Shortening the NX-250 poles. Anyone??

**molawns** · 12-03-2009, 15:27

I'm very pleased with my new NX-250...I was surprised that I actually found a hammock I like better than the North American model I previously had. The poles really do seem to add internal space to the hammock, by keeping the sides further away from you.

Now for the dilemma...

I just think the pole sections are too long at 18 inches. They're tough to pack, especially for some of the activities I get into. Th pole sections won't even fit inside a 5 gallon bucket, which is something I'll use on occasion when kayak or canoe camping (for packing gear in).

I'd like to see the pole sections half their current length...around 9 inches. I think that would be a better size and make them easier to pack. The tent stakes I use are seven iches, so they wouldn't be much longer than those.

Has anyone tried this mod? It seems like all that is needed is 3 extra metal ferrules and a hacksaw. Cut the poles in half, add the new pole ferrules, and you're good to go. I don't know if that would compromise the strength or integrity of the poles, or not...hard to say. They don't seem to be under a huge amount of strain when set up normally.

Has anyone used different pole sections other than the ones included? I was thinking it might also be nice if the pole sections were bungee corded together so they won't get lost. Do the poles need to be of a certain diameter in order to work/flex properly?

Just curious...

**Roadtorque** · 12-03-2009, 15:32

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that the poles don't break down and fold in half.

**Triptease** · 12-03-2009, 16:52

molawns,

have you tried contacting Clark to see if they can possibly make special poles or otherwise provide you with the ferrules needed to DIY?

The only reason why I don't think they would is, like you mentioned, the integrity of the poles is lessened.

**longbow** · 12-03-2009, 18:15

Hey molawns... those are some great thoughts. I do not have a problem with the pole lengths. But, I agree that shorter would be better. I really like your idea of shock cording. I am always dropping the poles and frequently wonder if I packed them all when I strike camp in the morning.

**molawns** · 12-03-2009, 18:25

Roadtorque,

The poles do break down and fold in half (kind of). They collapse into 3- 18 inch sections for each end of the hammock. That makes 6 total sections 18 inches each. I'd like to see 12 sections at 9 inches each, and bungee-corded somehow so they don't get lost and are easy to set up.

Mak,

I tried contacting Clark with these exact questions and suggestions. I've yet to hear back from them...it's been over a month since I sent them an e-mail. Very strange! I've always had very prompt customer service from Clark over the years. This is the first time I haven't got a reply back within a week of sending. I guess I'll hold out a bit longer, and then send them another email.

I honestly don't think the "integrity thing" will be that big of an issue. They're pretty short poles (in total length) and don't seem to be under major amounts of pressure/force. If anything, adding extra ferrules might make the poles too stiff and less flexible. I don't know.

Just thought I'd ask. I thought maybe another NX-250 owner had the same questions as me.

**NickJ** · 12-03-2009, 20:25

yep i ve thought about the same issue. the pole length is pain as they dont it in the pouch, and even when you have the big bag for use when the z liner is in, they only just fit in that, and the tops are at risk of breaking if you pack that bag in with something else.

about the email to clark - i find that if its a question they want to answer, they write back pretty much straight away. certainly within a day. if they dont want to answer it, they dont. i ve asked them severl (straightforward) questions on email and they always reply right back. then i asked another about where they get their camo silnylon as i wanted to make my own tarp and guess what, no reply. i could understand why they may not want to give out that info, but i wouldnt mind if they just said that. a few weeks later, i asked about something else and got a reply right back, just as before.

re the poles - i dont think there woul dbe any issue about cutting them down really. the stress theyre under is really minimal and if someone could come up with the right kind of ferrule, i d do it in a heartbeat.

**molawns** · 12-03-2009, 21:49

NickJ,

I'm pretty confident the ferrules are stainless steel. I originally thought they were aluminum, but stainless steel seems more likely.

It would actually be a pretty easy mod...only 3 extra ferrules are needed, along with a bit of epoxy to fasten them to the fiberglass/carbon poles.

I know of plenty of places where I could get stainless steel tubing. The only thing I don't know is what the outside diameter or inside diameter is (or wall thickness). I don't have a caliper, or some similar type of measuring device, to get those measurements.

One of the questions I asked Clark was what size tubing it was. Ain't heard nothing back yet.

If worst comes to worst, I'll order an extra set of poles from their store and make the mods that way.

**Triptease** · 12-04-2009, 00:24

Originally Posted by molawns

I honestly don't think the "integrity thing" will be that big of an issue. They're pretty short poles (in total length) and don't seem to be under major amounts of pressure/force. If anything, adding extra ferrules might make the poles too stiff and less flexible. I don't know.

Sorry for not being clear. I guess that is what I meant, that they would not be flexible enough to bend with the hammock as you get in and out, roll around, etc. From the 250 owner's manual it states not to switch out the poles because they are designed specifically to give enough without snapping. Maybe the extra ferrules would make them too inflexible.

I also agree about not having the shock cord... it sucks. I'm also always paranoid when I break my hammock down that I am going to forget them. It would have been nice to have them connected.

**molawns** · 01-13-2010, 15:38

Just bumping this...

The modification was successful! I ordered two extra pole sets from Clark and carefully cut them in half with a hacksaw. The pole lengths are now around 9 inches and there are 12 of them total. (6- 9 inch sections per hammock end, as opposed to the 3- 18 inch sections per end, prior)

There is no noticable strain or difference using the shorter pole sections. They work just fine! The shorter pole sections will definitely make packing them much easier now.

I'll see if I can upload some photos in the next couple days.

Only bad parts:

It still doesn't eliminate the risk of losing pole sections. If anything, it probably increases loss-risk, since there's now twice as many pole sections that could be lost and they're shorter which could make them harder to spot if you drop them.

It's also extra cost. Being able to find the proper size metal ferrules would cut the cost of this modification substantially, rather than needing to buy extra pole sets and cutting them in half. If I had a set of calipers so I could determine the ferrule's wall thickness, I could just get three of them and make the mods that way, with a little epoxy to fix them in place.

Just thought I'd let folks know that this modificaion is definitely do-able!

EDIT:
I've also got some ideas for "shock cording" the pole sections together, but it's still in the "planning stages" right now. Hopefully I should have that figured out by this weekend, and I'll do another follow-up post.

**NickJ** · 01-24-2010, 10:12

Mo, what size ferrules?

Another thought - to prevent pole loss how about small diameter camping poles with the shock cord running through the middle? that way you'd only have two poles but they'd be "broken down" and folded?