Has anyone ever made up any poles to mount horizontally between poles to strengthen the tent in the wind.
Using my Icarus 500 as an example and after suffering a rather breezy weekend, it occurred to me that maybe making up some poles cut to the length of the distance between hooped poles and with clips at both ends to clip over them, they would strengthen the tent.
For example you would need four on an Icarus 500 two on each side mounted as high as possible, two lengths of pole would make up each section, I even thought of using a compression spring in the ferrule between to dampen them slightly.
Always try to pitch side on to SW but that's not always possible and sometimes wind direction does change, any thoughts/potential problems?
can not see how you will connect the poles?are not the tent poles on the outside of the tent?so how would you clip on to them?
does the icarus not come with the vango straps for high wind.
The issue is really when the wind is front/back on, the straps are only really effective in side winds. I was thinking of adapting some C clips the same as the ones used used to attach the tent to the poles, drilling and attaching with a self tapper!
Kelcar, some tunnel tents do have these, and I'll try to explain how they fitted in my old Sunncamp Vario 5.
The Sunncamp had quite weighty fibreglass hoop poles, and the lateral ones were of aluminium.
There were lateral poles for each side, of the kind that are in two parts, with a key clamp to tighten/loosen so that one pole slips inside the other for ease of pitching/striking.
At each end of the tent, there were small pockets sewn in around shoulder height, into which each end of the pole(s) fitted so the flysheet was protected. The ends of the poles were squashed flat and covered in plastic too.
There were also ties by each hooped pole seam, to hold the lateral pole in place.
If you can find suitable poles and happy to make these mods, then it seems feasible to do.
Could be a good idea if the hoops move to and from each other. Our BL has them, and I like how the spacing between hoops is nice n tight n straight.
They're a 3 section rod, with the final section adjustable then secured with a screw clamp. Of course, the tent is designed for them, so has the fixing points.
I'm sure the same effect could be achieved with C clips fastening to the lateral rods and then clipped to the main hoops.
Good luck.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
We had a tunnel tent years ago like that a long extending pole on each side slotted into webbing pockets at each end , you forced them apart and tightened them in place with a screw clamp. Those bars saved our bacon on one trip, the tent had already been damaged by a storm and been repaired of a fashion by lashing poles and pegs as splints to the broken poles. When the second storm came through we were able to guy and peg to these poles inside the tent to give a bit more stability.
my Outwell Nevada has a pole that sits inside the tent and runs the length of the living area (not over bedrooms tho') . The pole is fixed with 2 adjustable straps at either end and then velcro'd in the middle to the roof , or it did till we got hit by a storm and the velcro ripped off the tab onto the roof !! Don't know how much difference it made it tho. BIL's Icarus 500 was in the same storm and was damaged to the same level as mine no worse than mine TBH.