The term "nail" in the context of ultra-light gear usually refers to the lightweight aluminum or titanium tent stakes used for backpacking. When you think of ultra-light nails, the first thing that might come to mind is the "toothpick" titanium stake—extremely thin and light, but often too fragile for practical use. Their small diameter makes them hard to grip, and their limited surface area reduces friction, making them less effective in holding a tent securely in the ground.
Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) offers a unique alternative: a nail designed in four parts—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-grade aluminum, a common material in high-quality poles. The entire nail is 6 inches (15 cm) long, similar to a standard aluminum nail, so it doesn't feel too short, yet still manages to be incredibly light.
What stands out most about this nail is its weight—just 5.5 grams. Holding one in your hand feels surprisingly light, almost like holding a feather. The outer shell is painted with black stripes, which initially made me think it was carbon fiber. However, when I dropped a few nails together, they clinked and made a metallic sound, confirming that it was indeed aluminum, not carbon.
The experience of holding it is quite surprising. It's neither too long nor too short, and the electronic scale confirms just 5 grams. This level of weight reduction is impressive, especially for something as essential as a tent stake.
FMJ nails are available on several websites that specialize in ultra-light outdoor gear. They are quite expensive—around 8 to 10 knives per unit. Including shipping, each one costs roughly 50 RMB. For a two-person tent that typically needs 11 to 15 nails, using all FMJ nails would cost nearly 800 RMB. Therefore, it's more practical to use them in combination with titanium nails. While the tent itself doesn’t bear much force, titanium nails are sufficient for the main structure, while FMJ nails can be used for the wind ropes and other critical areas—4 to 6 of them should be enough.
Of course, these nails aren’t compatible with every tent. They need to be paired with ultra-light Cuben Fiber tents, such as the Terra Nova Laser Ultra, which weighs around 500 grams. A regular tent with standard stakes could easily add 200 grams to the total weight. So, if you're aiming for true ultra-light performance, using FMJ nails makes sense. Otherwise, the weight savings become negligible.
Wearable Breast Pump,Electric Wearable Breast Pump,Breast Pump Hands Free,Wireless Breast Pump
Zhejiang Carebao Co., Ltd , https://www.carebao.com