Camping/Overlanding Lessons Learned

[sgtsandman]

Put on a kilt.

I wanna see you wear a kilt!

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I'm sorry that I have to point this out to a bunch of men but,
I don't want to see any man in any kind of skirt.

 

[sgtsandman]

I'm sorry that I have to point this out to a bunch of men but,
I don't want to see any man in any kind of skirt.

Wanna know why a kilt is called a kilt? Because, that is what happens when someone calls a kilt a skirt.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

I don't care what name people give it. A skirt and a skirt.

 

[bobbywalter]

I don't care what name people give it. A skirt and a skirt.

kilt is fairly permanent...in reference to past tense.

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

Kilt is historically perfectly permanent. However just because they name a skirt a kilt doesn't change the fact that it's a skirt.

 

[bobbywalter]

if a skirt is gonna get me kilt.....i aint gonna skirt

 

[bobbywalter]

i am skeert to skirt

 

[Curious Hound]

I wanna see you wear a kilt!

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Use this as a thread to post valuable lessons learned regarding camping/overlanding/exploring adventures. Things you may be embarrassed to admit might save someone else some trouble or discomfort in the field. Try to make it things you have experienced, not just stuff you read somewhere or saw in a video. And add some context by including a brief story of how you learned the lesson.

Last night I replaced a section of a tent pole for our tent.

Replacement pole assembly is not available from Coleman, their repair kit is out of stock everywhere so I used a generic "Coghlans" kit from Cabelas.

Fibreglass Tent Pole Repair Kit

Coghlan's Fiberglass Tent Pole Repair Kit is the ultimate solution for broken or damaged tent poles. With this kit, you can quickly replace poles, restoring stability and structure to your shelter. Installing the poles is a breeze, and the durable materials ensure long-lasting performance...

coghlans.com

I had to trim the pole to length with a hack saw.

Lessen 1. Don't cut all the way thru in one go, rotate it to get all the sides started before you go finish it. Otherwise it will peel off a layer of fiberglass when it does cut thru.

Lessen 1A. From my experience with old fiberglass planter boxes, spray paint helps contain fiberglass fibers, so I cut a second one nicely and then hit the first one with some black spraypaint to now I have a precut spare (and thus hopefully ensure I will never need to do this again at least for two poles)

Getting the shock cord out and untying the knot is easy. Getting the shock cord back thru the poles not so much.

Guy I watched on youtube made it look easy, just use electrical tape and tape the cord to a wire and pull it thru. I think he lied somehow and used camera trickery to make it look like it worked. After for trying way too many times I ended up with tape wedged in the pole and had to go buy small needlenose pliers to dig it out. I resorted to finer wire (18ga) than came with the repair kit and the handyman's secret weapon... duct tape. Worked great on the first try and never missed a beat for the four poles I had to reinstall.

Its well worth researching for anyone that tent camps.

 

[Jazzer]

I used rebar tie wire once to pull the shock cord through a tent pole.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I used rebar tie wire once to pull the shock cord through a tent pole.

The supplied wire was tight to get thru the pole with any tape on it.

I bungled up the wire trying to push the wad of tape out of the pole so I grabbed a roll of wire when I picked the fine needlenose pliers.

The roll of old electric fence wire I use for typical farm repair shenanigans didn't look much smaller than what I had been trying.

Electrical tape also was not getting a good grip, I think that was mostly my issue.