PoleVaultPower.com

Hello Everyone,
Since I'm fairly new at this, I was wondering what the effects of cold weather have on poles?

I live in Michigan and will travel to practices this winter. If I have an hour drive to practice and its 20 degrees outside, I would think the pole would be frozen by the time I reach my destination.

Thanks for any advice.

John

Mcleodjw wrote:Hello Everyone,
Since I'm fairly new at this, I was wondering what the effects of cold weather have on poles?

I live in Michigan and will travel to practices this winter. If I have an hour drive to practice and its 20 degrees outside, I would think the pole would be frozen by the time I reach my destination.

Thanks for any advice.

John

Very little if any effect on poles. Your muscles may be colder if you do not warm up properly and keep warm, and hands may get cold and hurt. But the poles do not really bend differently. Some people claim 'warm' poles bend easier. But the only science behind that because they are not warm blooded creatures would be if the structural make up was softening when it was heated, and then that would permanently disfigure the pole if a warm pole bent any different than a cold one. So unless one pole is frozen solid and the other is melting, you will not see much of a difference.

So pretty much the answer is just no. A cold pole does not bend any different than a warm one.

There's a very small difference in how easily a really cold pole bends versus a really hot one that's been sitting in the hot summer sun. But the far greater difference is going to be to your body and how you will react. If your poles are in a tube, they probably won't get _that_ cold. When you get to practice, you might take them out of the tube so they get to room temperature a little faster if they feel uncomfortable to the touch.

Fiberglass poles don't hold or lose heat very well... like a metal pole is going to get really cold, to where it would be uncomfortable to touch, while a fiberglass one isn't going to feel nearly as cold, even if it were exposed to the same elements. Does that make sense?

Thanks for the replies.
I do have a thick cardboard tube to keep the pole in while traveling.
This should prevent it from getting bitterly cold.
Your replies have answered my query.

Thank you,
John