The thin wire pegs that come with most tents are fine on soft grass, but they bend in hard ground and pull straight out of sand. We’ve tested three sets of tent pegs, each made for different ground: heavy steel nail pegs for hard and rocky campsites, light titanium V-pegs for when you carry your gear, and nylon pegs for the beach. We weighed every peg on our own scale, and below you’ll see how the three compare and which ground each one suits.
Quick picks: the best tent pegs comparedQuick picks
The table compares the three sets by weight, material and length. The Coleman steel pegs are the ones to grab for hard ground, the Boundless Voyage titanium pegs are the light, strong pick for hiking, and the nylon sand pegs are the lightest and cheapest, made for beach camping.
| Product | Score | Price | Length | Weight each | Material | Check price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Best for hard groundColeman Steel Tent Pegs | 8.9 | Low | 25.4 cm | 120 g | Steel | Check price at Amazon |
Best for hikingBoundless Voyage Titanium Pegs | 8.8 | High | 20 cm | 23 g | Titanium | Check price at Amazon |
Best for sandNylon Sand Tent Pegs | 7.4 | Low | 14.5 cm | 15 g | Nylon | Check price at Amazon |
Price bands are based on what we paid.
Best for hard ground: Coleman Steel Tent PegsHard ground: Coleman steel
The Coleman steel pegs are heavy nail pegs you pound in with a mallet. They don’t bend in hard dirt, the wide head holds ropes and the plastic top is easy to see.
They’re too heavy to carry far, the top can be hard to pull and there’s no rope hook. For car camping on hard or rocky ground and in high wind, they’re the first pegs to grab.
Coleman Steel Tent Pegs
Scored 8.9 out of 10Our take: The pegs for hard ground. They drive into gravel and compacted dirt without bending and held our guy ropes through a windy night, and the green heads are easy to spot. Read review
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.What we like
- Drive into hard, rocky ground
- Don’t bend under a mallet
- Wide head, easy to hit
- Hold well in the wind
- Green heads easy to spot
What we don’t
- Heavy: 120 g a peg
- Hard to pull out
- No hook or pull cord
Best for hiking: Boundless Voyage Titanium PegsFor hiking: BV titanium
The Boundless Voyage titanium pegs are V-pegs that weigh almost nothing, are long enough for a strong hold and have reflective pull cords.
They cost a premium and aren’t suited to rock or shale. For hikers and motorbike tourers who carry their gear, the weight saving is worth it.
Boundless Voyage Titanium Pegs
Scored 8.8 out of 10Our take: Light pegs for when you carry your gear. At 23 g each they barely register in a pack, they held well in firm ground and grass, and the pull cords make packing up easy. Read review
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.What we like
- Only 23 g a peg
- V-shape resists bending
- Titanium won’t rust
- Pull cords make removal easy
- Bright cords easy to spot
What we don’t
- $70 for eight pegs
- Not for rock or shale
- Can bend in very hard ground
Best for sand: Nylon Sand Tent PegsSand: nylon pegs
These nylon sand pegs have a spiral design that holds in sand and soft soil. They’re very light and come as an affordable set.
The T-handle can slip when wet, they have no reflective coating and they’re too short for deep anchoring. They’re an inexpensive upgrade for beach camping.
Nylon Sand Tent Pegs
Scored 7.4 out of 10Our take: Cheap screw pegs for soft ground. They twist into sand and grass by hand, held the straps of our shower tent firmly and twist back out just as easily, ten for $12. Read review
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.What we like
- Only 15 g a peg
- Twist in and out by hand
- Nylon won’t rust
- Ten pegs for $12
What we don’t
- Handle slips when wet
- Nothing reflective
- Too short for hard ground
How to choose the best tent pegsHow to choose
The ground you usually camp on decides which pegs you need: no single peg works everywhere. The thin wire pegs that come with most tents bend in hard ground and pull straight out of sand, so a better set is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make to your tent.
If you camp in all sorts of places, carry a mix and you’re ready for any campsite. Tent pegs come in three types:
- Hard ground
Steel
Thick, tough pegs with a sharp tip that drive through compacted dirt and stones.
WeightAround 100 g a pegSuitsRocky and hard groundLike - Lightweight
Titanium
Thin, strong and very light. They hold in most ground and don’t bend easily.
WeightUnder 30 g a pegSuitsHiking and mixed ground - Sand and soft
Wide
A wide, ridged shape grips in sand and soft soil where thin pegs pull out.
WeightUnder 20 g a pegSuitsBeaches and soft soilLike
Also check
- LengthAt least 20 cm holds well in mixed ground; go longer in sand.
- Getting them outA large head, a hook or a pull loop makes pulling them out easier.
- VisibilityBright colours stop you tripping over them and losing them in the grass.
- A malletSteel pegs in hard ground need a proper mallet, not a rock.
How we test
We buy the gear ourselves and take it on camping trips around Australia to put it to the test in real outdoor conditions, in the 4WD and at camp, and to see how it holds up over a few trips. We weigh everything on our own scale and photograph it ourselves. If we haven’t used something, we say so, and if anything fails later on, we update the review.
Scored out of 10 on
- Ease of use
- Performance
- Portability
- Durability
- Value
