Lashing Hiking Poles Together for Pyramid Shelter

[Tony Wong]

Just curious if anyone could post photos up of how they lash their poles together to prop up their pyramid shelter, like a MLD DuoMid.

I am wondering if you use the wrist straps on the poles to help hold the two poles together.

Plus, being able to lash the poles together would save weight by eliminating the need for a pole jack.

Thanks!

-Tony

[Eric N.]

I'm sure there's a home made solution, but I took the easy way and plunked down $8 for a Black Diamond Pole Link Converter.

[Steven McAllister]

I had soem velcro staps around that I use.
I once forgot them and just lashed them together with line.
The velcro was quicker, but the lashing worked well.

[Jay Wilkerson]

I have two 16 inch poles jacks from BPWD under 5oz for both combined. IMO much easier to just put the pole jacks on versus strapping Velcro and connecting the rope. I find the pole jacks to be much more sturdy plus I like the inverted V for more space in the Duomid.

[Mark Ferwerda]

I used to use velcro and straps, but now I use a short piece of copper tubing and stick the hiking pole tips into each end. A little bit heavier but much easier to use and more reliable.
Mark

[P. P.]

"I'm sure there's a home made solution, but I took the easy way and plunked down $8 for a Black Diamond Pole Link Converter."

That's what I use, too.

[Brian Barnes]

My preferred method was adapted from Colin Ibbotson:

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

A bit off topic, but the latest Gossamer Gear LT4 poles go a bit longer now (54-56"), and they easily work with a DuoMid without any jack. I really like the simplicity of this.

[Martin M. Clark]

is the locus gear dual pole tip extender http://locusgear.com/products/accessories/dpte

[ed hyatt]

…then there is the 'Oookworks cunning doobrie'

A 12mm section of steel pipe – 31g – drop out the pole tips, pop in the steel tube, reapply 'locks' – solid as a house.

Here in use in the Alps – ignore grinning idiots in foreground…

[Steven McAllister]

That dual pole tip extender looks pretty kool.

[Link .]

If you use Gossamer Gear LT4 poles there is this , under an ounce for a pole jack isn't that bad.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

The LT4 poles have a lot of neat secrets. One that I noticed and never see referred to is that you can actually combine the two poles with NO added parts into a single pole that goes up to 80". That's right, you can pitch enormous pyramids like the MLD SuperMid with just a regular pair of LT4's.

To do this, pop the small cap off one of the handles and pop the little piece of tape that's underneath too so you have access to the upper end of the carbon tube. Now you can simply grab the lower section of the other pole and screw it into the top of this pole. Even if you don't need a super tall pole, this is a nice way to pitch any pyramid in rough weather because at 50-60" almost the entire thing is doubled up, so the pole is significantly stronger than a single pole extended to the max.

The downsides are (1) you've got tips at both ends, so if your shelter doesn't have a grommet at the peak for the pole tip, you'll need some sort of protection for the tent. Bringing along a metal shot glass would be good and could be multi-use :). I normally use a single pole with my DuoMid, but if I really hit rough weather I'd use both like this and toss my metal cup over the upper tip. The second downside is that with the cap removed from one of the pole handles, if you're hiking in extended wet conditions you do get some water in the pole which makes it more prone to slipping. The upside though, is that you don't get the air/pressure lock inside the poles that makes them tough to adjust in length.

[Andy F]

When I had a mid, I connected my BD poles together with an 8 inch section of pole sawed from a replacement lower section. It was around 1.6-1.9 oz. Just remove the 2 lower pole sections, and insert this into the bottom of both poles.

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