

R&D Minute
CHOICE OF POLES AND SLEEVES


poles, sleeves and Guylines are central to tent construction. Advanced finishing and attention to detail on these elements are at the heart of the R&D team's thinking. Adrien Guillon, Product Development & Marketing Manager, takes us behind the scenes of the design process.
The choice of poles depends first and foremost on the choice of supplier. We sourced and tested several of them, comparing similar references from different suppliers and making laboratory comparisons. We were looking for the best ratio, the best compromise between several factors. First of all, strength and rigidity, to minimize displacement when the tent is under stress and retain its shape. Then, maximum strength before breaking and finally, lightness.
Test battery
On our premises, we test and size all our poles products, in order to achieve the best ratio for each of our tents. For example, on lighter tents, such as those in the ULTRA range, we choose lighter and thinner poles than for the 8K range, where we choose much thicker poles .
Initially, we use tensile test benches to perform three-point bending. This technique involves taking a cross-section of a hoop and applying a stress at the center to characterize the force at break.
We also use the buckling bench. Buckling is a phenomenon that occurs when a thin structure is subjected to a sufficiently high compressive load that it begins to flex laterally. This can lead to permanent deformation or failure of the structure if it is not designed to withstand this load. Our test rig has a force cell that tells us how much power is required to buckle the hoop. We can therefore determine its rigidity and gain a detailed understanding of the degree of deformation under pressure.


Partnerships
Today, we work with DAC® for the poles aluminum hoops, as this is the supplier that enables us to obtain the best ratios. For a hoop of the same weight from a competitor, we're going to be less resistant, and for a hoop of the same resistance, we're going to be heavier. As an example, FeatherLite™ NFL 8.7 mm DACs, the poles of the Samaya2.5, are the ones that, for us, have the best strength-to-weight ratio.
The poles carbons in the ULTRA range have undergone the same process of research and sourcing of suppliers as for the poles aluminum range. We work with Easton®, who offer us poles with an extremely light weight for an excellent strength load, which is perfectly suited to our quest for ultra-lightness.
Sleeves and Guylines
All of these choices are part of a broader rationale that encompasses a whole range of considerations concerning sleeves.
So, while the poles features of the Samaya2.5 can be found in other tents on the market, our added value lies in the addition of sleeves, which offer several advantages.
They make the tent extremely strong and stable in windy conditions, as it moves as a single unit and is less prone to deformation. The sleeves also make for quick and easy assembly. The pole is simply slid into the sleeve, and is then naturally guided by it.
The sleeve also has a zone of interaction with the guy rope that runs around it, attached to a strap. In the event of strong winds, the stress of moving the tent is transmitted directly to the cord. Our Guylines tents have a Dyneema® core that makes them totally rigid, allowing the tent to stay in place and retain its shape. This design also prevents the guy rope from cutting through the assembly and pulling directly on the fabric in windy conditions.
