The only time I haven't been able to put in the y stakes was when car camping. Basically, if I can't push it in with my hand, then I use a steel stake and a hammer, or find another spot. Almost all of the places I have camped have had really loose soil. You need a lot of stake area to hold down a tarp in loose soil. Of course, I generally only use 4 stakes, so each is holding a lot of force. I have never had a problem getting the y stakes all the way in. I am sure that other places are different.