Mounts & Security · The rankings
Best trail camera stakes and T-post mounts: for the scrape, plot or fence line with no tree
Field edges, food plots, fence crossings and open scrapes don't come with a tree at the right spot. Three HME mounts for the ground and the post, ranked on height, aim and hold, plus how to get a panel on the same post.
By Mike M.Updated Spec-checked, not field-tested
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Quick picks
The rankings at a glance
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  HME Trail Camera Holder Ground Mount A spade-foot stake that adjusts from 26 to 36 inches with a 360° pan-tilt head, for scrapes, field edges and anywhere there's no tree. | Best ground stakePost / stake | 8.1 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 2 | HME T-Post Trail Camera Holder A $13.99 clamp that slides over any side of a standard T-post and tightens with a knob; the fence-line and food-plot mount. | Best T-post mountPost / stake | 8.2 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
| 3 | HME Trail Camera Holder Post HME's stand-alone post holder that lets you place a camera anywhere, at $21.99. | Best stand-alone postPost / stake | 7.5 /10 | Check price · Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, built from published specs, verified plan prices and cited independent tests, not our own field measurements. Photos are illustrative stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
When you need a stake or post
- Food plots and field edges: the nearest tree is 40 yards from where deer enter.
- Fence crossings: deer use the same low spot every night; the T-post is already there.
- Open scrapes and mock scrapes: set in a clearing on purpose.
- Waterholes and cattle tanks: flat, treeless, and the best set on a dry year.
- Security on a gate or drive: a post at the right angle beats a tree at the wrong one.
The three, side by side
| Evidence | HME Trail Camera Holder Ground Mount | HME T-Post Trail Camera Holder | HME Trail Camera Holder Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Spade design for stability; adjusts between 26 and 36 in; 360° rotation with pan/tilt | Universally attaches to most T-post style fence posts; slides over the post and tightens with a threaded knob | Post-style holder; 'will allow the user to place their trail camera anywhere' (maker claim) |
| Fits | Cameras with a 1/4-20 thread insert | 1/4-20 thread insert cameras | 1/4-20 thread insert cameras |
| Capacity | $32.99 list; SKU HME-TCH-G | $13.99 list | $21.99 list |
| Score | 8.1/10 | 8.2/10 | 7.5/10 |
The Ground Mount is the one with numbers behind it: "adjusts between 26-36"," "360 rotation," "spade design for stability," SKU HME-TCH-G. Twenty-six to thirty-six inches is exactly deer-chest height on flat ground, which is why it works at a scrape. The T-Post holder is the cheapest mount on this site and uses infrastructure that's already in the ground. The Post holder is HME's stand-alone option; HME doesn't publish its height on the listing, so we rank it below the two that do.
The height rule for a stake
The security problem a stake creates
A camera on a stake in an open field is visible from a road and takes two seconds to pull out of the ground, stake and all. A T-post mount is a knob you unscrew. Neither is a security mount. What helps: cable the camera through its security box to the T-post (the post is set; the camera isn't), or for a stake, drive it deep, run a Python from the camera box to the stake's foot, and accept that you've made a theft slower, not impossible. On a food plot you can see from the house, that's enough. On a roadside plot, it isn't; use a tree mount 30 yards back in the edge and a longer lens on your expectations. See keeping your camera from being stolen.
A panel on the same post
A T-post is the best solar mount on the property: open sky, south-facing if you pick the side, and the panel bracket clamps or straps to it above the camera. HME's 5,000 mAh panel has an integrated Python lock mount, so one cable can run through the camera box and the panel bracket to the post. For the search term "T-post mount for trail camera and solar panel," that's the answer: two mounts on one post, one cable. Panel choices by camera brand are in best solar panels.
In detail
The picks, in full
Rank 1
Stock photoBest ground stake
HME Trail Camera Holder Ground Mount
A spade-foot stake that adjusts from 26 to 36 inches with a 360° pan-tilt head, for scrapes, field edges and anywhere there's no tree.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Post / stake |
|---|---|
| Fits | Cameras with a 1/4-20 thread insert |
| Mount | Spade design for stability; adjusts between 26 and 36 in; 360° rotation with pan/tilt |
| Capacity | $32.99 list; SKU HME-TCH-G |
How the 8.1 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 9
- Aim adjustability (25%)
- 9
- Stability & hold (25%)
- 7
- Value (20%)
- 7
What the spec sheet supports
- Puts a camera at deer-eye height in an open field
- Step-in spade foot
- Height range covers scrapes and feeders
Where it falls short
- A stake is the easiest mount to walk off with; cable it
- Not a security solution on its own
Skip this if…
…the spot has any tree at all; a tree mount is more stable and less visible.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to HME Trail Camera Holder Ground Mount
Rank 2
Stock photoBest T-post mount
HME T-Post Trail Camera Holder
A $13.99 clamp that slides over any side of a standard T-post and tightens with a knob; the fence-line and food-plot mount.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Post / stake |
|---|---|
| Fits | 1/4-20 thread insert cameras |
| Mount | Universally attaches to most T-post style fence posts; slides over the post and tightens with a threaded knob |
| Capacity | $13.99 list |
How the 8.2 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 8
- Aim adjustability (25%)
- 7
- Stability & hold (25%)
- 8
- Value (20%)
- 10
What the spec sheet supports
- Uses a post that's already there
- Knob-tight, no tools
- Cheapest mount in the group
Where it falls short
- Only as steady as the post; a leaning post gives a tilted horizon
- No security on its own
Skip this if…
…you need to mount a solar panel too; the Post Holder is the taller, more versatile option.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to HME T-Post Trail Camera Holder
Rank 3
Stock photoBest stand-alone post
HME Trail Camera Holder Post
HME's stand-alone post holder that lets you place a camera anywhere, at $21.99.
Spec sheetSpec-checked · not field-tested by us
| Category | Post / stake |
|---|---|
| Fits | 1/4-20 thread insert cameras |
| Mount | Post-style holder; 'will allow the user to place their trail camera anywhere' (maker claim) |
| Capacity | $21.99 list |
How the 7.5 score breaks down
- Fit & compatibility (30%)
- 8
- Aim adjustability (25%)
- 7
- Stability & hold (25%)
- 7
- Value (20%)
- 8
What the spec sheet supports
- Camera placement independent of trees and fences
Where it falls short
- HME publishes no height or adjustment figures on the listing
- Visible in open ground
Skip this if…
…you want published height numbers; the Ground Mount states 26 to 36 in.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to HME Trail Camera Holder Post
Buyer's guide: stakes and posts
Soil
A spade-foot stake wants soil it can bite. In sand or hardpan, a T-post driven with a post driver holds where a stake won't, and the T-Post holder goes on it.
Wind
A camera on a 36-inch stake in an open field moves in wind, and a moving camera false-triggers. Drive it deep and keep it short.
The 1/4-20 insert
All three HME holders use it. If your camera lives in a CAMLOCKbox, mount the box's bracket to the post with the box's own hardware instead.
Check public-land rules
Some areas prohibit leaving stakes or posts; a strap-on tree mount may be the only legal option. See best tree mounts.
How we scored this
Cameras we claim to have field-tested: none we don't own
Plenty of sites say they hung every camera on this list in a tree for a season. We don't say that, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: read the maker's published trigger speed, flash type, battery configuration and detection range; verify each brand's plan tiers on its own plan page and compute the real monthly cost at one and four cameras; cite the independent shootouts (Trailcampro, Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, TechGearLab) as their measurements, never ours; and score every pick on a public rubric. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubric and its weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you mount a trail camera without a tree?
A ground stake with a pivot head (HME's Ground Mount, 26-36 in) or a clamp on a T-post (HME's T-Post holder). Set the camera at deer-chest height, level, 15 to 25 feet from the scrape or crossing.
Can you mount a trail camera on a T-post?
Yes; HME's T-Post Trail Camera Holder slides over any side of a standard T-post and tightens with a threaded knob. Cable the camera to the post; the knob is the only thing holding it otherwise.
How high should a trail camera be on a stake?
About deer-chest height, 26 to 36 inches (HME's Ground Mount range), shooting level, with the subject 15 to 25 feet away.
Can I put a solar panel on the same T-post as the camera?
Yes, and it's the best solar mount on most properties: open sky and a south-facing side. HME's 5,000 mAh panel has a Python lock mount so one cable secures both.
Keep reading
Related on Cam & Canopy
Receipts
Sources
- HME Products — Trail Camera Holder Ground Mount product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — T-Post Trail Camera Holder product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — Trail Camera Holder Post product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — mounts listing (checked 2026-09-21)
- HME Products — 5,000 mAh Solar Power Panel product page (checked 2026-09-21)
- Master Lock — 8419DPF Python adjustable locking cable product page (checked 2026-09-21)
We don't claim to have field-tested these cameras and we don't pretend to. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), plan prices from the maker's plan page with an “as of” date, and independent measurements are attributed to whoever made them. Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.