Explain Trekking Poles

[bz_711]

I've had my Black Diamond aluminum for several years...tons of abuse and have held up great (except getting chipped up). Absolute MUST HAVE on the pack out so need them in pack at all times.

 

[displacedtexan]

I have had 6 different pairs over the years - I have the hardest time with cheap grips - kind of a silly thing to make decisions on, and probably mostly a warm weather thing when used without gloves.

I think grips are an underthought part of the poles.

I'm sure Leki poles are great, but the grips feel awkward for me. And you're holding them the entire time you're using them.

I'd never buy a set I hadn't held.

 

[isleofGough]

I've used Leki, Black Diamond, and Pacerpoles in carbon and never broken any of them. I prefer Pacerpoles for their grip.

 

[ForrestP]

I've had a pair of the Cascade Mtn Tech carbon poles for 5, maybe 6, years now. Hiked hundreds of miles all over the country on backpacking trips, used them to pack out around 15 big game animals, and they're still going strong. I think I paid $40 bucks when I originally bought them but see they are up to $55 a pair. I am the guy who can always talk himself into buying the premium version of something because it's made in the U.S.A, but after my experience so far with the Cascades, I don't think I could justify $200 on a pair of Black Diamonds.

I 100 percent agree with this. My cascade’s have treated me well for years.

 

[ForrestP]

We ordered some Amazon Cascade Mtn Tech poles to try but I did not like how much they rattled. Found some a great deal on some Black Diamonds on Campsaver and they are silent.

The cascade ones do rattle a bit compared to some others. I have found tightening the pressure clamps down helps with this, but does not fix it completely. However my vote would still be to go with the cheap ones.

 

[Ferrulewax]

To support a legit company vs some Chinese sweat shop?

Most "legit" (Black diamond) companies are just a middleman for a sweat shop.

 

[P Carter]

This is probably "one of those things." I had a cheap carbon telescoping pair from Black Ovis. They work great, I mocked peoplethat had fancy, expensive ones.

Then I started doing tons of vertical on trail runs and sprung for a set of collapsible, aluminum ones from Black Diamond. Now I dread using the Black Ovis ones: they are creaky, noisy, vibrate when you hit rocks, bend slightly when using, the grips aren't great, the strap configuration isn't great, and they're heavy.

The Black Diamond ones are super light, super stiff, no vibration, collapse down to nothing, fit like a glove, have really good "bite," strap configuration results in better grip, and just overall fantastic.

I still use the Black Ovis ones hunting, mostly because I need the collapsible feature.

But the premium product (Black Diamond) is clearly the better product. Both will certainly work, though.

 

[taskswap]

Pay attention to the grips and min/max lengths on these poles. There are lots of poles out there and they all do the same job. But I really like the Cascade CF poles that regularly go on sale at Costco not just because of the weight (light) and cost (low) - they also have a sort of double grip, with a top cork handle and a foam section under that. That's super helpful when hunting because if you set the pole's length right, it works equally well holding the lower grip for general hiking and switching to the upper to get some extra length when working your way across a log or rocks in a creek.

I carry only one pole so my dominant hand is free for unshouldering my rifle. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the top and epoxied in a 1" length of 1/4-20 all-thread (or you can just cut the head off a 1/4-20 bolt). This allows me to mount a "V yoke" rifle rest to give me a monopod for off-hand shots, and swap over to my binos (I use the Aziak clamp) for glassing. I don't glass for hours that way but it's super helpful for a 5-min sweep of a valley or whatever.

 

[Indian Summer]

I had a set of Easton poles. They were ok. I misplaced them so I bought a pair of Black Diamond Alpine FLZ aluminum poles. I’ve had them several years. Not one issue. They have the foam grip section below the regular grips like Taskswap mentioned.

My main criteria is a good snap lock and not twist lock poles. Snap locks are adjustable and they hold better. I like the collapsible instead of telescoping as well. They break down to 1/3 of the size instead of only half so they fit in my day pack.

I prefer cork grips. They never get slimy and give me a good grip. You get what you pay for. I use my poles a lot. I also use them for a gun rest if I’m in a hurry using Quick-Sticks.