Forward

Additional Secretary & Development Commissioner (MSME), Govt. of

India, Ministry of MSME, New Delhi has desired to prepare status reports of
selected items from 358 items to be purchased exclusively from MSEs. Out
of these 358 items few items have been imported regularly in large quantities
and thereby incurring considerable amount of foreign exchange out flown.
Accordingly, this Institute has prepared the Project Report on ‘Tent Pole’.

This report covers Introduction of tent poles, various types of tent poles,
Types of tent poles materials, Technical Details of the product,
Manufacturing Process of the product, Raw materials required for the
production, Testing Methods, List of Laboratories with testing facilities
provided by Central/State Govt., Quality Control and Standards, HSN & BIS
Codes of various tent poles, Commercial details of the product, Status of
Units registered in this category in India, List of Machinery & Equipments
Suppliers.

I am quite sure that this report will be very useful for New MSME unit
establishment which can restrict some extent of imports of this Product. It will
also fulfill the aim of Atamnirbhar Bharat Mission. This report can prove as
of great help to Policy Maker of Central/ State Govts. I am also confident
that the information available in this report will be quite useful for the growth
of tent pole manufacturing sector.

I express my sincere gratitude to Shri D.K.Singh, IAS, Additional

Secretary & Development Commissioner (MSME), Govt. of India, Ministry of
MSME for his overall guidance, support and motivation, without which the
completion of the report would have been impossible.

I convey my thanks to the O/o DC (MSME), New Delhi, BIS, DGFT, FIEO,
SAIL, OEF, Directorate of Industries, Govt. of U.P., Bank, MSMEs
manufacturing Tent poles & Industry Associations of U.P. for providing
valuable data / information required in the preparation of this report.

Kanpur (V.K.Verma)
31 May, 2021 Joint Director

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 CONTENTS
S.L. Subject Page No.
No.

1. INTRODUCTION 4-5

2. TYPES OF TENT POLE 5-14

3. SELECTION & USES OF TENT POLE 14

4. MARKET POTENTIAL 15

5. COMMERCIAL DETAILS OF TENT POLE 16-18

6. BASIS & PRESUMPTIONS: 18

7. TECHNICAL ASPECT 16-19

8. RAW MATERIAL REQUIRED 20

9. SOURCES OF SUPPLIERS 20-21

10. QUALITY SPECIFICATION 21-22

11. LIST OF LABORATORIES WHERE SAMPLE CAN 23

BE TESTED

12. CERTIFICATION CRITERIA 23-24

13. BIS CODE OF VARIOUS TENT POLES 25

14. FINANCIAL ASPECTS 26-36

15. SUGGESTIONS TO REDUCE IMPORT 37

16. SUPPLIER DETAILS OF TENT POLE 38

17. NAME AND ADDRESS OF MACHENIERIES & 39-41

EQUIPMENTS SUPPLIERS

18. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SCHEMES 42-45

19. PHOTO GALARY 46

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 PROJECT PROFILE ON TENT POLES

1. INTRODUCTION:

Tent poles that make up varying tent structures are typically constructed from thin, flexible tubes of
aluminum, fiberglass, or even carbon fiber. Today’s standard poles are comprised of multiple pieces
of these thin sections that are all linked by an elastic cord. These sections are packed in a collapsed
state for transport, but have ends that fit into one another to form a full unit. These poles are then
either inserted into sleeves on the inner tent and then used to erect the inner tent or is first
constructed into a frame so that the inner tent can be connected to it using small hooked pole clips.
Two other types of structural members for tents do exist, but are less widely accepted and thereby
less commonly used than the standard poles. One utilizes a hiker’s trekking poles to create a simple,
support structure, while the other replaces poles with a technology known as “air beams,” which are
fabric tubes that can be inflated to provide a rigid structure almost identical to that formed by the
flexible poles.

Tents commonly manifest themselves everywhere from family campgrounds to the high peaks
of the Himalayas. While these products differ in many ways due to their specifically intended uses,
at their core they are very similar. The role of any tent is to serve as a temporary, portable shelter
from the elements and because of this; the vast majority of tents are typically designed around a
certain key collection of specifications focused solely on performance. This project is designed with
the intention that they will be carried by a user while hiking or trekking for an extended period of
time. The key metrics for backpacking tents include low weight, a high space to weight ratio, sturdy
construction, and reliable protection from inclement weather while features like doors, vents, well-
sized vestibules (a sort of “garage” for your tent), and ease of setup are also important design
considerations that can make the tent a successful product. For tent manufacturing companies to be
competitive in the market, they have to continually best their competition in the key technical
categories while also providing unique feature offerings. Due to these constraints, the changes seen
in the marketplace are often very incremental and rarely create a substantial impact on the current
state of the art. Weight, size and weather-resistance are important design factors, but they are far
from the only concerns of avid hikers and backpackers.

Tents come in two main configurations: single wall and double wall. Single wall tents are made of a
single layer of breathable waterproof fabric that is suspended over a pole structure. A double wall
tent, as its name implies, is comprised of two layers with only the outer layer being waterproof.
Double wall tents are generally durable, cheap, warm, heavy/bulky (compared to single wall), and

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moderately hard to pitch while single wall tents are less durable, more expensive, and colder,
though they are lighter and easier to put up. Double walls tents are the best choice for most users
because of their price and flexibility. However, this is not to say that a single wall is not the right
tent for certain uses, especially where weight is the driving factor. Tents also come in two main
shape profiles, though many minor variations exist. These profiles are largely dictated by tent pole
arrangement. Dome tents are freestanding structures that are generally shaped like a dome and rely
on crossing poles to create a rigid frame while the other variety of tent is the tunnel tent, which is
formed by multiple parallel hoops formed by the poles. These tents require guy lines to keep them
upright. On a double wall tent, the interior layer, referred to as the inner tent are often constructed of
a breathable, water permeable fabric suspended by a pole structure with a form factor that is often
similar or identical to that of a single wall tent. The primary difference in this type of tent is the
addition of a waterproof rain cover called a fly sheet; rain flies, or fly for short. The fly extends all
of the way to the ground, providing protection from the elements. Rain flies also have the benefit of
often being oversized so that they create a covered storage area, called a vestibule, for any gear that
a user may not want to bring inside of the tent itself, but still want to be protected.

1.1 Types of Tent Poles:

 Fiber Glass Tent Poles. One of the most common pole materials as they do a pretty good job
and are one of the cheapest options for poles.
 Aluminum Tent Poles.
 Carbon Fiber Tent Poles.
 Steel Tent Poles.
• No Poles or pole alternatives.

1.1.1 Fiber glass Tent Poles

One of the most common pole materials as they do a pretty good job and are one of the cheapest
options for poles. They are fairly flexible but can split, crack or break under stress, however, finding
replacement poles or changing out a cracked section is not too difficult. Heavier and bulkier than
some other options and so most suitable for lower-end small tents and in larger family dome tents

and car camping tents.

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Fiberglass is currently the cheapest material used for tent poles. So you will find such poles in many
affordable tents, usually those designed for car camping dome and cabin style tents.

Coleman Namakan Fast-Pitch Dome Tent 5 Person.

In some cases, you have fiberglass poles combined with steel or aluminum poles, this is typically so
in the cabin style tents where the legs poles are metal and roof poles are fiberglass, one great
example is shown in this picture, the Browning Camping Big Horn 5tent:

Browning Camping Big Horn 5 Person Tent

This is generally a good material and fairly flexible, but fiberglass poles tent to be heavier; this is
because they are thicker to give the same strength as aluminum poles. You will realize the poles are
fiberglass when you see external ferrules at their joints. But such poles can split and crack under
stress, and at low temperatures they tend to shatter, so they are best used in summer camping tents.

What is good with fiberglass poles?

 Inexpensive & easy top roduce.
 Such poles do not corrode. So if used carefully they can last long.

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 What is less good:
 Fiberglass needs a careful handling and it is less durable.
 Not as strong as aluminum, so they are built thicker and therefore heavier.
 Fiberglass poles tend to shatter and snap under pressure.
 After lots of use surface may develop splinters which is not so great when you have to pass
them through tent’s sleeves.

1.1.2. Aluminum Tent Poles

Aluminum poles have a great strength to weight ratio, are durable and not easily broken. They’re
most often used in mid to high end lightweight camping tents but are more expensive so not often
used in larger family dome tents. You can also find various grades of aluminum with some branded
poles being really expensive. They are reliable but can corrode over time or may have problems
where pole ends insert into pole hubs, but easily replaced or to switch out any problem sections.
Even very large family camping tents nowadays come with such poles, but in such cases you
have the high-quality technology developed for large spans. The advantage when you compare them
with fiberglass is that they provide the same tensile strength with tubes that are both with a smaller
diameter and with thinner walls, and this means lighter.
Aluminum poles will retain their features like flexibility even in cold temperatures and this is not so
with fiberglass. But these two materials are the most common in all tents currently on the market.
Aluminum can corrode so manufacturers use some methods like anodizing to protect them from
corrosion.