View Full Version : bent tent poles
dacubsman
06-12-2011, 00:39
Hello all. I am a boy scout leader looking for some help in repairing some bent aluminum tent poles. What is the best way to straighten them without doing anymore serious damage?
It won't be anywhere as strong again unless you heat treat it again. If it's just one section that's bent, a new pole section can be obtained for $5 plus shipping.
mweinstone
06-12-2011, 06:59
if you bend them back with a very carful hand, they will be less strong in wind but will still work. if their crimped in any way their trash. if inserts are broke they can be jimmy rigged. if a pole breaks on a trip, it can be splinted with sticks or stakes and taped or wound with cord or lashing. inserts can sometimes be jimmy rigged with whittled sticks of hardwood. in all cases, every known tent pole ever created has its replacement available cheaply on the web. replacement is the only safe thing to do if heavy weather is exspected. to prevent poles bending in the future, a tight tent set up like a drum dosnt allow water or snow or wind to stress it so much. also, wiping the pole ends of dirt and keeping them very clean helps when seperating them to prevent rough handeling.scouts rule!
Beachcomber
06-12-2011, 09:50
Hello all. I am a boy scout leader looking for some help in repairing some bent aluminum tent poles. What is the best way to straighten them without doing anymore serious damage?
It's probably more trouble than it's worth, but there's a device that plumbers use for bending soft copper tubing so it doesn't crimp. Looks like a long coil spring that fits snugly around the tube. You can find it at better hardware stores or plumbing supply places. But a brand-new pole section is the best solution in the long run.
Buhzerker
06-12-2011, 13:57
fill them w/ sand before you try to bend them back into position. Good Luck!
Jonnycat
06-12-2011, 18:37
Hello all. I am a boy scout leader looking for some help in repairing some bent aluminum tent poles. What is the best way to straighten them without doing anymore serious damage?
How many is "some"? Ideally you would replace the bent sections - think of what happens when the re-bent section fails during a rain or high wind.
Alternately, maybe you could contact the manufacturer while mentioning that this is for your scout troop; perhaps they would give you a scouting deal on the replacements.