the middle of the night.
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