Australian Hiker

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MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent Peg Review

Ok so tent pegs aren’t the sexiest piece of equipment but it’s often the little things that make the difference. As the name suggest the MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent peg performs at its best in sandy or snowy conditions but will also stay firm in reasonably soft muddy ground where thin tent pegs may pull out.  Like all of MRS’s aluminium tent pegs they are coloured red and while that tends to identify them as MSR pegs, even when they are not, the colour does make it very easy to find when you are packing up as well as when you are walking around your tent and the standard silver pegs get lost in the background.

The pegs are 24cm long and have a slightly curved flat profile which gives them their gripping power. They weight in at a hefty 32 grams each which is more than double the well known MSR Groundhog stakes. If I am camping in sandy or boggy conditions I will use these stakes almost exclusively but in normal conditions I will always carry two stakes with me and you will best surprised how often they get used. I’ll even use these pegs when I’m setting up on a wooden tent platform such as those on the Overland Track or on the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. I have at times used this tent peg to dig cat-holes however many of the locations in Australia that I camp in either have very rocky soils, or the soil is a mass of roots, and its just two much work in those situations too use this tent peg as a trowel.

While most tents will comes with tent pegs I would suggest that you look at these often forgotten items and if not replace all of them, at least look at carrying a couple of the MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent Pegs. At just on AUD $21.00 RRP the tent stakes aren’t cheap and while you will find cheaper copy versions in many stores the MSR equipment overall just has that quality feel about it that makes it worth the extra few dollars that you pay.

We Like

• Red colour so its easy to see and you are less likely to loose it when packing up or walking around you tent
• Aluminium construction which means that its relatively light weight so you won’t notice the extra weight in your pack
• Wide flat construction which will hold into sandy soil, snow, or mud, when thin pegs will pull out. Works well with timber tent platforms (see image below and explanation in the review

It was very easy to push the MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent Peg into a gap between the boards on this tent platform

What don't like

• On the heavier side of tents stakes but we are talking a matter of grams here
• Not so great in rocky soils where you have to manage to get a stake into the ground that is full of rocks
• Expensive for a tent peg but great value if you camp in soft soils

Best Uses

• Great in very sandy soil or snowy conditions where thin pegs will not hold
• Highly recommended to carry at least a couple of these pegs on all hikes. You never know what conditions will be like and they can be very useful
• I have also used this tent stake to dig cat-holes on the trail but that only works when the soil is friable and is not made up of dense roots systems or rocks

Buy One

You can purchase MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent Peg from Wild Earth

Disclosure: We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $20.99 RRP / peg

Other Versions

MSR produce a wide range of stakes but the ones listed blow are some of the better known ones

• MSR Groundhog Stakes 
• MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes 
• MSR Cyclone Stake Kit

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

MSR Blizzard Sand Stake Tent Peg

Last updated

20 October 2024

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