Dining Fly Poles

[eagle90]

Our troop uses the BSA 12' x 16' canvas patrol dining flies.  We need to replace a broken ridge pole on one, and find that it is no longer available through Scout Stuff.

The ridge is a two piece aluminum pole and a short extender pole. 

Does anyone know where else to purchase such a setup or have an extra one you don't need?  Please let me know.  Thanks!

 

Dale

[qwazse]

First, check with your council camp director. They may be having the same problem.

 

There is a way to rig a wooden 2x2 (i.e., split an 8' 2x4) with some hardware to function as a ridge pole. It's pretty reliable, although the end holes have to be countersunk wide enough to sink down on the verticals so as not to torque the ends.

 

"Plan C" would be to rig a ridge line with ~1" rope from ground to pole to pole to ground. This requires tying stop loops just right, and extra stakes, but tied right, can allow a roof to drain quite nicely in a deluge.

Edited April 13, 2016 by qwazse

[Stosh]

Historical reenactors have two problems: 1) heavy canvas and 2) long poles.  Heavy canvas might fit okay in a pickup but no vehicle out there can handle 12' poles very well.

 

They generally use a 2x4 of 1/2 lengths cut at matching angles then one end boxed with 3/8" plywood to be the female end slide the other pole in and secure with two wing nut carriage bolts.  It ends up remarkably strong and still retains it's strength at the joint in the middle.  Any ridge pole holding up a 12-16' wall tent will hold up a rain fly.  Tents larger than that are solo poles with the edges securely anchored to hold the canvas taut.

[SSScout]

Check with a Scout friendly electrical contractor.   They use pipe/conduit that may be adaptable to your use.

[mashmaster]

we use 2x2's and a 16x20 tarp.  It works ok unless it is windy.  I wish I could figure out a design that was better in the wind.