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 Topic: Broken fibreglass poles?
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31/8/2009 at 7:06pm
Location: Wales
Outfit: Vango Maritsa 700 (2011); OBI Cairo
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Am new to camping to please accept my apologies for getting any of the jargon wrong, lol!
We have been camping in our Gelert Horizon 8 for the first time this weekend. Just got back and pitched in the back garden to allow the tent to dry out, and 2 of the fibreglass poles have split. Is this normal or should we be complaining? And, if it is the norm, is there anything we can do other than replace the pole.
When we bought the tent, the shop owner gave us a spare pole as a back-up as he said they WILL break, but we didn't expect it to happen within a fortnight of buying the tent!!!
Thanks in advance.
Annilou
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31/8/2009 at 7:56pm
Location: Warwick
Outfit: Outwell Montana 6
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Yes poles do break. Some tents (configuration) are more prone to poles splitting than others, it is a real pain when it first happens to you.
Buy a couple of spares and keep a hacksaw with you or cut them down to size before you go and have some extra cord in case it breaks.
You can use tape as a temporary measure but with some tents the poles wont fit through the sleeve if covered in tape. You may also need something to thread the cord through as some replacement poles have a very narrow hollow.
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31/8/2009 at 8:55pm
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: Gelert Horizon 6 Hi Gear Mojave 5
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IMO Gelert poles are rubbish. Tents are nice, just bad poles. We have had 4 or 5 split sections now and only had it a few months. Gelert don't want to know and camp shop just say 'oh yeah, poles do split'. Have replaced them with Gelert sections so far but I am thinking of getting some Vango sections to see if that helps.
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Pally
The pen is mightier than the sword - but only if the sword is very small and the pen is very sharp...
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31/8/2009 at 9:04pm
Location: Kent
Outfit: Khyam Michigan 12 & Coleman Weekend 6
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One of our poles split. We didn't have anything with us at the timer so had to use as it was for a few days. When we got home I wrapped Duct tape around it.
Since then the tent has been put up 6 times and we are still using the split pole. No problems. we have managed to get spares but I will only use them when really needed.
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If you see a family struggling to put up the tent then it must be us!
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31/8/2009 at 9:07pm
Location: Wales
Outfit: Vango Maritsa 700 (2011); OBI Cairo
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Fab, thanks everyone :-) Will give it a go with some tape first and see how that goes. We love the tent!
xxx
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31/8/2009 at 9:24pm
Location: Stoke on trent
Outfit: Outwell sunvalley 6 Outwell Jersey M
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I always wrap some duct tape around the end of each pole before even pitching it for the first time. (only the end that isn't glued into the metal sleeve. Don't put the tape right at the end, leave a big enough gap so the pole can still slide into the metal bit on the next pole) does that make sense? the poles will still eventually split put the tape holds it all together so you don't have to replace the pole immedialtely in the middle of a camp and can replace it at your leisure. it stops the pole completely splintering and potentially ripping the fly sheet.
Claud
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31/8/2009 at 9:33pm
Location:
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I found when pitching the horizon it tended to be my fault they broke! It is lack of technique, the knack is to be able to "feel" when there is just to much curve as you push up the pole to get the ring pin in if it feels really strained i found it was usually the ferrals on the poles had caught in the ends of the pole envelope. release the tension and make sure the pole can slide though the envelope easily before trying again
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31/8/2009 at 10:11pm
Location: swansea
Outfit: Avondale corfu sunvalley 8
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Quote: Originally posted by annilou76 on 31/8/2009
Fab, thanks everyone :-) Will give it a go with some tape first and see how that goes. We love the tent!
xxx
This should only really be used a s a temporary measure , as the broken pole will put extra stress on the other poles.Its best to replace with a new pole to avoid further potential breakages.
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Debbie
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31/8/2009 at 10:19pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: tent
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I always carry a load of duct tape for just this reason, I wind it round a flat peice of card to save space. I've used it for temporary repairs for all kinds of things including split poles.
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31/8/2009 at 10:23pm
Location: Cheshire
Outfit: Vango Aspen 500
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We had to pitch my sisters fibreglass poled Vango Venture tent this weekend to ensure we had a spot as she was arriving later and as we did so a big gust of wind caught it and shattered two of the poles (i.e. on a Venture thats the two main poles!). We managed to tape together the damaged poles with tent repair tape (the only camping trip we went away without our tool kit!). The tent has held out all weekend but was a little crooked!! My OH has found on ebay and other web sites today the pole repair kits starting at replacing sections for only £2.50 so no big worries!
Having endured big winds and storms earlier this year while camping we are glad we have a steel poled tent tho 
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