Duomid Users: How loose is the supplied 6″ pole jack on the end of your trekking pole when pitching?

[Tom Bates]

Just bought the Duomid – really impressed so far with the ease and speed of pitching. About to dive into seam sealing!

One potential issue is the pole jack (or 'extender') supplied, that's intended to go on the end of the trekking pole. As you can see from the photo below:

Pole Jack Diameter is a lot wider than the point at which it stops on the trekking pole (the 'ridge' before the basket section starts).

This means that the tip section of the trekking pole is bracing against the inside of the jack pole creating an angle:

It means there is about 5cm play when you 'wiggle' the end of the jack pole because it is loose. I've done a test pitch like this and it does work, though I'm not sure how much lateral pressure the setup would take (if that is an issue?).

I'm wondering of other users have run into this, and what their thoughts or potential solutions were. As the tip of my trekking pole is tapered towards the tip, I can't imagine a piece of tubing ever sitting snugly over it without being able to wiggle it.

Many thanks,

[Wild Exped]

Its a bit shorter than the one golite used to supply with the Shangrila 3 but (as i mentioned in another thread) it can be a problem. Mine bent the pole tip with a snow load during the night. I was lucky the tent collapsed rather than the pole spearing through the roof. I had in mind to cut a piece of nylon rod, drill to fit the tip and glue it into the alum tube as a seat for the tip.

In the end I just joined the two trekking poles (there are a few ways of doing this depending on the poles used) it meant that each pole needed very little of the lower sections extended and gives a very solid pole for snow and high winds.

[Stephen Barber]

With GG adjustable poles, there's enough length to pitch the Duo without the jack, if the pitch is close to the ground. If I want it higher, I'll find a nice rock!

[Ken Thompson]

My supplied one does that as well. Like you said, what do you expect putting something tapered in a straight sided tube?

Never heard of it being an issue.

I use a dedicated CF pole as I no longer use poles while hiking.

Great shelter.

[Tom Bates]

Right, maybe some CF or alternate poles might be an idea in the future. For now I've made a (slightly rough) fix:

It's positioned in the tube where the tip of the trekking pole rests, stoping virtually all movement.

[Randy Nelson]

The one from Golite fits very snugly on my BD trekking poles. I do know my buddy's older REI (Kopmerdell) poles have a smaller diameter and would do this in mine as well.

[Jeff J]

I wrapped electrical tape around my trekking pole tip just before the "shoulder," where the jack rests. I eyeballed it to the right thickness, then fiddled with it until I got a nice, tight fit. The tape isn't even noticeable, and I can excuse it as potentially multi-purpose should I need tape at some point.

It wasn't for a dedicated pole jack, but the repair tube REI packs with the Quarter-Dome. I can fit my trekking poles together tip to tip to create a really tall shelter pole.

Jeff

[Randy Nelson]

I just checked mine again for my Golite. I don't use baskets outside of winter but mine would do the same thing if I did. It's going over the basket threads that snugs up the fit. Then it's very solid. Why do people use the small baskets anyway? Maybe it's for softer ground than we have here? They'd just get caught up in rocks where I mostly go.

[Michael Fogarty]

I just made some tapered alum. sleeves for my pole jacks, both for my longer Supermid jack pole and the shorter Duomid pole.

Here's the dims./ .500 I.D. at the large end and .420 I.D at the other end, at 1.5 degrees per side or 3 degrees included, and exactly 1.500 long. O.D needs to be a straight .550/.548 dia You can press-fit, or use Red loctite, thread-locker, depending on the fit to the pole.

Both my Gossamer Gear LT4 poles and my older Leki poles will fit these tapered sleeves.

Give me a mailing address and I'll send you one, free of charge. Oh, and your snow baskets do not appear to be in the proper location, which these sleeves can not correct for. Looks like the baskets need to be further up on the tips.

Or send me your pole jack and I'll install the sleeve and send it back to you ready to go.

[Alasdair Fowler]

I use one of these;

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/product443.asp?PageID=123

for my Supermid. Joins 2 trekking poles together and so far seems super strong yet very light. Also means I can pitch it far higher than if I used the pole jack. Definitely the best solution I have seen so far.

[Brian Hall]

I take off the basket on my lt4's and the pole jack will fit tightly over the threads without messing them up.

[Tom Bates]

@Michael Fogarty: That sounds like a far more robust solution! Thanks very much for the offer to send me one… I'm in the UK though so a bit potentially a bit further than you'd imagined! I'm going to give the cork solution a try (just made a neater version) and if that doesn't work I may take you up on the offer (I'd like to Paypal some postage money to you in that event).

And yes you were right about the snow basket, hadn't screwed it in all the way…

@Alasdair Fowler: Yep a mate of mine has one of those. Definitely considering it – I'm currently using a single pole but if I switch to two I'll probably get one of these.

Thanks all for the feedback

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