What is it used for?

[electricflyer]

I have a question about something at campsites. Every campground I've been to (not the RV resorts) have a metal pole about 10' high usually mounted on a concrete/tire base (to move it around) and most have an arm across the top with hooks on each end of the arm (some have only 1 hook). I've never seen them used but seems every campsite has one. My guess is they are used to hang lanterns on at night but I may be wrong. Someone set me straight on that. I've been camping for 3 years now and never seen one in use.

[NN5I]

I have no idea, but I'm sure that, if I wondered about it for more than a day or two, I'd ask the people at the CG office, "Hey, folks, what's that thing used for?"

Of course, it may be that it's used for hanging people who ask questions.

[wa8yxm]

Those are left for Tenters.. You can hang either bags with food, or bags with garbage there out of reach the forest critters. (Hang one on each side)

With an RV you store indoors so they are out of reach of forest critters and thus do not need the poles.

But for tenters.. It is a must.

[NN5I]

Ah so -- piñatas for the grizzlies!

[Radio]

Originally Posted by electricflyer

My guess is they are used to hang lanterns on at night but I may be wrong. Someone set me straight on that. I've been camping for 3 years now and never seen one in use.

I have seen folks hang lanterns on them. But I did note they do seem to be a bit far away from the picnic table and the "logical place" you would pitch a tent or park the RV to be of much use as a lamp post.

So my guess is you can hang most anything up there, lanterns, food, trash, clothes line, but their purpose is

a. Make the wild life work harder for their lunch
b. Protect trees from campers. Use the pole, not a tree to hang your stuff.

I've thought about putting a bug zapper up there...

[Radio]

Oh, BTW...

Years ago I took a piece of wooden closet rod about 15 ft long and clamped it to one of those posts to make about a 20 ft mast. Hung a home made 2 band dipole from it.

Ranger came by on a golf cart and asked what it was. We had a nice chat about ham radio and he was on his way.

[electricflyer]

I've never noticed them in the areas where the rugged tent people camp. DW thought it might be to hang your venison to dress it out and then protect it from the bears. Whoever sold that idea to the campgrounds made a mint.

[electricflyer]

Originally Posted by NN5I

I'd ask the people at the CG office, "Hey, folks, what's that thing used for?"

.

That would be the logical answer to the question but us folks on forums aren't prone to use logic.

[TXiceman]

They are lantern hooks. and often used to hang garbage or food bags from to keep the small critters out.

Ken

[wa8yxm]

I have seen signs in some of the Federal Parks (Where I see them, COE or Forest service) which tell you to use them to hang food/garbage out of the reach of forest critters.

IN SOME PARKS..even that is not enough

In one Forest service park I've been in the garbage bins lock (Simple push to unlatch) and there are steel lockers to store food in if you are a tenter.

They have Bears in that park

But the poles are good for racoons and the like.

[Radio]

I did envision hanging the neighbors child (by his shoestrings) from one.

Once years ago the only chance we had to get away was Memorial Day weekend due to Sweet Wifes teaching schedule. So in the completely full state park campground we have "those neighbors" who MUST have a campfire 24 hours a day. Even at high noon.

And they have a 6 year old cowboy who must burn every piece of green vegetation or piece of plastic he can get his hands on. Sweet Wife wound up stuck inside the trailer with a HEPA filter running and her rescue inhaler. At least the campground was clean when they left, as he had scarfed up anything that wasn't attached well enough that he couldn't pull it loose.

Turns out I and his daddy have they same brand of lego-levelers. So he comes over into our site as we are setting up and reads us the riot act for stealing his daddy's levelers.

Yeah I thought up a number of uses for the hook/pole thing.

[NN5I]

See, Wade, there's an easy solution if you're a Judo instructor. You simply offer him and his daddy a free lesson.

[Radio]

Well, I came up with at least three uses for mine this week.

[ke0me]

There has got to be a way to use that as an antenna support, let me think on it a while.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by ke0me

There has got to be a way to use that as an antenna support, let me think on it a while.

I've done that. I used a piece of very long closet rod (wood) and some very large diameter hose clamps. It wasn't very high but I got a 3 band home made dipole up in an inverted V. I shoved my closet rod way up the hook-pole to get max height.

Worked a few stations.

Using TV antenna masts You could probably get up pretty high.