SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
Paria needle stakes are square aluminum stakes with a curved hook at the end. They’re quite durable, stand up to being pounded with a rock, and the square body has excellent holding power in firm soil and rocky ground. I like using them with lightweight one-person and two-person backpacking tents and tarps that have cord-based guylines, although they also work well with webbing-based guy out points. The hook at the end captures the guyline and locks it down so it won’t come undone, even if the tent or tarp fabric relaxes at night.
Specs at a Glance
- Weight each: 0.34 oz / 9.6 g
- Material: 7000 series aluminum
- Price: 10 stakes for $15
MSR used to sell red needle stakes but stopped a few years ago, despite the protests of backpackers and campers in the know. The only way to get them today is to buy an MSR tent since you can’t buy them separately, that is until now.
Paria Outdoors sells blue-colored needle tent stakes in 10-packs, for only $15. They are identical to the red aluminum needle stakes that MSR used to sell and they are much much less expensive than MSR mini-groundhogs, which will run you $3 each! I really like the way that the blue color of the Paria Needle Stakes really stands out in natural terrain, making them easy to find if you drop one on the ground.
Highly Recommended!
Disclosure: The author purchased this product.
Just this morning I was looking for the MSR Needle stakes, only to learn they were discontinued. Thanks for turning me on to these!
Also – in a pinch – you can use a pair of them to crochet… something.
I do like my MSR Needle stakes and still have a complete set of 8. After I upgraded almost all my equipment over the last couple of year, the one thing I did not upgrade was my MSR Stakes. Good to know we can still get some needle stakes if needed.
How well do these hold in the ground compared to MSR mini Ground Hog stakes?
They hold as good as the groundhogs in my experience. But the real benefit, besides the fact that they don’t slice up your hands when you try to pull them out is that guy lines and webbing can never slip off the top because of the hook. I hate notched stakes, including groundhogs for that reason.