How do I replace a brittle or broken shock cord?
Shock cords hold the segments of a tent pole together making tent set up faster. Over the years, the cord can become brittle and break. We’ll show you step by step instructions for removing the old shock cord and replacing it with a new one.
Author
VAUDE Repair Team
Date
22.11.2016
Difficulty
Moderate
Time Needed
30 minutes
Step One
First, check if you really need to replace the cord. The following criteria can be helpful in your decision:
- cord has lost elasticity
- rough surfaces
- damaged areas
Step Two
Put all segments together so that you have one long tent pole.
Step Three
Pull out the end pin on one side and cut off the knot. Then pull the shock cord out completely from the other end of the pole.
Step Four
Attach the new shock cord to the pin and tie a knot in it.
Step Five
Thread the loose shock cord end through the tent pole.
Step Six
When the shock cord is hanging out of the tent pole with a fair amount of excess, insert the pin back into the pole at the other end.
Step Seven
At the other end, pull the shock cord taught – with about one arm’s length of tension in the cord.
Information
In order to keep this tension for the next step, hold the shock cord to the pole with your fingers.
Step Eight
Hold the shock cord and tension with the help of a clothes pin.
Step Nine
Now attach the end pin to this side of the shock cord, tie a knot in it, and insert it into the pole.
