Ever forget your tent poles on a backpacking trip? Then you'll understand Gear to Grow's predicament.

Gear to Grow, the Utah nonprofit that distributes surplus outdoor equipment to outdoor recreation nonprofits, has a curious problem.

An (unnamed) outdoor manufacturer donated many tents to the organization following its Gear Drive at Outdoor Retailer this summer.

Here's the catch: The tents don't have poles.

Within a week of the first donation, Gear to Grow distributed an initial round of pole-less tent to nonprofits who wanted to use them as replacement shells or who had extra poles on hand. But, there are many more tents where those came from for other beneficiaries on the waiting list, if only they and Gear to Grow can find poles.

Rather than discard perfectly good tents, Gear to Grow has kicked off a “Calling All Poles” campaign, asking retailers and merchants across the country to act as drop-off locations for the public and outdoor industry to bring in their gently used or surplus tent poles.

From October 3 through December 3, 2011, participating retailers will receive flyers to promote the campaign, plus the thanks of hundreds of deserving folks who will be much happier sleeping outside in tents with poles.

We were curious. How will Gear to Grow match donated poles to tents?

"We will have to do what we can," said JT VonLunen, co-founder of Gear to Grow. "Tent poles that don’t fit perfectly could certainly be modified, but that is something we’ll take into account once the tent poles are received and sorted. If poles are too hard to modify, we can keep them in stock at the warehouse for future tent donations that may have a broken pole, missing pole, etc. We’re happy to find a home for them! The team is very handy when it comes to repairing donations."

If your retail location is interested in serving as a drop-off, you're a retailer or manufacturer with surplus tent poles, or you just want to help, email Gear to Grow at contact@geartogrow.com.