Backpacking: Tent Poles

When purchasing your tent there are two areas to examine, features and specks on the poles and fabric. It is less complicated comparing the features of one tent to another. However, when it comes to specs on the tent in regards to your poles and fabric it is a little more confusing. Knowing about these specs is important because they will affect the weight, durability, and overall construction of your tent. However, the focal point today will be on the poles of your tent. You should let the intended use of your tent guide your decision. For example; if you are only driving to a campground to use your tent, weight will not be as much of a concern as it would be for someone who is going backpacking.

Understanding your choice in tent poles is important because they are the backbone of supporting the structure of your tent. Tent poles can be made from fiber glass, aluminum, or carbon fiber. The majority of tent poles that you will find will either be fiber glass or aluminum and that is where the focus will be today.

When you are considering fiber glass poles these are some important things you should know. A benefit to fiberglass poles is that will not rot or corrode. In regards to the expense of fiber glass poles they are the least expensive, but come at the sacrifice of being heavier and less durable. Since fiber glass is not as strong as aluminum they must be made thicker to hold the same amount of weight. In the event of a break these poles do not break cleanly. Instead the fiber glass pole will splinter which adds a bigger risk of doing damage to your tent. Lastly, these poles are very fragile when exposed to cold weather. Again it comes down to intended use. If you are a backpacker who enjoys hiking in the winter, these will probably not be your choice of poles.

Giving attention now to the aluminum poles and some meaningful info to keep in mind. The aluminum poles are of lighter weight, but are a stronger pole than the fiber glass pole. However, these poles are subject to possible corrosion and to prevent this from happening, need to be treated. Over time this protective coating may wear off and if this occurs will need to be re-applied. In regards to breakage aluminum poles have a much cleaner break. This actually will give you two benefits with the first being less chance of doing damage to your tent. A second advantage of aluminum poles are in regards to repairs. Because of the clean snapping break instead of splintering these poles are much easier to fix.

Finally you will find that these tent poles come in a variety of grades and series. These pole grades can range in a series from one thousand to nine thousand. However for tent poles they will usually be in the six or seven thousand series. The higher the number in the series, the better tent pole you will have. For example; on the specs of the tent it reads, free-standing three pole design with seven thousand series aluminum poles. This information tells you your tent is free-standing, which means it can stand on its own without staking. The three pole design, aluminum, and seven thousand tells you three things, number of poles, what they are made out of, and what series they are in.