My tent pole snapped in half during a storm in the Redwoods

It happened two nights ago, right as the wind really picked up around midnight. The pole was from my old 3-person tent I've had for about five years. I used a short piece of duct tape and a tent stake to make a splint, which held until morning. Honestly, it was a pretty rough fix and I barely slept. Has anyone else had a pole break and found a better way to patch it up in the field?

4 comments

4 Comments

ray_martinez823mo agoTop Commenter

Wait, you were in the Redwoods during that storm? That wind was crazy, I saw branches down all over the highway. How did you not get a tree on your tent? Duct tape and a stake is smart for a quick fix, but man, that sounds like a long night. I would have been too freaked out to sleep at all.

simonp763mo ago

Too freaked out to sleep" seems like a bit much, it was just some wind.

quinna893mo ago

That duct tape and stake trick is actually pretty clever for a field fix, @ray_martinez82! I've had a pole snap before and used a small section of a cut-up soda can as a sleeve, wrapped tight with paracord. It was more solid than just tape. For a longer trip, I started carrying a tent pole repair sleeve in my kit, just a short aluminum tube that slides over the break. It's way stronger and only takes up a tiny bit of space.

amy_anderson1mo ago

I used a spare tent stake as a splint and wrapped the whole thing with an ACE bandage from my first aid kit. It actually held way better than just duct tape and got me through the rest of the trip.