The front pole on my trusty tunnel tent failed last night - I heard a loud crack when I undid the zipper; no obvious cause at the time but closer inspection in the morning revealed that the pole had fractured completely at the joint near the apex of the tent, where there is a bent section.
Mull Head, 4am sunrise, June 2018
I've managed to repair the break using a piece cut from a strong aluminium cylindrical peg (ex army), and it is probably stronger than it was, although slightly more difficult to thread through the pole sleeve. Tip - fill the tube with tightly packed sand before bending, to stop the tube collapsing.
The blue covering the end of the existing poles is heat shrink sleeving, added to make the poles a snug fit in the new bent piece.
I'm pleased with the repair BUT whilst inspecting the other pole sections, I noticed several hairline cracks in the outer poles where they have a thinner inner piece added to join to the next pole. These appear to be caused by the dimples pressed into the outer tube to make it grip onto the inner. These renders the tent unsuitable for use in high winds, in my opinion - only a matter of time before the poles split. And I've just discovered another hairline crack in one of the 'female' pole ends!
Hairline crack, one of many. Plus lots of dog hairs on the carpet - time to get the hoover out!
I've come to the conclusion that the tent is beyond economic repair. I'm not going to try buying new poles and sawing them to length, as the tent only cost me £60.
RIP StormShield Ultralite.