Warning: my 4-season tent pole shattered at 2am in the Smokies

Last Friday night the wind picked up hard near Clingmans Dome and my tent pole just snapped clean through right at the ferrule. It was a 3-year-old aluminum pole, not the cheap fiberglass stuff, so I figured it would hold. I had to strap the broken section together with a tent stake and duct tape until sunrise. Got down the trail fine but now I'm questioning if I should replace the whole pole set or just buy a new tent. Has anyone else had a pole failure after only moderate use?

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seanjohnson22d ago

I read somewhere that aluminum poles can get micro-fractures over time, especially if you're storing them compressed in a stuff sack... might be worth checking the other poles for any weird bends or weak spots before dropping money on a whole new tent.