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  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
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    Madison WI
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    Tensa 4 and sand

    I just returned from a paddle with two nights spent on sandbars. This was the debut trip for my Tensa 4. It performed wonderfully, with one complication. A little sand and moisture got in the joints of the poles during the night, resulting in some frozen joints. Sand also prevented some of the spring loaded buttons from working properly. It took the help of at least one and sometimes both of my companions to get the segments apart (one to held the lock button down and two to pull on either end with both hands) so I could clean out the sand particles as best I could. Some of the pole segments got scratched up by this work, although that didn't affect the poles' function. In the end, it took a lot of time to dissemble the stand and clean up the poles so as not to repeat the issue that evening. The second night and morning after went much better, although I don't remember whether or not I still had to deal with a few sticking issues.

    During the first night, a stiff wind kicked up with some wild gusts. This persisted for 16 hours, making breaking camp in the morning and the next day's paddle into the wind fairly challenging. I lay in my hammock that night wondering if my tarp was going to fly away and was quite relieved to gain confidence after a long while that it was going to stay put, which allowed me to get back to sleep despite the loud flapping of the tarp. I wonder if that driving wind was responsible for the sand infiltrating the pole joints.

    But I also wonder if the issue is much more mundane than that and that I need to be very careful about how I lay the poles on the sand during setup. In other words, I'm not sure how susceptible the Tensa 4 is to this problem of sand getting in the joints. As a preventative solution, I've thought of bringing along a roll of painter's tape next time I make a similar trip so I can tape the joints after the poles are extended.

    Does anyone have any experience with sand mucking up the pole joints? Any thoughts about whether this is an expected hazard of using the stand on sand or was the result of the strong winds?

  2. #2
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
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    thatway, I see this is your second post so welcome to the forum. As you might imagine, the tolerance between the poles is as tight as practical (they still have to slide) for strength. As such, it doesn't take much between the sections to create friction. I've emailed TensaOutdoors about creating some maintenance information. All my gear that gets around sand and/or salt water, it would get a freshwater rinse when it gets home. While in the field, I'd keep it as clean as possible. That might mean bringing a plastic bag and putting that around the "foot" to shield those joints as best possible. Your tape idea might work, but there are a lot of openings to tape. A bag (keeping the sand away) over the foot area and not laying the pole down on the sand could minimize the trouble you experienced.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  3. #3
    joe_guilbeau's Avatar
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    Mar 2013
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    San Antonio, Texas
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    On my hammock stand I use bicycle inner tubes cut to 6-inch lengths on the Military's Aluminum Mast sections. Leave them on the 'Female' end and join the pole sections; then roll down to cover the joint. Keep 'em in the bag until use, so they never encounter the sand.

    Or, just use the river water to rinse before set-up. The inner tube sections also provide for a snug fit, so the poles do not come apart without rolling the inner tube back to expose the joint.

    Takes the place of drilling holes and pins, as my tarp gets tied to the legs of the A-frame sections in inclement weather.

    No abrasive issue with the inner tubes.

    Your poles will be of smaller diameter, so finding a small diameter inner-tube may not be easy.

  4. #4
    New Member
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    Feb 2022
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    Madison WI
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    Thanks very much for the advice and ideas (and the welcome). Certainly, to start with, next time I will not lay the poles out on the sand.

    Upon final cleanup at home, there was very little sand on the poles to deal with, but it was interesting that the finest particles of sand resisted being washed out of the inside of the tubes with a jet stream of water from the garden hose. A long bottle brush dipped in mildly soapy water (to weaken the water tension that makes sand adhere) took care of that. I suppose if I had let the tubes dry out completely then I could have readily brushed the sand away with a dry bottle brush.

  5. #5
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    I can imagine it's a bit of a fuss to separate each pole section. But it's sort of "part of the job" - like hanging all the tarps out, making sure both sides are dry, cleaning off any bird poop, etc. With kayaking, there is much more "water gear" that needs their **** (Time In The Sun).

    Some might watch the "back home" events transpire and suggest someone is procrastinating putting stuff away. Other, wiser, people would say leaving things out longer is just making sure they are really dry.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    May 2017
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    Central Oregon
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    394
    Thatway,

    Welcome. Id suggest bringing along a Wallyworld Tarp about 10 X 10 ish. They are cheap and very light.

    Lay the tarp out on the ground. Use that as a sand free zone to lay the poles on whilst assembling them.

    The Wally World Tarp is a multi use item. One thing I use it for is to make a whole seperate area for cooking or lounging out of the sun/rain/wind. Another use is as an emergency blanket to hold some body heat in. It is also very nice rolled out under the hammock to keep things up off the ground. It feels good under bare feet, at night or in t e morning, when you have to get out of the hammock.

    Happy 4th.

    Bob

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