I think mine are 2 or 2.5 inch diameter cut to 4 foot or so. I have a hole drilled through them about 18 inches or so up from the bottom. I slide a 1/2" threaded steel bar through the hole and step on it to help drive the spike in. In addition to helping me drive them in, the bar helps me tell when the spikes are deep enough. I just have one of those bars that i swap back and forth between the two spikes. When i'm coming or going i just slide the bar through both spikes with rods still in them and can rest the spikes against my shoulder. The bar makes a good handle. I have a couple nuts threaded on one side of the bar to help keep everything together. I put a hook at the top of one spike to keep my fishing backpack off the ground (cargo ships make big waves where i fish). I also used a file to round off the tops of the spikes so my rods dont get torn up on the way in.