We want to make two poles for a Zeus 2EXO tent. Because we lost the originals, we don't know their length.

Jay Ham reviewed this tent
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/eureka_zeus_2exo_tent_review.html

We found tent pole parts at http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm

We called Eureka (Johnson Outdoors) and can get replacements for $50.

We'd like to make the poles for less than $50 and hopefully the DIY poles will weight less than the originals.

We plan to use 1/8 inch shock cord and Easton Aluminum 7075-79 tent tubing .340" (about 3/8 in) diameter.

Please share your thoughts.

Edited by gmatthews on 06/29/2007 09:07:34 MDT.

Another option: Get the length from Eureka and order from Tent Pole Technologies. Their alum poles are much lighter than Eureka's and they have pretty reasonable prices.

http://www.polesforyou.com/

Thanks Ben

Emailed polesforyou to see what they offer

I haven't purchased them but I am considering a tent project in the future and found tent poles for arched tents on Hillenberg's site.

http://estore.websitepros.com/1764795/Categories.bok?category=Extra+Poles

Most are in the $30+ range and because Hillenberg makes so many tents, many with assymetrical poles, they have a wide assortment of pole lengths. The don't publish the pole weights on their website but the weights of their tents are fantastically light. I wouldn't think the poles would be too heavy. You can email them for that info.

If I ever get up the guts to tackle a tent from scratch, they were going to be my source for poles.

I you go this route, please let us know how your purchase experience is as well as your opinion of the poles.

Friday math challenge...

The tent floor is 7'5" x 4'10" and the center height of the tent is 42"

The poles curve diagonally from front to back - crossing one another.

Who can do the math to estimate the length of the poles?

Thanks Michael

Hillenberg's site looks good. After I get the pole length, I will email them. The $30 price is for one pole I think.

I want to go below $50 if I buy and don't make them.

Hi George,

The fibraplex website lists the Zeus EXO 2 poles as having a length of (as Spock would say) "approximately 146.56 inches"

http://www.fibraplex.com/tentpoles2B.asp

The tara pole replacement on the hilleberg site, at 372cm would be a direct replacement. However, it looks like $40x2 so 80 buckaroos.

Edited by dag4643 on 06/29/2007 11:22:10 MDT.

I came to 150" and probably a bit shorter.
Easiest way to calculate this to calculate half the circumferance of an ellipsoide with 42" the short radius and the long radius being calculated has half the length of the diagonal (using the classical formula a²=b²+c² ).
There is no strict formula to calculate the circumferance of an ellipsoide but there are some formulas to estimate them.

I actually have a Zeus 2 at home and am going there for the weekend. If you haven't got your answer by then I'll go ahead and pull them out and measure them for you. I could probably do the math, but don't have my calculator handy. Not to mention its the summer, and am I really expected to remember everything I've learned when I'm not actively being tested on it?

Adam

PS- If you want my opinion, ditch the tent and get something better that doesn't turn into a shower every morning. I had horrendous condensation problems every time I used mine, maybe its just my location though. My brother and I need to decide what we want to do with it. I think he may still use it from time to time...

Thanks Daniel

LOL on the Spock : ) That should be close enough for the length.

Interesting. Quite a weight savings using the fibraplex poles (18.2 oz versus 8.2 oz), but the $105 is too high for me.

The tent with the original poles is about 4 lb. Back in 2003, the Zeus 2EXO was about $140. No longer made, but when I called about replacement poles, the rep said that are returning. There is a Classic. Maybe that is what she meant.

While looking for the length, I found where the Europe Eureka web site has a different version.

Thanks Tom

Impressive calculation! Looks like you're Spock quality : )

Thanks Adam

I ditched it a long time ago, but it's a great bargain for my son - free - so it is his now. I've gone with a Contrail for now with intentions to go tarp/bivy next.

I agree it's does not do well with two people when the humidity is up. I did sleep a night in it a couple of weekends ago. My son and I had hiked until dark. There was a spot for one tent and it was beginning to rain and thunder. We stayed dry after a night of hard rain and periodic strong winds. There must have been enough air moving through the side vents because we had to close the vestibule when the pouring began. In the a.m. we did find a small puddle of water on the top vent area, but there was no leaking through the wall.

"Interesting. Quite a weight savings using the fibraplex poles (18.2 oz versus 8.2 oz), but the $105 is too high for me."

My Akto pole at 293cm weighs 6 oz. So if you used the hilleberg 9mm poles for the tara at 372cm, the weight would be approx 372/293x6 oz or about 7.6 oz a piece. So a tad over 15 oz for the two poles, for about a 3oz savings over the stock Zeus poles. I checked the Hilleberg site again and the 9mm poles are $36 a piece (10mm poles are $40).

Edited by dag4643 on 06/29/2007 11:57:53 MDT.

To make or buy two 12' poles (approximately 146.56 in.) for a Zeus 2EXO tent...

(Option 1)
DIY (questoutfitters prices)
.340 diameter aluminum tubing + 3/32" shock cord
18" sections (14 with inserts and 2 without and
4 shock cord type ends)

$39.90 parts + $2.56 3/32" shock cord (8 yds)

Cost: $42.56 cost
Weight: 12.48 oz + wt of shock cord and ends
(guessing 13 oz)

(Option 2)
Hillenberg replacements
372 cm
Cost: $72
Wt: 15.2 oz

(Option 3)
fibraplex replacements
Cost: $105
Wt: 8.2 oz

(Option 4)
Johnson Outdoors [replace with originals]
Cost: $50
Wt: 18.2 oz

(Option 5)
polesforyou.com -
Cost: $62.16

edit: updated Option 5

Edited by gmatthews on 06/30/2007 10:25:36 MDT.

George:

Re. the tent photo you posted, it's not a European version per se. It was sold here as well -- coming in at solo, two and three person models.

These came out just 2 years ago, and replaced the version that you now have. For whatever reason, they didn't seem to sell all that well -- and just a few months ago, Eureka took them completely off their USA website, and brought back your version -- now rechristened "Zeus Classic".

My humble opinion... something must be really wrong with them if they only lasted two years and are replaced by the "classic" -- which has problems all their own...

Ben, the extent of your tent knowledge is just scary sometimes. Please tell me you didn't know that off the top of your head.

I agree with Brett that Ben knows the world of tents

On Ben's comment about the tent design changes:
My opinion is that customers new to backpacking buy those products because they're on the shelves and major magazine advertisements. Only after you buy a less than ideal tent (or other gear) AND if you choose to continue backpacking - is when you accept the suffering or you start searching for something else. You don't know what you're looking for but you know there has to be a better way. If you're lucky, then you find a path towards the light : )

The DARK FORCE is strong. Resistance is useless. Mwahahaha...

LMAO - excellent link and point!

From Nov. 2003 to June 2007 the price is about the same
$139.99 vs $149.99 considering inflation.

It's interesting how it looks about the same also except that the advertised weight is 4 lb 8 oz now versus 3 lb 10 oz back in '03.

The DARK FORCE is so merciless




Ming the Merciless

LOL! Good one.