Single pole tents – fixed or adjustable pole?

[Rex Sanders]

Looking at single pole tents like the SMD Lunar Solo, Tarptent Aeon Li, or Zpacks Plexamid. Since I don’t use trekking poles, I need to buy a pole for the tent.

Tent makers sell fixed-length poles, but many reviewers praise adjustable poles to adapt to local irregularities, or pitch the tent lower for stormy conditions. Other reviewers show fixed-length poles tilted slightly to adjust height.

What’s your experience?

— Rex

[Dena Kelley]

I have to go with adjustable, because I’m short, and 105cm is my normal pole length for hiking, while 115-125cm seems to be the length for shelter pitching. I recently bought a Zpacks Duplex that I’m using a set of adjustable trekking poles to pitch for that reason.

[JCH]

I find adjustable poles are better at dealing with less than perfect sites.  Obviously you can vary the height of a fixed pole somewhat by angling it, but I find often that is not enough, and a drastic angle can affect the pitch.  I have replaced my fixed length trekking poles with adjustables for this reason.

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve just used fixed, but I can see how adjustable has it’s advantages

sometimes I put a rock under it to make it longer

[Ken Thompson]

Use an adjustable with my mid. Would not want to be stuck with fix length.

[Paul McLaughlin]

Adjustable all the way.

[Jenny A]

Place me in the “adjustable” camp.  Having said that, I ordered the carbon fixed length poles from ZPacks when I bought my Solplex.  Even though I carry adjustable trekking poles, I did not want to take the tent down every morning when I pulled the trekking poles for hiking.  As Jerry stated, sometimes it’s necessary to boost the length a little with a rock or piece of bark using the fixed poles, but not a big deal.  It would be possible to get a slightly tauter pitch with adjustables.

[Edward John M]

Easy enough to make any fixed pole adjustable, by using a short length of suitable tube and drill though holes every 25mm or every inch and use a spare tent peg or nail to keep the raised position, will naturally need a suitable foot on the adjustable section

[Eric Blumensaadt]

So far my ideal single pole 3 season tent is the Tarptent AEON Li .

And for that tent I would definitely want my adjustable hiking pole in it.  (WITH the handle up using the TT adaptor.)

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