Showerthought: My tent pole snapped in a thunderstorm last weekend and I learned something dumb

I was camped out at Lake Tahoe, middle of the night, storm rolls in hard. Wind was whipping, rain coming sideways. Then snap, my main tent pole just broke in half. I had a patch kit but no idea how to use it right. Tried to splint it with a stick and duct tape. Worked for about twenty minutes before the whole tent collapsed on my head. Ended up sleeping in my truck with the seats folded down. Woke up and realized I never practiced fixing gear before I needed it. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has a go-to emergency repair method that actually holds up in a storm?

2 comments

2 Comments

perry.karen1mo ago

Why would you practice fixing gear when you can just buy a better tent that doesn't break?

evan_jenkins1mo ago

That mindset works until you're three days from the nearest town and your "better" tent gets a zipper explosion or a pole snaps. Fixing gear is about self-reliance on trail, not just saving a few bucks.