My old tent pole repair trick from a trip in the Adirondacks

I had a fiberglass pole snap on a cold morning about ten years ago. I tried using duct tape, but it just kept bending. Then I remembered a tip from an old guidebook about using a short piece of copper pipe as a splint. I cut a two-inch section from my water line repair kit and slid it over the break, then wrapped it tight with tape. It held for the rest of that week and two more trips after. Has anyone else found a good field fix for broken poles that actually lasts?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.elliot19d ago

Tent stake idea is solid. I've used a heavy duty aluminum one before. You need to file the edges smooth first or it'll cut your tape. Wrap it with a ton of duct tape, like a full roll.

jenkins.elizabeth19d ago

Ever try a tent stake as a splint?

samrodriguez19d ago

@jenkins.elizabeth Is that your official medical advice or just the camping trip version?