My tent pole snapped on the second night of the Lost Coast Trail last month.

It was a windy night near Punta Gorda and I heard a sharp crack. One of the main support poles on my three-season tent split clean through. I had to use some heavy-duty repair tape and a section of a trekking pole to rig a fix for the rest of the trip. It held, but it was a shaky setup. Has anyone else had a major gear failure like that in a remote spot? What did you use to get by?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam_nguyen71mo ago

Heard about a buddy whose pack strap tore on the PCT.

lee_martinez971mo ago

Man, that's rough for your buddy, @adam_nguyen7. Makes you wonder if the constant sun exposure out there weakens the stitching over time.

wright.taylor27d ago

Actually that kind of stuff happens all the time and it's usually not the pack's fault. Most people don't maintain their gear at all, just throw it in the sun and dirt for months without checking the straps. A little sun exposure is nothing compared to the constant friction and weight stress those straps take every single day. The real problem is probably that they overloaded the pack or adjusted the straps wrong, putting all the pressure on one weak spot. I've seen guys carry 60 pounds on a pack rated for 40 and then blame the company when something breaks. If you take care of your stuff and don't treat it like a mule, that strap would probably last for years.