Advice needed: How to connect short bamboo poles?

**MikeCD** · 12-08-2023, 10:50

Hi folks!

I am looking to create a portable, DIY, replica of the amazing Tensa Treez (some day I'll afford these!) for backpacking trips where trees are hard to find. I am considering using bamboo poles like Rosey-yyc posted in the "Let's see your backyard hang" thread (here). but long bamboo poles will be hard to hike with. I would love to cut my poles into 2 or 3 pieces each, but then need a way to securely re-assemble them each into a single pole.

How would you approach this?

I am considering finding an aluminum tube they fit into and cutting it so that I have short (~8 inch) pieces that I can insert two poles into each like a coupler/sleeve. Like so:
20231208_094647.jpg

Anyone think this will work? Anyone have a better suggestion?

Thanks in advance!

**Zingger** · 12-08-2023, 13:18

I wouldn't want to be the first one to try out spliced bamboo, but it will be interesting to see if there is a creative solution. Bamboo is a strong material for so many things but once cut I don't know how well it would work. If you fashioned a post from one hollow section that fit into the next section with a sleeve on the outside of both the weight advantage may be lost. Have you considered just using them as hiking poles?

**MikeCD** · 12-08-2023, 13:26

Thanks for the response!

I have considered uncut, and before I try splicing (good word!) I'll make sure I am able to safely hang from the uncut poles. I am thinking I want a taller pole than I would want as hiking poles. Most trekking poles are extendable, but I think for my height (5'10") I would want the grip around 4' from the ground. I need to see how short of a pole I can use and hang comfortably (including rainfly being elevated maybe 4"-6" and including room for underquilt). I am worried that a 6' hiking pole in each hand would be awkward (and is 6' even long enough considering the pole will be at an angle?). This is part of what makes the Tensa Treez look like magic to me - getting that expanded length.

For now I'll test with uncut poles to find the minimum successful length for a comfortable hang, then see if I can just deal with that as hiking poles. If not, then I guess "how to join" becomes my next focus.

**raftingtigger** · 12-09-2023, 11:52

Uncut bamboo poles might work. It depends on their quality (no splits), diameter, and height. Remember the longer the staff the weaker it is in an exponential manner. Other issues are how are you going to keep the guylines and hammock suspension from sliding down. We tried gluing CF rings to a CF staff and this does not hold. Anytime you secure something with a pin (screw) through the pole that holds a significant downward force you are likely to split the bamboo. This even happens with CF, which is stronger than bamboo in this regard.

The beauty of the Trekking Treez structure is all of the force is supported by a solid column in hammock mode. None of the fittings provide compression strength, they just keep the structural column in line. This is nice if any of the connection components fail - eg. a threaded insert - the pole works fine, but just needs something to keep the parts from falling apart when load is removed. Electrical tape works great for this. During development of the product I spent many miles hiking with this 'fix'.

Bamboo is primarily longitudinal fibers that are kept from splaying by horizontal nodes. Both are essential. You are likely to spend more money, and certainly more effort into making a DIY version than you are by buying a Treez. If you are trying to keep the cost down, buy a Treez with no anchors, and no lines. Make your own AMSTEEL lines, and make your own anchors (minimum 12" depth). Our anchors are optimized for both eaze in insertion and lightness in your pack.

Best of luck.

**MikeCD** · 12-14-2023, 11:57

Hi, thanks for the reply! I'm still working on this idea (slowly).

How to connect guylines and suspension? My current plan is to use amsteel continuous loops wrapped around the poles in a prusik knot to provide loops that I can attach to which (1) rest on the part of the bamboo that bulges out at the "horizontal nodes" (as you called them - great phrase!) and (2) cinch up tighter when pressure is applied. This will maintain the integrity of the pole (as opposed to drilling into it, because you're totally right that that's going to lead to splits.

I have been practicing splicing amsteel cord (bought some 2mm locally and made continuous loops and a couple soft shackles to learn how, but have 7/64" on order to make my on whoopie slings for the anchor lines eventually).

I really appreciate your insights! It's very generous to knowledge.

FYI - Trekking Treez are in my long term plan - they look AMAZING! but I've over-spent my budget getting started so I need to save up.

Thanks again!

**nanok** · 12-14-2023, 15:50

i was about to say i would use a hitch to attach, however, keep in mind it will compress the fibers of the pole perpendicular to the fiber, which they usually don't "like" very much. i haven't plaid with bamboo unfortunately, but i know carbon fiber and fiber glass tubes both hate such compressive forces (their strength is amazing, but very directional, along the fibers), so test with great care, and test thoroughly. beware that using dyneema will make the problem worse, because it is very slippery, so it wil transfer the force applied along the dyneema line very efficiently to perpendicular squeeze on the pole (efficiency very unfortunate in this case). instead of the prusik, you might like the pile hitch, or a variant of it with more turns, or braided (i like the braided version, i came up with that a few months ago when our forum member lowtech asked for a better knot, for him it was overkill, the simple pile hitch was perfect, in your case it might make sense).

regarding raftingtiggers comment that glued collars on a carbon fiber tube won't work well: yes, this is expected. the problem is carbon fiber composites are, indeed, carbon fiber epoxy composites, but epoxy when cured is very chemically inert, and it also can't be convinced to bond to itself; the way to make this work would be to epoxy the rings before the curing of the epoxy the pipe is made of is complete, but this would mean to make your own carbon fiber tubes basically. having said that, i think your final solution on the trekking treez is superb as usual, i would not change it. i also appreciate all the testing you at tensa do, and how you share your knowledge, i'm lucky there's no distributor in europe, otherwise i reckon i'd have everything you produced by now, "just because". thank you again

**Redoleary** · 12-15-2023, 05:16

This won't solve your splicing problem but I quite like to hike with a 6' bamboo pole. I just make a prusik loop from paracord that I put on the pole and that becomes an adjustable height wrist strap.