sorry no reply i was in the mountains again! :roll:
the wire nut as suggested, i could not find.
my method was to find a washer that would not pass through the poncho.
the washer just fits over the pole (ie pole goes through but it's tightish).
whenthe poles have been cut to the right length, glue(epoxy resin) the washer in place about an inch from the end of the pole.
it works fine for me!
when i made my "british army basha" version i did exactly the same thing but only made the poles "when crossed" cover 2/3 of the sheet, for two reasons:
1. length of poles = weight,
2. and the spare 1/3 can be used to lie on!
a far more user friendly space! you can even turn over!