can be metal bands plastic bands tape or the like their function is to tightly bind the components together once bound the result is a unitary structure referred to as flat pack 26 flat pack 26 can be handled as a unit many flat packs 26 can be vertically stacked with very little waste of space flat packs 26 can also be placed on their narrow edges and stored in that fashion with very little waste of space the reader should appreciate that although stakes 12 have been illustrated as square the method can be employed for stakes having many different cross sections and characteristics when a user wants to pull the silt fence out of flat pack 26 it is important to know which end to start from the user first removes securing straps 24 the user then pulls the portions of loops 14 resting over the top of flat pack 26 off to the left in fig9 the user then pulls first stake 32 off to the left the user then continues moving first stake 32 to the left this action results in each successive loop 14 being unfurled out into a tight sheet and pulling the next stake 12 out of flatpack 26 those skilled in the art will realize that flat pack 26 can be made with many more stakes 12 than are shown in fig9 in such a case the user may not wish to use.