>>302398okay, just to be clear here I don't throw the word 'pro' around lightly but for this type of camping I'm pro. I camped in the rockies since age 2 and I'm 34 now. I've seen this problem and and solved it. I'm going to walk you though the choices and the problems with each and then I'm going to tell you what I have done which is the correct way.
A) plastic pegs - will literally shatter in this kind of ground -> do not use
B) aluminum pegs - will deform like a motherfucker but there is some chance to get them in and you can straighten them a number of times ->possible
C) steel pegs with plastic retainers on top - will not deform and penetrate but the plastic usually shatters very quick -> usable for 0-3 trips only
D) Skewer Pegs - steel square corkscrewing profile for some reason works so much better. I've bent one in 5 years and it wasn't that hard to re-straighten -> the correct fucking choice.
In this situation even with good pegs it will be hard to get them in. Angle them slightly inward toward the tent which seems to make it a little easier, try moving them over a few inches if problems with rocks. The other thing I do is use big rocks or logs generally for the securing guide ropes if it's a real pain, but I always do 4 ground stakes to the perimeter of the tent and toss in some weight inside the tent for good measure.
here's another trick I like. I always put a tarp under the tent but as a kid one time it collected water and it was miserable. So ever since I fold the tarp edges up and under the tent so none sticks out where water could fall in. Never wet again. Tuck up and under the tent because it raises it up ever so slightly
