Keep your fiberglass tent poles in a warm place on the way to your camping location, so they will be as warm as possible before you set up camp. If you are backpacking, place the poles in your backpack close to your body. When you arrive at camp, build a fire and put the poles near the heat for awhile. If you are car camping, put the poles near the heater before setting up camp.
Set up your tent according to the manufacturer's instructions, taking care to bend the poles slowly to avoid snapping them. Double check that each pole is secured in its proper location to keep the poles from flying out in windy conditions. Use all available stakes to prevent the tent from blowing around. Check all of the tent's poles and stakes each day to ensure they're still in the proper position.
Disassemble the tent by removing all stakes. If you have more than one person available, ask them to hold each side of the tent poles as you slowly release them from their setup location. Avoid any sudden releasing of the poles to prevent snapping.
