Use a Rubber Mallet to pound stakes in softer ground and a small sledge hammer to pound stakes in rockier ground

The first step when setting up your tent is to stake out the tent. We’ve used all-manner of tools to pound stakes in the ground including rocks, logs, standard hammers…. And rubber mallets! If you’ve never used a rubber mallet to pound your tent stakes, you need to try it soon – it will change your life. The hitting surface is much larger – making it harder to miss - and the annoying metal-on-metal sound is greatly dampened. While rubber mallets are highly effective at driving stakes in softer ground, if you are camping in an area with rocky or hard ground, try using a small sledgehammer instead of a rubber mallet. The extra weight and force of the sledge is great at driving stakes in tougher ground.