The term "nail" in the context of ultra-light camping gear refers to a specialized, lightweight fastener designed for use with ultralight tents. When you think of ultra-light nails, the first image that might come to mind is the "toothpick" titanium nail — a very thin, almost fragile-looking piece of metal. While its extreme lightness is appealing, it's often criticized for being too thin in diameter and having a minimal contact surface with the ground, making it impractical for securing a tent in windy or unstable conditions.
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) offers a unique solution by designing their nails as a four-part system: a nail cap, a tube body, a carbon core, and a nail head. Except for the carbon core, all other components are made from 7075 aviation aluminum — a material commonly used in pole construction due to its strength-to-weight ratio. The nail measures 6 inches (15 cm), which is the same length as a standard aluminum nail, ensuring it’s not too short to compromise stability. It doesn’t feel overly small, even though its purpose is to reduce weight significantly.
What really stands out is the weight: each nail weighs just 5.5 grams. Holding them in your hand, you're immediately struck by how light they are — almost surprising in their delicacy. The outer shell is painted with black stripes, giving it a sleek look. At first glance, I thought it might be carbon fiber, but when several nails collided during use, the metallic sound confirmed it was indeed aluminum. It felt like holding a piece of Iron Man armor — strong yet surprisingly light.
The experience of handling these nails is both intriguing and slightly awkward. They’re not too long or too short, and an electronic scale confirms they weigh just over 5 grams. This level of lightness is impressive, especially when compared to traditional nails that can add significant weight to your gear.
FMJ nails are available on various websites that specialize in ultra-light equipment, but they come at a premium price. Each nail costs around 8 to 10 knives (a local term for currency units), and when shipping is added, each one costs roughly 50 RMB. If you're setting up a two-person tent, which typically requires 11 to 15 nails, using all FMJ nails could easily cost nearly 800 yuan. Therefore, many campers choose to use them strategically — pairing 4 to 6 FMJ nails with titanium ones for areas that require more strength, such as wind ropes and the tent's main structure.
Of course, these nails aren't compatible with all tents. They work best with ultra-light Cuben Fiber tents, like the Terra Nova Laser Ultra, which itself weighs around 500 grams. A regular set of nails can weigh close to 200 grams, so the real benefit of using FMJ nails becomes clear only when paired with a similarly lightweight tent. Otherwise, the weight savings might not be worth the investment.
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