My 4-season tent poles bent on a calm night in June, any recs for sturdier ones?

Last month I took my 3-year-old mountain tent up to the Uintas for a weekend trip. Forecast said 10 mph winds, nothing crazy, but around 2 AM a gust snapped one of the aluminum poles clean in half. The tent collapsed on my face and I spent an hour rigging it with duct tape and a spare trekking pole. I've used this tent maybe 25 times and never pushed it past its limits, so I'm guessing the metal just got weak over time. My question is, has anyone else had poles fail without obvious damage? And should I be looking at DAC poles or thicker-wall options, or is it smarter to just replace the whole tent in the $250-$400 range?

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max41510d ago

Honestly, sounds like you got unlucky more than anything. Aluminum poles fatigue over time, sure, but 25 trips over 3 years isn't exactly heavy abuse. A freak gust at the right angle can snap any pole, even a brand new expensive one. You're overthinking this. DAC poles are nicer, but they're not magic. That tent in the $250 range probably has the same basic alloy as your old one, just shaped differently. If it was me, I'd just grab a replacement pole set from the manufacturer for like 40 bucks and call it a day. Cheaper than a whole new tent, and you already know the fabric and floor are still good.