My tent pole snapped in a storm on Mount Hood

Honestly, I was on a solo trip near Timberline Lodge when a surprise wind gust hit around midnight. One of my main tent poles just broke in half, and the rain fly started flapping like crazy. I had to use a spare ski strap and some duct tape from my repair kit to splint it back together. It held for the rest of the night, but I was pretty nervous the whole time. Has anyone else had a pole fail on them, and what's a better fix to carry?

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3 Comments

patkelly5mo ago

Tbh, that ski strap and duct tape fix is a solid save for the moment, but it's not a great long term solution. Duct tape gets weak when it's cold and wet. Honestly, you should look into carrying a proper tent pole splint, they're just a short sleeve of aluminum that slides right over the break. Weighs nothing and it's a real fix.

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miles8255mo ago

My buddy Jake's pole snapped in the Tetons, @patkelly. Splint saved his trip!

2

fionaa353mo ago

Wait, your pole actually snapped in half from a wind gust? That's crazy, I always thought those aluminum poles were way tougher than that. I've been through some nasty winds in the Sierra but never had one break, just bent a bit. Did the ski strap hold it straight enough, or was the pole totally useless for the rest of the trip?

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