Gossamer Gear Ceramic Coated Stakes

I tested a lot of new gear on my latest hike in the Grayson Highlands. One of my favorite gear additions is my new set of Ti V-stakes in ceramic hi-viz yellow from Gossamer. Its really  simple when you're looking at stakes:

1. Light & durable
2. Good hold & able to work in various soil conditions
3. Easy to find in ground cover / hard to loose

Bright, light & durable finish (no batteries required for day-glow finish)

Prior to this stake set, I used a pair of MSR Groundhog stakes to stake out the tarp ridgelines, four MSR Needle stakes for the four tarp corners and four generic Ti J-hooks to stake out my bug tent inner when I use it. This system has worked fine for a few years. I already had the yellow ceramic coating on them prior to Gossamer's commercial offering. My only real complaint is that the Groundhogs pack a little on the bulky side since they are y-stakes.

Ti V-stake taking on the Grayson Highlands concrete meadows

The V-stakes did very well in rock hard soil of the highlands and loamy soft soil that I found in the grassy meadow our second night out. The coating is day-glow bright - you would have to go out of your way to loose them. The ceramic coating is holding fast even with the hard, abrasive soil the first night out. The same coating on my previous stake set looks fantastic. It's significantly more durable and easier to see than typical hi-viz coatings.

Conclusion: GREAT STUFF!