When I rig a rain fly, I usually end up putting up a prop of some kind under it. A paddle often suffices. I also carry some nesting, aluminum poles. These come in four pieces, each about 2' long. They all taper a bit, wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. Each piece fits inside the next for easy storage, and when pulled out, each piece sets on top of the next one to make a pole 4', 6' or 8' tall.
My rain fly has a spot in the center to receive and secure a pole. It is made to fit the handle of a canoe paddle. Sometimes, I want to place a pole elsewhere under the fly, where it isn't doubled up or otherwise reinforced. If I use one of the aluminum poles, I add a rubber tip (same as used for crutch, cane, or on the bottom of legs of kitchen stools) so the end of the pole doesn't wear or tear the fly. These rubber tips get expensive at a few dollars apiece.
Today, I got a couple of small, plastic bottles like pills come in. Not a hard, brittle plastic, but a white, softer plastic that can be mashed a bit. Get a size that will fit over whatever you are using for a pole. Slip a bottle over the end of the pole before you put it up to hold up a fly.
Two adaptations need to be made to these (expensive) pill bottles, one inside and one outside. To keep the cut ends of the aluminum pole from cutting or wearing through the bottom, I tore off a strip (1/2 width) of duct tape and folded it into a 3/4" wide square. This, I put down into the bottle so the end of a pole would contact it instead of the bottle.
On the outside of the bottle, you want a special surface on the bottom. As is, the bottle will slide around under a fly, and the pole can fall down or get out of position. So, the bottom of the bottle wants to be "grippy". That's different than "sticky". Sticky would remain stuck to the fly and be hard to pull away. "Grippy" will fall away, but will resist sliding sideways. For this, I used GE Silicone Silastic, and put a couple of concentric circles. After it cures a few hours, it will be grippy.
I'll pack these bottles with my poles so they're ready for use.
One other thing. I put small pieces of reflective tape on pieces of my gear. Makes it easier to find, and identify. A small piece on each of these bottles completes the job.
My rain fly has a spot in the center to receive and secure a pole. It is made to fit the handle of a canoe paddle. Sometimes, I want to place a pole elsewhere under the fly, where it isn't doubled up or otherwise reinforced. If I use one of the aluminum poles, I add a rubber tip (same as used for crutch, cane, or on the bottom of legs of kitchen stools) so the end of the pole doesn't wear or tear the fly. These rubber tips get expensive at a few dollars apiece.
Today, I got a couple of small, plastic bottles like pills come in. Not a hard, brittle plastic, but a white, softer plastic that can be mashed a bit. Get a size that will fit over whatever you are using for a pole. Slip a bottle over the end of the pole before you put it up to hold up a fly.
Two adaptations need to be made to these (expensive) pill bottles, one inside and one outside. To keep the cut ends of the aluminum pole from cutting or wearing through the bottom, I tore off a strip (1/2 width) of duct tape and folded it into a 3/4" wide square. This, I put down into the bottle so the end of a pole would contact it instead of the bottle.
On the outside of the bottle, you want a special surface on the bottom. As is, the bottle will slide around under a fly, and the pole can fall down or get out of position. So, the bottom of the bottle wants to be "grippy". That's different than "sticky". Sticky would remain stuck to the fly and be hard to pull away. "Grippy" will fall away, but will resist sliding sideways. For this, I used GE Silicone Silastic, and put a couple of concentric circles. After it cures a few hours, it will be grippy.
I'll pack these bottles with my poles so they're ready for use.
One other thing. I put small pieces of reflective tape on pieces of my gear. Makes it easier to find, and identify. A small piece on each of these bottles completes the job.