Australian Hiker

Rating

MSR Carbon Core Tent Peg Review

The first question that many people will ask is why would you buy such an expensive tent peg. This was a question I asked myself but after much debate I bit the bullet and purchased a pack of four to see how they would perform. Here’s why.

These pegs weight just under 6 grams each and as such, throwing a couple of extra pegs in your pack that you may not need will not be noticed. Like many (but not all) MSR pegs these come with a reflective peg pull loop that makes these pegs stand out at night time meaning that you are unlikely to injure ourself if you kick them in bare feet.

I’m a strong believer in carrying at least a couple of types of tent pegs on all my overnight camps. If you know exactly what the soil type is going to be like you can always bring the exact set of pegs you need. However in many cases on multi day trips you are likely to get a range of soils so having a few different types of pegs means that no matter what the conditions you will have a secure tent pitch.

The other issue is that in really hard rocky soils many of the triangular pegs that come with many tents these days will bend and even break. I have one campsite that I regularly use in my local area and without fail I severely bend or even break cheaper and bulkier pegs and this adds up. I find that the MSR Carbon Core Tent Peg will grip in firm to hard soils and even when the soil is very rocky they will still penetrate the soils much easier than most other types of pegs including the fine wire style pegs.

You will find reviews on the web where people have had issues with breaking these pegs but mine have survived quite well over the past 5 years of use in a range of soils that have destroyed other peg types I own. The only caveat here is that you need to use firm even strokes rather than trying to pound these pegs into the ground in one go. If you use brute force you will likely break or damage them.

While I wouldn’t recommend using these pegs exclusively unless the soil type dictates, I do carry anywhere between 2-4 of this type of peg in my standard kit and am happy to recommend them.

We like

• Extremely lightweight so even if you throw a couple of extras in you pack you wont notice them
• Reflective pull cord for night time visibility
• Works very well in hard soil where other pegs will bend

We don't like

• At around AUD $21.24 RRP per peg they’re not cheap
• Don’t hold well in sandy soils

Best Uses

• Great in hard or firm soils and weights almost nothing
• I recommend you  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

Buy One

You can purchase the MSR Carbon Core Tent Pegs 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!

If you have used the MSR Carbon Core Tent Pegs or if you have questions, we’d like to hear from you. Post your comment or question below

Investment

AUD $84.95 RRP Sold as a pack of 4

AUD $21.24/ peg

Other Versions

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

• MSR Blizzard Sand stakes
• MSR Groundhog
• MSR Groundhog Mini
• MSR Cyclone Stake Kit
• MSR Hook Tent Stake

MSR Carbon Core Tent Peg

Disclaimer

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

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