How to Replace the Shock Cord in Tent Poles ?

When replacing the shock cording long tent poles how “short” should I cut the shock cord –

80% of the pole length? 90% ?  Or some other “rule of thumb”?

TIA

I kind of do it by feel, but more like 50%.  80% of pole length wouldn’t give it much tension (Hooke’s Law and all).  If you aren’t stretching it a lot, you’d need a larger shock cord (= more weight, Horrors!) to get the same tension.

At some stretched length, you’ve max’d the shock cord and it’s not elastic anymore. I stretch it almost that much.

A pair of vise grips is really handy to secure the completely stretched shock cord through each section, one at a time.

Thank you David.

“= more weight, Horrors!”

what rational person would add an extraneous cord?

The following might help, instructions from Sierra Designs for replacing the shock cord for a SD Dome tent (original):

Hi Elliot,

You can definitely restring them at home:

1).  You will need your poles, shock cord (buy at almost any outdoor retailer or online), table vice, 2 hammers or a hammer and a mallet, forceps or needle nose pliers.

2).  Determine the type of tip you model uses for its poles. Either “press fit” or “screw on”   (press fits will feel snug, screw tips…well you know, they will unscrew)

a).  If they turn out to be press fits, please follow these steps to remove.
i). Position pole with tip end out of a table vice (position it with cloth or a towel around the pole, and very lightly secure it into place)
ii). Position the claw of a hammer around the tip, just like you would a nail, and take the other hammer/mallet and GENTLY tap it out.
iii). You will feel the pressure release while you tap it out and once it has been removed it will either be secured via internal shock cord and a knot.
(some models have an anchor washer inside the last segment of the pole, so if the tip is not tied onto the cord, do not be alarmed)

b). Follow the same steps for the remaining end tip

c). It is very important to keep the poles in the proper order. Once the tips are removed and bad cord is pulled through, feed a new line of shock cord right back through.

d). Cut the cord so you can tie off one end and put that side’s end tip back in place (if it was a press fit, tap it back it to secure it, just like the opposite if how you removed it)

e). With the remaining end open with no tip and shock cord running out of it, pinch the shock cord right where the pole ends, and take an arm’s length directly away from the pole.
i). This will give the cord the proper tension which is needed to perform and fold up properly for storage.  If the cord is too taut it will break down much quicker.
ii). A yard is a good measurement if you are having trouble with the arms-length description.

f). With forceps, and while holding that arm’s length of tension, secure and pinch the shock cord right where the pole ends (so that it cannot retract back into the pole)
i). Cut the remaining cord, beyond the forceps, but leave enough to tie a knot to finish the job
ii). Tie the remaining anchoring knot either to the tip or to the washer inside the pole (varies on models)
iii).  If you tie to the tip, when you release the forceps, the tension should almost pull the cord and tip back into place, but they might need screwed or tapped in.

g). Drink a beer.

some visual from REI