22 mm Aluminum Alloy Tent Pole Tube for Tent, Gazebo and Awning Frames

22 mm Aluminum Alloy Tent Pole Tube

A 22 mm aluminum alloy tent pole tube is a sectioned length of extruded aluminium tube used to build the load bearing frame of tents, gazebos and awnings. At 22 mm the tube sits in the middle of the range: heavy enough to carry the bending load of a large flysheet, light enough to be carried by hand in a pole bag. Sections are joined end to end, so the assembled frame can be broken down into short lengths for transport and storage.

Aluminium is used for these poles because of its strength to weight ratio. A steel tube of the same outside diameter would resist bending well but would add noticeably to the packed weight, and it would need protection against corrosion. Extruded aluminium tube also takes an anodised finish, giving a surface that does not rust if the pole is packed damp.

Why the 22 mm Size Is Common

Pole diameter is one of the main variables in a tent frame. The 22 mm class is stiff enough for mid size dome and tunnel tents and for the leg sections of gazebos, while staying light enough for one person to handle.

How the Frame Works

• Bending load: when a tent is pitched, wind pushes on the flysheet and the poles bend. Diameter and wall thickness set how far a pole deflects before it takes a permanent set.
• Joints: sections join with ferrules, insert sleeves or shock cord. A loose joint is the usual reason a pole fails at the joint rather than in the middle of a section.
• End fittings: pole ends are normally capped or fitted with a tip that seats into a sleeve, eyelet or pocket on the tent.
• Surface: anodising gives a hard, corrosion resistant layer, and colour is a practical way to identify a pole set as well as a cosmetic choice.

Choosing and Using 22 mm Poles

Two measurements decide whether a pole will fit: the outside diameter and the wall thickness. An outside diameter of 22 mm has to match the ferrules, tips and sleeves already in use, because fittings are sized to the tube and a few tenths of a millimetre either way will leave a joint loose or impossible to assemble. Wall thickness sets stiffness and weight together, so a thicker wall is the usual way to stiffen a frame without changing the fittings.

Length is the other variable. Poles are cut to the section length required by the frame, and the number of sections decides how short the packed bundle becomes. Replacing a single bent section is normally enough to bring a frame back into service, which is why poles are stocked as individual sections as well as complete sets.