A guy at the Pine Ridge campground showed me why you need to check your tent poles before you go

We were setting up our tents in the rain last fall, and the man at the next site was struggling. He pulled out a brand new tent, still in the bag, and one of the fiberglass poles snapped in half as he tried to bend it. He looked at the pieces and just said, 'I guess I'm sleeping in my car.' It was a three hour drive back to the nearest town for a replacement. Has anyone else had a pole fail like that on a first use?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kevin21d ago

Saw a video where a guy had a pole shatter just like that, straight out of the package. It was an old tent that had been stored in a hot attic for years, the fiberglass got super brittle. He ended up using duct tape and a stick as a splint, looked pretty janky but it held for the weekend.

the_logan21d agoMost Upvoted

That "janky but held" fix from @the_kevin's video is pure camping spirit right there.

the_logan21d agoMost Upvoted

Exactly, that's the real test. @the_kevin's story about the brittle fiberglass proves it. If your fix gets you through the trip, it's a win. Doesn't matter if it's tape and a stick.