[pct-l] Carbon Fiber Poles

[henry shires]

> Subject: [pct-l] Carbon Fiber Poles
> To: pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net
> Cc: carolwbruno at yahoo.com
> Message-ID: <ccd.fe151c4.335ed99a at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> 
> Well, I got my new Hubba poles from  _www.fibraplex.com_
> (http://www.fibraplex.com) .  I save about 6  ounces over the original
> aluminum poles.  Not bad at
> all.
> 
> I notice with carbon poles you have  to be a lot gentler with how you handle
> them.  They are strong, but  different than aluminum.  I think the best method
> is just handle them  like you are in slow motion.

That's good advice: handle with great care.  Carbon fiber is very strong
along the fiber axis but unforgiving and unpredictable off-axis. Gentle
curvature (as expressed in a long arch pole) is acceptable but during
hurried setup/takedown or high wind stress where the danger of overbending
is  much higher carbon fiber can fail catastrophically.  Both materials will
eventually fail under extreme stress but aluminum is much better behaved and
fails more gracefully.  Aluminum bends to relieve stress; carbon fiber just
snaps without warning.

-H