How to make extra thin low tension tent poles suitable for a MYOG Bivy

[Phong D]

Hey, I am making a bivy with a pole very similar to this but without as much mesh:

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/en/bug-bivy/p/2428340001222

I’d like it to be sectionable with a coord inside.

Anyone know how to do this?

I prototyped it with rigid Aquariuam tubing and it works, but is perhaps not something I’d like to take into the field.

Thanks!

[Phong D]

Oh, and the reason why I dont just tie it to a tree is that I do alot of desert camping!

Thanks.

[Paul McLaughlin]

Delrin tubing from McMaster-Carr. 3/8 outside diameter for the poles, 1/4″ outside diameter for the ferrules that connect the poles. Use 3/32″ shock cord; the 1/4″ OD tubing is 1/8″ ID so the 3/32 cord should fit. This stuff is not as light as carbon tubing but more flexible, just enough stiffness for a bivy application.

[Phong D]

Ok I found there website and the store is close to me.  Is this a place I can just walk in and pick up what I need?  Seems very industrial.

Thanks for this tip!

[Sam Farrington]

Paul,
That’s one for the scrapbook, and maybe to hold up the vent awnings on the next tent. Until now, just experimented with and used tubing sold by the kitebuilder companies, like Goodwinds. Thanks.

[David Thomas]

Try 1/8” or 3/16” polyethylene tubing from the plumbing aisle in Home Depot – $4 for a 15-foot roll. It wouldn’t need to be sectioned, since you can store it rolled up.

[William N]

Here’s some stuff I’ve done that might help. For my wooden sea kayaks I made recessed deck-line anchors by drilling two holes about an inch apart and then epoxying in some half-loops made with epoxy and fiberglass sleeve. Two big problems I had doing this were 1. Being able to bend a tube to make the tight turn without it kinking, and 2. being able to slip that ‘tube’ out of the glass/epoxy loop.

I solved this by using the smaller hot glue sticks as the form material. I’ve yet to find any material about 1/4″ across that can bend into a 1″ diameter without kinking. Also these glue sticks stretch a bit when you pull on an end, that helps them pop free and makes them slide out easier. When you’re done you still have the glue stick. The second problem, the epoxy sticking to the mold material: There’s all kinds of slips and wax etc  that pros use that work. They just didn’t work for me. What did work is I double wrapped the glue sticks with Teflon pipe seal tape. It’s cheap. Two layers and it slides right out.

So if you get say a thin rod to use as a mold for your bivy pole, wrap it with the teflon tape and then slide fiberglass or carbon fiber sleeve over it.  A bit about these sleeves, epoxy and carbon fiber. Top quality carbon fiber work usually uses an oven, vacuum pumps…. don’t worry, mix up some epoxy, coat the sleeve, it’ll work great. Carbon fiber is much much stiffer than fiberglass.  You can order fiberglass and carbon fiber sleeve material by the foot from places like Solter Plastics. Any weave and weight will work.  Sizing: The sleeve material is not that critical as to size. You can take 1/2″ sleeve and pull it down to a tight 1/4″ or expand it out to 3/4″. So if you’d like a 3/16 pole but worry it might be too weak… don’t sweat it. Any diameter sleeve  close to this will work.   If you want to save weight and do a neat job, there’s clear plastic heat shrink that goes over your epoxied-up sleeve. It shrinks down squeezing out excess epoxy and is easy to remove afterward (saran wrap also works. I’m a hack. I’ll spiral wrap  some saran wrap and then sand down the ridges after.)

You might also try using something really lightweight, like the plastic tubing and just leave it inside the carbon fiber sleeve. There’sPolyurethane <span class=”matches”>Foam</span> Welt Cord Piping, Semi-Firm, 25-Yard, 5/32, Marine & Outdoor edge bead for sewing. It would probably be cool to twist together a couple of these slide over a carbon fiber sleeve, epoxy them and then use the shrink tube. Just leave the welt cord inside. The welt cord won’t keep a curve while the epoxy curves, but this should be too difficult to manage. Hope this helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you thought of two thinner, longer bamboo poles in combo with one slightly thicker and shorter bamboo pole?

Would be one of the lightest, quickest, and cheapest options.   Btw, if  you want a little inherent bend in the bamboo, pack it with fine sand, take a heat gun and heat it up slowly and evenly and bend a bit. But you wouldn’t need to do that with the longer, thinner poles, just the shorter, thicker one the other ones go into.

[Author]

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