I've just donned my 'bivvy nerd' hat and tested the strength of the (very nearly ready) poles. Pressure was applied to each pole until it started to bend. At the point of bending no more pressure can be applied as the pole will just bend more.

I'm quite happy with that


Someone elses alloy pole - 6kg pressure


BB alloy pole - 11kg pressure


BB Carbon pole - 30kg pressure

Looking good, I have a feeling there may be a paypal transaction going your way soon...

What you thinking on adjustable length, extra section or did you get anywhere with the telescoping bit?

What you thinking on adjustable length, extra section or did you get anywhere with the telescoping bit?

I've tried a few ideas but in reality they either end up complicated, too heavy or cause a potential weak point. So it looks like an extra extension piece will be the way forward.

Do you get different results with the pole about 5 degrees off vertical (like I did in my experiment here)?

Do you get different results with the pole about 5 degrees off vertical (like I did in my experiment here)?

Not tried it Ian. Is the pole offset in your Heximid due to pole length / shelter height or some other reason ?

Mainly to increase floor space.
Also, is the pole likely to stay dead-vertical in real-world use (un-even ground, wind etc)?

Do you get different results with the pole about 5 degrees off vertical (like I did in my experiment here)?

Just tried with the poles somewhere between 5 and 10 degrees off vertical. The results remained fairly constant, with the only difference being a drop from 6kg to 5kg for the mystery aluminium pole.