NEMO Airpin Ultralight Stake

There’s usually no better praise for tent stakes than to simply ignore them. That changes today. The aluminum Airpins are easy to notice, and easier still to use. Simply put, they eliminate knots. No more clove hitches around tent stakes, tautline hitches for guylines, or junk knots that work their way loose over a windy night and force you out into the weather to fix them.

That crazy, battle-axe-looking head functions like the cleat on a boat. You wrap your line around it (follow the guide), and by the time you round the last horn, your cord is fixed in place. We used six Airpins to anchor a simple tarp, pitched A-frame-style with the broadside into a 10-mph wind, and didn’t experience any slipping (in the cord or the semi-frozen ground). And when it’s time to pack up, the tension releases with a few bends of the cord. Tip: The price makes it best to have a few Airpins for guylines, but hang onto your regular stakes for the corners. $19 for four or $10 for 2.