Pole jack modification for snow

[Bob Moulder]

Somebody somewhere probably has done this before, but a quick search of BPL did not turn up any references, so I thought I'd post it here.

It's going to start snowing soon and hopefully we get as much as we did last year. So thinking about pitching the MLD Duomid in snow with the inverted V dual pole setup got me thinking about potential problems.

1) Snow baskets on the poles will rub the sides of the tent if not removed
2) Pole jacks likely need more surface area on the pointy end so they don't sink as much in the snow

Luckily and quite handily, the snow baskets are easy to remove from the REI (Komperdell) Powerlock Carbon poles. So it is simple enough to remove them and use them on the ends of the pole jacks to make a more solid base for them in the snow. A cotter pin inserted into drilled holes in the pole jacks keeps the snow baskets from sliding up.

These are aluminum pole jacks. If I were using CF pole jacks I would definitely glue in a wood plug where the cotter pin goes through the pole, and wrap the outside with some kevlar thread and soak it with thin cyanoacrylate glue.

The elements

Pole jack holes drilled, cotter pin out

Pole jack with cotter pin installed

Pole jack assembled with snow basket

[David Chenault]

Nice mod. My winter poles are long enough that I don't need pole jacks for my Solomid, but that's a trick to keep in the bag.

[Bob Moulder]

The field test was made possible by significant snow in the Catskills.

The tent site was prepared by compacting and leveling with snowshoes, letting the snow consolidate for about 1/2 hour before pitching the Duomid.

The pole jacks did not sink farther into the snow all night, although I did re-tension the corner guylines before tucking in as there was some normal sag which happens when silnylon cools and gets a little moisture on it.

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