Prickly carbon fiber poles- normal?

I just unboxed my new MSR Advance 2 and set it up in the living room. Everything is awesome except I have a bunch of carbon fibers in my hands now from touching the poles. There are a lot of them. Is this normal for carbon fiber or should I be asking for a replacement set? The tent is overall awesome.

Poor QC.  Return them. 

I sent them an email and they're replacing them. I asked to use them this weekend because I have a trip lined up. We’ll see.

YOLOLZ Bicarbonate wrote:

I sent them an email and they're replacing them. I asked to use them this weekend because I have a trip lined up. We’ll see.

clean them up with some packing tape to pull any loose fibers out. If they get into your tent fabric, I could see it being difficult to remove them.

If you get CF slivers in your skin, your body will encapsulate them and you will have to squeeze them out like a cysts years from now. I had one in my arm for 10 years before I finally cut the skin and popped that whole thing out. When I opened it up, there was the piece of CF, unchanged. 

Buck Rio wrote:

If you get CF slivers in your skin, your body will encapsulate them and you will have to squeeze them out like a cysts years from now. I had one in my arm for 10 years before I finally cut the skin and popped that whole thing out. When I opened it up, there was the piece of CF, unchanged. 

Is that aid?

I’ll have a few then...

Tent is awesome other than the slivers.

Jack Yip wrote:

clean them up with some packing tape to pull any loose fibers out. If they get into your tent fabric, I could see it being difficult to remove them.

Update: Called Easton. They said it’s normal and to wipe it with a brown paper bag.

Ugh.

I was just wondering it they’d damage the fabric. I may just return the whole thing. After this weekend ideally. I timed this purchase for a trip I was going to do.

I’ve found other reviews online with this issue which is a shame.

Are the fibers actually attached to the poles and breaking off, or is it just loose fiber/dust?  If you wipe them all up with a wet rag do they come back?

A good carbon fiber layup will encapsulate all of the carbon fibers in resin.  Loose/dry fibers indicates a poor layup and potential weak points in the structure.

On the other hand, post-processing operations probably involve cutting and sanding the ends of the tubes, drilling mounting holes, etc. which create dust, and maybe they just did a poor job cleaning the parts afterwards.  (side note: don't breathe this stuff. Use a respirator or do it outside, carbon fibers can get lodged in your lungs and cause permanent damage.)  

Chris C wrote:

Are the fibers actually attached to the poles and breaking off, or is it just loose fiber/dust?  If you wipe them all up with a wet rag do they come back?

A good carbon fiber layup will encapsulate all of the carbon fibers in resin.  Loose/dry fibers indicates a poor layup and potential weak points in the structure.

On the other hand, post-processing operations probably involve cutting and sanding the ends of the tubes, drilling mounting holes, etc. which create dust, and maybe they just did a poor job cleaning the parts afterwards.  (side note: don't breathe this stuff. Use a respirator or do it outside, carbon fibers can get lodged in your lungs and cause permanent damage.)  

Dude I was not told this... did it in my living room.

It did not come off in fragments or shards but as these invisible hairs when I touched it. The fibers did rub off with a grocery bag and haven’t come back. It’s a good tent- I’m chilling in it on Mount Whitney as I type this. I hope it doesn’t kill me though...

YOLOLZ Bicarbonate wrote:

Dude I was not told this... did it in my living room.

It did bot come off in fragments or shards but as these invisible hairs when I touched it. The fibers did rub off with a grocery bag and haven’t come back. It’s a good tent- I’m chilling in it on Mount Whitney as I type this. I hope it doesn’t kill me though...

Probably just dust / rogue fibers from manufacturing process.  You're fine that's not going to be high enough concentration of airborne fibers to cause any harm.