it's a pole!
Got this one as an in-warranty replacement for the lost end cap nipple getting lost when the bungee failed while the pole was deployed. The new version nipples are now steadied by punches, which would prevent the loss. The prior version's nipple endpoints were held to the shaft by the bungee only. Everything in life is a tradeoff, with the end caps being notched makes it difficult to replace the bungee when it eventually snaps again, but on the up side the cap shouldn't fly off and become lost.
