tylerw72•2h agoProlific Poster

My tent pole snapped in the middle of a downpour on the Pacific Crest Trail last month

I was 8 miles from the nearest trailhead in Oregon when one of my aluminum poles just gave up. Ended up duct taping it to a trekking pole and limping out the next morning. Anyone else had a piece of gear fail at the worst possible moment?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_vera1h ago

Duct tape and trekking poles are a classic repair combo. Had a friend do the same thing in the Sierra Nevada a few years back. That aluminum just gives up with no warning sometimes. Always carry a spare pole section now after seeing that.

dylan_patel1h ago

You said "aluminum just gives up with no warning sometimes" and that's way too true. Buddy of mine was hiking the Long Trail in Vermont and his left pole snapped clean in half going downhill on some wet roots. He ended up using a tree branch for like 6 miles until we hit a road crossing. Now he carries a spare section taped to his pack frame, calls it his "insurance policy.