A Long Shot - Saunders Spacepacker Plus, has anyone got one?

[Silverclaws2]

Hi a bit of a long shot I know but am asking does anyone have a Saunders Spacepacker Plus tent that could perhaps do me a favour as in describe the hoop pole as I need to replace mine and it's not all there, hence asking.

I know originally the pole came from Hampton Works and I know they still exist , to be in a position to get a new one made up, but I need the specs. Number of sections and type, perhaps also overall length.

Alternatively how would I go about discerning what pole-age it should have?

And why, well, I have had a look at the fabric and it's still in very good shape- no discernible damage or even ageing, only the inner tent hanging elastics needing replacement and well there's two of us for camping now, so a tent bigger than the Akto is needed and well, saved hard for and bought in '85 when I was in the Scouts to be my first serious outlay, it's an old friend I want to meet again - a middle aged thing I guess.

 

[Broch]

Yep, I've got one. I'll get it out later and take the measurements. Remember that the central section is curved though.

 

[Silverclaws2]

Yep, I've got one. I'll get it out later and take the measurements. Remember that the central section is curved though.

Excellent, thank you.

Though that centre section on mine was originally straight, to have curved a bit with age, to suspect my tent was an early one as I remember I got it within a few weeks of it first being released for sale.

Have seen some over the years that had some minor differences to mine, to be design improvements I expect, of which may have included a curved pole mid section.

Seems pole makers, well Hampton works want overall length in addition to section lengths number of sections and tube thickness.

 

[Broch]

OK, here you go

11 pole sections in total
9 straight - 425mm total length including the 38mm part that gets inserted into the next pole
1 straight - 387mm being the last pole that doesn't fit into any
1 curved pole - 425mm total length including the 38mm part that gets inserted into the next pole
The two end sections have endcaps to insert in the eyelets on the webbing tape - length 16mm
the poles are 9.6mm OD and 8mm ID

That means the total length when made up is about 4260mm - nearly 14'

 

[Silverclaws2]

OK, here you go

11 pole sections in total
9 straight - 425mm total length including the 38mm part that gets inserted into the next pole
1 straight - 387mm being the last pole that doesn't fit into any
1 curved pole - 425mm total length including the 38mm part that gets inserted into the next pole
The two end sections have endcaps to insert in the eyelets on the webbing tape - length 16mm
the poles are 9.6mm OD and 8mm ID

That means the total length when made up is about 4260mm - nearly 14'

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Oh fantastic that's excellent, where yeah looking at your poles you must have a later pole set to mine as mine never were shiny (flat light grey) nor as said, curved at the apex and my end spikes are 30mm in depth, but a length of about four meters, over eleven sections seems familiar, to think yep that will do it.

Some special kind of heat treated alloy I seem to remember maybe T, something or other.

But thank you ever so much for going to the trouble to measure that lot up where my next job being to get onto Hampton Works. where hopefully in summer conditions allowing we're for wild camping on Dartmoor.

Got to round up the pegs next where only one of the original aluminium shephard's crook peg remains, but I long since found ground sheet pins better for pegging the inner tent out and I do have Y stakes.

 

[Mattsmyname]

Hi, very interested in your post and wondered if you are able to help me? I have just broken a pole section of the Saunders Spacepacker tent after just using on the Southern Upland Way. It’s 11pcs all straight. I am hoping to get a full replacement 4.3 metre pole as I have borrowed this tent and am in a real fix. Any help as to where to go next would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks Matt Cole

 

[Silverclaws2]

This company is the original supplier of the Spacepacker poles and it still exists and is still supplying poles, drop them a line and see what they can do for you

Hampton Works

Where further on the website can be found ;

Tent Poles

where they say they will custom make if need be.

But delighted to hear am not the only one still interested in these tents, and it was recently a friend told me they had tossed two Satellite Plus's in the bin because of Fubr'd poles through thinking no one would be interested in them.

 

[Broch]

Great tents! - I'd buy another one today if they were still made

 

[Silverclaws2]

First used mine to be it's baptism was on the col between Yr Lliwedd and Snowdon in the snow, where it got blown over a few times, for the second time being the 1986 West Country Jamboree where I lived in it for three weeks as I served on the service crew, to experience one severe storm that destroyed a number of Vango Force tens and blew mine flat again, to understand the strength in these things is that they give with the wind to pop up again when the gust has quit. It also got flattened to pop up again when an out of control tractor and bowser full of ' honey ' ran over it on that camp To there after use it all over the lake district, most of time fly and poles only.

 

[CaptainCoordinates]

I bought one of these last year. I've had Saunders' tents since the mid 70's and hold them in high regard. This one is a cracker.. It must have been one of the latest ever made since it comes with a red groundsheet (which I know was usually only specified for 'SE' models).

The flysheet is still extremely slippy from the added silicon and I am planning on using it this weekend.

It might be windy this weekend but @Silverclaws2 posting that it pops up and down is reassuring.

I've had a Backpacker 's' since 1976 - still have it - and that too is still very slippy. Still waterproof and has stood up to some wild storms. I think those straight poles help and rubbers attached to all peg out points.

In contrast I had a Terra Nova Voyager 2006 whose PU flysheet was wearing out, whereas the same style tent from Wild Country circa 1990 is still as good as new.