Message Forums

This may seem like a stupid question but if a tent pole breaks or cracks when putting the tent up what is the best way to fix it? Tent is a dome Hartford XL.

Assume I have a spare pole/pole kit how do you unattach the elastic and reattach it? What tools will I need. Not that I'm paranoid but I want to cover all eventualities for my first trip away.

You may not need a tool to do it...

I have changed a pole before, by streching the elastic and pushing it to the end... Untie the knot and keep elastic tight and remove sections until you get the broken piece... Put back together in reverse...

Alternatively... Take some electrical tape and wrap it round the pole, if it has split, as that could help.

Roll on the Weekends!

Not paranoid at all, It's just good common sense to carry spares and repair kit.

If you ever have a pole break on site, you 'll wish you had the sense to have brought spares with you.

Ductape is good to wrap around a pole that has split , but not snapped right through.

a pack of elastic is only £5 in millets, or any other camping shop.

You can get the elastic out of the end if the pole with a tweezers, or a long narrow pliers if you can't just pull it out (sometimes they get wedged in with mud).

The elastic comes with a wire threader, but I found it was easier to singe the end of the elastic and thread it through without attaching it to the threading wire. If you hold the pole up straight and just drop the elastic in , its easier than trying to push it through with the pole lying flat. You just tie a double knot in the end to secure it.

if you have a snapped elastic, measure the length and mark it , but don't cut it until after you have rethreaded the poles. Easier to thread if you don't have to stretch the elastic as you thread.

Spare poles may be bought slightly longer than needed, you need to cut to size with a junior hacksaw , with a bit of masking tape around the line to be cut. Do this at home beforehand , so you have the correct length pole ready.

It really is a very easy job, although it sounds complicated. takes about 5 minutes to saw a pole to size. Rethreading a whole length of poles, 10minutes max.

tenaciuos tape is excellent for repairing a hole or tear  in flysheet, almost invisible, fully waterproof and easy to use. £4 on ebay, with only 50p postage from S&P caravans. Also available in some camping shops

Sorry to hear about the boken pole on your hartford xl.  I assume it's a 2008 version and you are not alone.  I too broke a pole when we first erected it ( a blue one).  Looking on this site there are several unhappy campers re the hartford XL 08.  We are going away today for the first time in it so will let you know how we get on.

Beefysmum  thanks for the great advice on pole repair.  I was going to try and thread some fishing wire on to the shock cord to make it easier to pull back through but now I might just get some new cord, measure the old one and replace the whole thing as it sounds a lot easier to thread a longer piece of shock cord then stretch to fit and tie off. 

Happylander

Depends on where the snap happens I used duck tape and 3 or 4 tent pegs as support for an emergency botch job when the pole on ours snapped. 

We split a couple of poles on our SunValley when we were caught in a bit of a breeze (OK, average speed for the night was 51mph)

The tent stayed standing and, as I had one spare pole section, I replaced one of the split sections the next time we pitched the tent (an overnight stop on the way home).  It probably took me about 20-30 mins - It would have taken half the time had the spare pole actually fit into the metal links - I had to whittle the pole down to size first (maybe the metal part had bent?). 

Now I need to source a couple more spare sections - any ideas where I might actually lay my hands on these - I can only find sets for sale to make your own poles and not the one or two spares I actually want.)

Thanjs for the replies.

Happylander - we haven't had a pole break so far, although we have only put the tent up once. After reading about poles breaking I thought I would go prepared with spare poles of all sizes. Another £60 for 3 sets of poles.

As a newbie this is our first family tent and we love the Hartford and the room it gives us. after reading all the threads about poles breaking etc I want to make sure I try and cover all eventualities

Also  I need to find a campsite with wifi so i can ask any questions as I go along

I must say this is an excellent website and has proved invalauable in picking the tent and any questions I have asked no matter how daft they me seem. Can't wait till the bank holiday when we are of to the Peak District

To all Hartford owners.  I would just like to say that we had a fantastic weekend in the Gower.   No real problems with the tent.  I did cheat and stick 2 carabina clips on to the right side of the tent to extend out the ring and pin systems and take out some of the tension.  This must have helped the tight corner and lifting thing others have experienced as this wasn't a major issue. 

As for tent poles alibali65 the tent comes with a spare 12.7 mm pole.  I recon it will be the smaller 11 mm poles that will break so save your self some money.

Now I'm going to try an see about a ring and pin extension to improve the whole erecting issue.

On the whole a fantastic tent with loads of space.  Can't wait till our next trip.

One of the sections on one of the poles did split lengthways. I just wrapped duct tape around it and it held perfectly well for the weekend. I dont go camping without my role of duct tape - you never know when you might need it!

B