Disconnecting frozen poles
Anyone found any tricks for disconnecting frozen poles early in the morning?
Last edited by Alligator; 12-08-2013 at 12:14. Reason: Fixed spelling.
Polls? I don't understand the question.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
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.
Last edited by Alligator; 12-08-2013 at 11:49. Reason: Politics
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"I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Thank God for Search and Rescue" - Robert Frost (first edit).
Camp with Swedes. They don't freeze so easily.
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.
"That's the thing about possum innards - they's just as good the second day." - Jed Clampett
if you carry an alch. stove the fuel should work like lock deicer, I would think.
just stick your tongue on it, it'll thaw
Last edited by rocketsocks; 12-09-2013 at 10:38. Reason: it'll
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.
.....Someday, like many others who joined WB in the early years, I may dry up and dissapear....
How about Germans?Originally Posted by Odd Man Out
Termite fart so much they are responsible for 3% of global methane emissions.
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.
try a tea light candle, it'll thaw pretty quick.
Actually, this is close to my method---put frozen pole joint between your lipsjust stick your tongue on it, it'll thawand 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.
I double dog dare you!just stick your tongue on it, it'll thaw
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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.
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.
Pain is a by-product of a good time.
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.
Fredmugs can shove it one time
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.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
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, this is close to my method---put frozen pole joint between your lips
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.
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.
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