Bushwalk Australia

So far every big tent I have modified has died in the snow.
But as I really need a cot to get a decent nights sleep after a hard days skiing I am going to have one more go. This time I am not going to use a second hand or cheap tent but try and modify one of my Black Wolf Tuffdomes
Neither of them sold so I have them here
I think I will be best served by using the tent in this post
https://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... ts#p381736
But I also have a slightly smaller tent suitable for one big stretcher which is a bit smaller

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... i=89978449

As is it won't cope with a heavy snowfall so like the other mods I have done it will need work. My question is should I use the cheap replacement poles from Blackwolf or try and modify better poles from somewhere else?
Also which should I take, the bigger or the smaller? So far my wants is for lots of room but my back and legs are telling me to go with the smaller tent and that would be cheaper as possible only two extra poles needed.
Please give me input.
I may or may not put in a stove jack and use a small stove in this tent, having a stove was certainly cosy and really helped with keeping things dry

Hi MD how about adding a separate steep A frame and tarp over the main body of the tent, to shed most of the snow before it lands on the tent. Like a tent in a pointy roof shed I guess.

That is one option I was thinking about but as I have to drag it in a lighter option would be preferable, so in that regard the smaller tent makes better sense.
I've got that pole set-up I made a couple of years ago but I really don't want to shorten the sections as i may want to sell the bits, after winter

I just had a thought.
It's unsupported fabric that makes this dome tent weak under snow load.
I have an extendable tent pole here and a lot of cheaper 12mm pole sections [ not Easton ] and maybe I could run a longitudinal ridge pole from end to end and support the centre of the dome with the extendable pole and do this with the bigger tent.
Similar to my last attempt but with stronger parts this time.

Yeah my second thought was to add more support inside rather than upgrading existing poles. The fabric and stitching will only take so much strain. Like an oversized tarp spreader, a cross of PVC pipe under the ceiling supported by a central pole. Offset to between the existing diagonal poles.

The last tent modifcation failed because the fabric itself was too weak, even with lots of reinforcing patches the side guys just ripped out. This tent has the same weight fly fabric as my super-strong Helsport lavvu so I think it will be OK for the short time I'll be using it. I will order the Black Wolf spare poles set tho-- just in case

To get this ridgeline pole to fit neatly and so it doesn't cause wear and tear to the fly or the pole sleeve I need to get a C-clip to fit to the aluminium pole.
I'm trying to do it cleanly and neatly with no sharp edges and so far a solution hasn't come to mind
The only thing I can think of is getting a couple of these
https://www.snowys.com.au/right-angle-c ... ar-inserts
and filing them down to fit into 12mm tube

I've thought long and hard about making an external frame as you suggest Neo and I don't think I can do it and have it light enough or small enough to drag in on my sled.
So I am going to try and make some extra poles fit inside the fly, the long ridgepole using C-clips should work; I'll make an adaptor using PVC conduit but that leaves the next largest unsupported fabric area the porch part.
If I mimic the exterior red pole in the interior using PVC conduit and add a T at the centre of that and another T joint at the high point of the diagonal crossing poles I might be able to use some of the smaller tent poles from my stash
Have a look a the inner tent in the picture in this link
https://www.snowys.com.au/tuff-dome-twin-tent
If I run a ridge from yellow pole to the yellow pole on the other side and well secured at the high point would that be enough?
The long ridge pole is going to be 12mm 7001 alloy so not too shabby strength wise
I can buy more another pole cheaply enough to support the high point and use the slightly shorter one at the front to add vertical support to that red pole if needed.
Thoughts??

The long ridge pole under the fly sounds good MD. Split the angles of the existing frame and picks up that wide roof span above the side rooms. Would supporting the ends with a vertical pole (middle of window/doorway) share some of the weight to the ground too? Here is some finger painting with green ridges and blue poles.

I was thinking that in the centre would be enough if I had a vertical pole also in the porch.
I grabbed some grey conduit at Bunnings today ( $0.75each) to play with

Committed now.
Cut the hole for the flue and the silicone boot is glued on and now waiting for the glue to set
Minimum clearance hole cut in the fabric of the fly and the boot cut to give a tight fit

I bought a second front hoop pole and took it up the hill with me.
Got the tent set up and I find the replacement pole I bought as a spare is smaller and shorter than the original.
This got me to thinking and I took a couple of "Pin&Ring" assemblies I always have in the repair kit and fitted them to the outside of the tape and grommet set where the foot of the poles usually goes. Spent a few minutes removing the pin from the bottom of the red pole set and used it in the new position as per the attached photo.
Tent sets up better like this.
I then tried the shorter replacement pole set inside the vestibule with the pins sitting in the now unused grommet and it fits as if it was designed to go there.
All I have to do now is sew in some cord to hole that shorter pole in place. I tried to take pictures inside the tent but the camera battery was too cold to take flash pictures