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Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Fibraplex Carbon Fiber tent pole set > Owner Review by Jerry Goller
Fibraplex
Corporation Reviewer Information Name:
Jerry Goller I started
camping with my father at age 6 or so. I’ve
backpacked, off and on, all of my life. Even in the Marine Corps, I was
in the
Infantry. I consider myself a light weight backpacker with an average
dry pack
weight of 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 7 kg), depending on the season and
terrain. I
backpack year round.
Product
Description This
is a prototype replacement pole set for the MSR Hubba
tent. The pole set is designed to replace the stock aluminum poles
provided by
the manufacturer to dramatically reduce the weight of the poles. The
stock pole
set for the Hubba provided by MSR weighs 13.7 oz (388 g) so the
Fibraplex set
is over 6 oz (170 g) lighter. That is a weight savings of 45% percent.
Field Information I have been using the Fibraplex pole set for almost a year. I've used it for over 20 nights. I've used it from temperatures below freezing to 90+F (32+C) I have even used it in a light snowfall. I have used this pole set in mountain, desert, and desert slick rock environments. I have not had the opportunity to test the pole set's performance in strong wind or heavy rain. The pole set was used in the mountains South of Reno, Nevada, the Sierra Nevada Mountains west of Reno, Nevada, the Uinta and Wasatch mountains in northern Utah and numerous areas of southern Utah.
Field Test Results I
want to say at the start that I broke the first set of
poles I received. I also want to clarify that I broke that pole set
through my
own carelessness. I picked up the tent, about half way between the
crossover
pole and the hub, by the single middle pole. To make it worse, my
sleeping bag
and pad was still in the tent. The pole broke at the ferrule nearest
the
crossover pole. I would have expected even an aluminum pole to have
bent, to the point of creasing,
under a load such as that. I was simply not thinking when I picked the
tent up
that way. I had forgotten that my bag and pad were still in the tent.
Even if my
bag and pad hadn’t been in the tent, it would have been a poor way to
pick a
Hubba up. While I don’t think these poles are especially delicate, they do require a bit more care than the aluminum poles provided by the manufacturer. That said, I also was caught in an unexpected light snow in the mountains south of Reno, Nevada last fall. I had between 1” and 2” (25 mm and 50 mm) of fairly wet snow on the tent. I woke up when the top of the tent pressed on my face due to snow load. I shook the tent vigorously to knock the snow off. Neither the snow load nor my shaking broke the pole set but the center pole did pop out of the hub when I was shaking the tent. While I certainly don’t recommend using these poles, on the Hubba, anyway, for camping during expected snow, it does illustrate how hardy the poles actually are. I also want to clarify that the Hubba itself isn’t designed for snow. I have no personal experience with how well Fibraplex poles would do in a snow situation in a tent designed for that purpose. My experiences with the Fibraplex pole set have been very positive. The poles join together smoothly with no binding. The set holds the Hubba as taut as the stock pole set did. I have had the tent up in moderate winds and the tent stayed solid and didn’t dip or sway. I have used the pole set in the fine sand of southern Utah with no apparent ill effects to the pole set or its operation. There is no evidence of splitting or cracking of the carbon fiber pole ends, even though these poles have no metal reinforcing. I have been using the Fibraplex pole set for almost a year now. I have well over 20 nights of use. The Fibraplex pole set has actually inspired quite a bit of confidence in me. I no longer think of them as the carbon fiber pole set for my Hubba. They are just the pole set, period. Conclusion Although expensive, I feel the Fibraplex replacement tent pole set is worth the money. It has performed flawlessly over the last year and reduced the gross tent weight by over a third of a pound (tenth of a kilogram). For me, the bill will soon be forgotten. But the lighter weight of the tent will always be there.
Read more reviews of Fibraplex gear Read more gear reviews by Jerry Goller Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Fibraplex Carbon Fiber tent pole set > Owner Review by Jerry Goller |