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?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_martinez8222d ago

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.

simonp7622d ago

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

quinna8922d 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.