In August trail mag, a pole snapped on a new solar 2.2 Here is TN's explanation as to how it could have been caused:

In the last issue of Trail (Aug08), reader Ade Alabi’s tent pole snapped at 3am on our ferociously windy My First Time Wild Camping feature, and some of you have emailed to ask how this could happen. A quick chat with Terra Nova managing director Andy Utting reveals why a pole can snap and how best to avoid being a wild camp victim:
“The tent in question, the Terra Nova Solar 2.2, is an ultra-lightweight model and the poles are not as thick as something like our more robust Voyager. If you pitch the Solar 2.2 front end into the wind, strong gusts can force the pole to the ground and create a stress build-up near the end of the pole, which can lead to a breakage. From customer feedback and pole stress research at Bristol University, we know that 99 per cent of Terra Nova tent pole failures are due to environmental conditions. These include high winds, orientation of the tent into the wind, corrosion of the aluminium (especially prevalent with sea kayaking campers, as salt water can destroy poles within weeks), poles clanging together on assembly, and incorrect erection. Take care of your tent poles, put them together with care, pitch your tent with the doors unzipped to reduce stress, make full use of your guy ropes for stability, dry poles after use and check out the video of how best to erect a Solar 2.2 on our website.”