A good strong stake can come in really handy when there are no trees around. We keep ours in our dog gear bag with tie-out cables. It did get bent trying to force it into the hard Texas ground (rock?) but it still works and we've found it to be quite secure. If they're available, a car bumper, heavy picnic table or tree will also serve the purpose.

Pros: use your tie-out cables out in the open, less tangling

Cons: won't go into rock (duh!)

Usually I just find something to attach my dog to- a car, a camper, the house, a tree. Most of these stakes aren't secure enough in the ground to ensure the safety of my dog so I make sure I use a stationary or very heavy object (with proper protection for the tree bark, of course.)

Pros: attach the dog to something

Cons: most pull out

A good idea so that your dog has some freedom to roam. Unfortunately a lot of these stakes come out of the ground when the dog pulls on them regularly.

Pros: gives dogs some freedom

Cons: comes out