Arrowhead Equipment Tarp Stake Bag

Strong yet light bag for tent/tarp stake storage. Arrowhead Equipment's Tarp Stake Bag is perfect for keeping stakes together with a very minor weight penalty.

Arrowhead Equipment's Tarp Stake Bag is not complicated, so this won't be a long review, but I have found these bags to be very functional so wanted to share them here on Trailspace. Arrowhead Equipment is a small "cottage" business based in Idaho since 2009.

Construction & Features:

Available in 8" or 10" sizes, the Tarp Stake Bag is made from 250D Diamond Ripstop. The 8" bags I purchased measure 8.5" x 3" so will actually hold 8" stakes. The bag opening has a strong hook and loop closure with pull tabs on either side for easy opening. Those tabs are looped so can serve as an attachment point if needed, though the opening is quite small.

The 8" version is listed at 10g and the 10" version at 11g. Pulling the stakes out and shaking out the dirt I find the bag shows 9g on my scale currently. Definitely under half an ounce if you look at things that way, but light considering the strength of the material.

Function & Durability:

I have used the Tarp Stake Bags in two different ways over the last couple of years. My primary tarp setup uses 6" Mini Groundhog stakes with permanently attached guylines. I carry anywhere from 4 to 10 of these in the bag, though 10 involves really cramming them in. Most often I have 8 and there is no issue getting them back in the bag in the morning.

The other bag is used to hold stakes for two other tarps used by Frau and Mini Stranger and is usually a mixed bag. A few stakes with guylines and a bunch without. Without the lines taking up space I can stick a lot of stakes in the bag.

These bags show virtually no signs of wear at all after years of use. The exterior has been muddied and the interior filled with wet lines more than a few times, but the ripstop material shakes it all off.

Conclusions:

The Arrowhead Equipment Tarp Stake Bag is a minor purchase that I appreciate most every time I'm on trail. It does its intended simple function, doesn't try to do more than it needs to, and so far seems as though it will last a lifetime.

I purchased these Tarp Stake Bags for two main reasons; preventing stakes from poking other stuff and keeping dirt from getting in my pack. No question about it, these bags have done that and more.

When using stakes with attached guylines I really appreciate the control and organization storing the stakes in this bag provides. If I need to set up fast I can put my hands on stakes fast and they come out of the bag with coiled lines intact.

When stuffing random stakes in the Tarp Stake Bag I was tempted to think of it as a bag of holding. It seemed to let me cram more various sized stakes in there than it looked like it had in there from the outside. For family trips it was convenient to carry enough for two tarps in one bag.

Again, this isn't a major piece of equipment, just a little bag to hold stakes. It probably won't change your life or get you up that mountain any faster. What I have found is that this little bit of organization has made setup easier and faster for me. I think the ritual of putting the stakes in the bag when breaking camp may have also helped prevent leaving stakes behind a few times. If you aren't happy with how you are carrying your stakes these are worth a look.

Background

I have owned two of these bags for two years and they have been used on most every trip over that time.