allmansright Hölster Stake Sack Review
A 4 g, US-made Dyneema stake sack with a wide tapered mouth and pull-tab drawcord. It's pricey for a bag, but it's the best-regarded stake sack in the UL world.
Overview
The Hölster Stake Sack is a stuff sack with one job: holding tent stakes. It’s cut from 1 oz Dyneema Composite Fabric, sewn in the Bronx, and weighs 4 g. It’s aimed at backpackers who are tired of stakes poking through a repurposed snack bag. The trade-off is price. At about $23 it costs far more than the DIY alternatives, which are free.
Key Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Weight | 4 g (0.14 oz) |
| Fabric | 1 oz Dyneema Composite Fabric |
| Seams | Fully taped |
| Drawcord | 1.5 mm polyester and Dyneema cord with plastic cord ends |
| Closure | Drawcord with pull tabs at each end |
| Dimensions | 1 in base, 8.5 in tall, 11 in opening |
| Stake capacity | Standard stakes up to 7 in; a few larger MSR Ground Hogs fit |
| Made in | USA (Bronx, NY) |
| Price | About $23 USD |
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Get StartedPerformance
Stake sacks are usually an afterthought. A scrap of silnylon or a sandwich bag gets drafted, and it dies when the first sharp stake tip finds a seam. The Hölster is built around that failure. The seams are taped, so stakes can’t easily work through the stitch line. DCF is a stiff, non-stretching laminate, which suits a bag that gets stabbed from the inside.
The shape matters as much as the material. The sack tapers from a wide mouth down to a narrow base, so stakes slide in and sort themselves by length, and a single stake is easy to pull out. Buyers of a mixed set, such as a few Y-stakes plus a couple of beefier ones for sand or snow, can reach in and grab the one they want. A flat-bottomed bag makes that harder.
The closure is the other design detail owners comment on. A pull tab sits on each end of the drawcord, one to cinch and one to release the tension. The plastic cord ends are big enough to find with cold fingers or gloves, and a thru-hiker on the PCT called it the best closure system they’d used. Dyneema cord holds a knot-free lock well enough that the sack stays shut in a pack’s side pocket or lid.
Capacity is modest. Customers report that it takes more stakes plus spare guyline than its 8.5-inch height suggests. One PCT section hiker used it for stakes plus a repair kit, and a hammock camper fit tree straps inside alongside stakes. Backpacking Light’s collaboration version, the Hölster PRO, was drawn up in part because some users wanted more room. It weighs 9 g and holds up to two dozen stakes, including 9-inch stakes and bulkier tubular or snow stakes.
On a wet trail, the taped seams and DCF body keep the bag from soaking through, though the open drawcord mouth isn’t a waterproof seal. It’s a stake sack, not a dry bag, and wet stakes on a wet morning are a given anyway.
Owner feedback is very positive. Reviews on the maker’s site are uniformly five-star and mention thoughtful design and solid construction. The practical trouble is availability. This is a small-batch US product, and retailers including Garage Grown Gear have often listed it as sold out.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 4 g, which is lighter than most store-bought stake bags
- Fully taped seams resist stake punctures
- Tapered body and wide mouth make loading and sorting easy
- Pull tabs and plastic cord ends are easy to use with gloves
- Dyneema cord and DCF body, made in the USA
- Roomy enough for a typical stake set plus spare guyline
Cons
- Roughly $23 for a bag that weighs less than a AAA battery
- Small-batch supply means frequent sell-outs
- Standard version is sized for stakes up to about 7 in; long or bulky stakes need the larger version
- The drawcord closure isn’t a waterproof seal
Who Should Buy This
Ultralight and thru-hikers carrying a typical stake set of Y-stakes, V-stakes or light shepherd’s hooks will get the most from it. It also suits hikers who have lost a tent bag to a stake puncture before. Hikers carrying longer or chunkier stakes (Ground Hogs, snow stakes) should look at the Large size, which weighs 5.3 g and holds eight Ground Hogs plus guyline, or the larger PRO version. Anyone happy to pack stakes in a spare ziplock or a cut-down stuff sack, or anyone who counts every dollar over every gram, can skip it.
Verdict
The Hölster Stake Sack is the best-designed answer to a small problem: the tapered body, taped seams and glove-friendly pull tabs address the real faults of improvised stake bags. It’s expensive for 4 g of fabric, but the build is durable enough to last years. Ultralight hikers who care about gear that works should buy one.