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Gravesbrock
12-07-2013, 18:08
Anyone found any tricks for disconnecting frozen poles early in the morning?

Feral Bill
12-07-2013, 18:09
Polls? I don't understand the question.

Theosus
12-07-2013, 18:14
If you mean "poles"… you have to heat them up. Maybe boil some water and then pour it over the joints. Or pee on them…two tasks handled at once.

Odd Man Out
12-07-2013, 18:47
Camp with Swedes. They don't freeze so easily.

4eyedbuzzard
12-08-2013, 03:14
You could apply a little oil or VaseLine or even lip balm etc before pitching the tent. Usually this will keep enough of the water out to keep the joints from freezing. Otherwise, thaw them with hot water either directly or in a zip lock bag, or very carefully use your stove as a torch, or use your body heat from your hands (not recommended when frostbite is a possibility). Best to prevent it by using VaseLine or silicone grease or even cooking oil as first noted.

mrcoffeect
12-08-2013, 08:20
if you carry an alch. stove the fuel should work like lock deicer, I would think.

rocketsocks
12-08-2013, 23:32
just stick your tongue on it, it'll thaw :p

Toolshed
12-08-2013, 23:50
Assuming you mean tent poles....
Pull off your overmitts asnd wrap your liner glov- clad hand around the pole at the junction and hold tight for about 20 seconds. It is enough heat to break the frost. If you have a lot of junctions this may take a couple of minutes (and switching of hands). it is quicker if you are only handling a couple of poles, to use your bare hand, but more than 4-5 junctions and your hand will get to cold.

Night Train
12-09-2013, 00:16
Camp with Swedes. They don't freeze so easily.
How about Germans?

Bronk
12-09-2013, 05:26
Anyone found any tricks for disconnecting frozen poles early in the morning? The thing that really sucks is when your tent got wet and the bungie cords froze and won't bungie anymore...especially if they freeze when the tent isn't set up...you end up having to stuff the cord into the pole to get them to go together again.

rocketsocks
12-09-2013, 10:40
try a tea light candle, it'll thaw pretty quick.

Tipi Walter
12-09-2013, 12:41
just stick your tongue on it, it'll thaw :p

Actually, this is close to my method---put frozen pole joint between your lips:)and warm for a few seconds. Let's hope this is a solo trip we're talking about ha ha ha. Anyway, my tent poles frequently get stuck and frozen and it's a hassle when you have 24 joints stuck together. Oiling/greasing beforehand at home helps but in the field you want to get packed fast and the in-the-mouth methods works fast, even at Ten below.

Waitin 4 my trl name
12-09-2013, 12:50
just stick your tongue on it, it'll thaw :p

I double dog dare you!


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Zippy Morocco
12-10-2013, 01:33
I carried mine frozen at about 40" for two or three days Last March in GA. It finally thawed. Never did figure out a good way to fix it.

fredmugs
12-10-2013, 14:03
This is a great example of why a lot of newbies run from this site. Now that the original post has been corrected for spelling some of the no value added responses look pretty childish.

4eyedbuzzard
12-10-2013, 14:18
This is a great example of why a lot of newbies run from this site. Now that the original post has been corrected for spelling some of the no value added responses look pretty childish.Granted there was "no value added" in a few replies. But those replies are also typical WB humor/entertainment/banter, which does add value to WB. Lose the entertainment value of WB and most people won't stick around long as members either. It would be a pretty dry and boring site, like some others that have 1/10 the active members. There is a balance to be struck. Nobody lost an eye.

rocketsocks
12-10-2013, 20:29
Fredmugs can shove it one time :D

Wise Old Owl
12-10-2013, 23:44
Yea don't laugh - wipe them down with gasoline before going out.... Its how the Soviet's decimated the Nazi's on the Russian front. The Germans would oil their weapons and they would jamb - The Soviets lubricated with gasoline... never got a jamb. Now you know the rest of the story.

rocketsocks
12-11-2013, 00:46
I double dog dare you!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


Actually, this is close to my method---put frozen pole joint between your lips:)and warm for a few seconds. Let's hope this is a solo trip we're talking about ha ha ha. Anyway, my tent poles frequently get stuck and frozen and it's a hassle when you have 24 joints stuck together. Oiling/greasing beforehand at home helps but in the field you want to get packed fast and the in-the-mouth methods works fast, even at Ten below.Well...I was gonna post place it between your legs, but didn't think anyone would have the balls for that...I wouldn't.

Tipi Walter
12-11-2013, 10:23
Yea don't laugh - wipe them down with gasoline before going out.... Its how the Soviet's decimated the Nazi's on the Russian front. The Germans would oil their weapons and they would jamb - The Soviets lubricated with gasoline... never got a jamb. Now you know the rest of the story.

Problem is, gasoline would eat right thru the rubber in the pole shock cords and ZAPPO you've got a bundle of poles all scattered around. Last month I was on my last day of a long trip and the shock cord in one pole snapped (due to age and probably also due to using MSR pump oil to keep the poles greased) and all the poles sort of blended together in a heap. Luckily I carried extra shock cord but the problem was getting all the poles laid out in the right order for cord reinsertion as some are pre-bent, etc.


Well...I was gonna post place it between your legs, but didn't think anyone would have the balls for that...I wouldn't.

Actually, my advice to use the mouth is exactly how I separate frozen pole sections. It's quick and it works. Insert pole junction into the mouth and warm---do it for at least 10 seconds and the cold pole won't remove lip or tongue flesh.

rocketsocks
12-11-2013, 11:05
Actually, my advice to use the mouth is exactly how I separate frozen pole sections. It's quick and it works. Insert pole junction into the mouth and warm---do it for at least 10 seconds and the cold pole won't remove lip or tongue flesh.
Well, I'll try anything once....I'll be back after my next stuck pole.

colorado_rob
12-11-2013, 11:56
Pull off your overmitts asnd wrap your liner glov- clad hand around the pole at the junction and hold tight for about 20 seconds. It is enough heat to break the frost. If you have a lot of junctions this may take a couple of minutes (and switching of hands). it is quicker if you are only handling a couple of poles, to use your bare hand, but more than 4-5 junctions and your hand will get to cold. Skip the tongue thing, yikes! use you hands, either with liners or bare hands, works great.