Trekking pole baskets...on or off?

[MNScrambler]

Just picked up my first pair of trekking poles. Never used them before, so I'm wondering if most guys leave the baskets on or pop them off?

 

[missjordan]

Me too just bought some this weekend! I left mine on and was glad because we were in some pretty soft ground which helped them from sinking too far when we were hiking


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[warrior80]

I keep them on. Mine have a smaller diameter basket for normal conditions and a larger basket for snow.

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[snowcamoman]

I always keep my smaller baskets on. If you get into boggy stuff, the baskets keep the poles from sinking in crazy deep. I've had them snag up in rocks at times, but not too awful bad.

 

[duchntr]

Just use the small baskets you will he happier. You can go without them depending on the terrain your in, like i see a lot of guys on trails without them, the only real bonus of going without is weight savings.

 

[tttoadman]

I took them off when I bought my poles 2 years ago, and have never considered putting them back on.

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

I take them, but have kept them off. Most of the areas I've been in were hard and rocky. Nothing soft or have had any snow.

 

[camping1601]

I leave them on. The only time I wish I didn't have them is in tall grass and fern kind of stuff where they're constantly dragging through the stuff. I just carry them then.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I always leave my small baskets on. I've considered taking them off but the weight savings (in my hand) would be super minimal and, if I did take them off they would just end up going in my pack somewhere anyway. So the only real difference would be each hand carrying an additional fraction of an ounce of weight.


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[topher89]

Small baskets on and save the bigger baskets for snow

 

[Desk Jockey]

Small baskets on anywhere but the driest rockiest terrain. Large baskets for snow is worth the investment.

 

[sab]

I keep the small baskets on, even in rocky terrain (it's very rocky where I live). They actually help in rocky terrain because they keep the pole from plunging between tall, close rocks, where you would be at risk of bending aluminum poles or breaking CF poles.

Regards,
sab

 

[Carlin59]

I have never run poles bare; always have had at least the small baskets on. The past two seasons i have kept the larger snow baskets on year round. Its possible to encounter snow year round up high in CO, and like SAB mentioned above I really like the larger baskets in rocks to help keep the pole from slipping through too far. The larger baskets seem to help establish purchase on the ground more quickly IME.

 

[MNScrambler]

Wow, lots of great feedback. Sounds like I might as well plan to just leave the baskets on for the most part.

 

[kodiakfly]

I leave them on. The only time I wish I didn't have them is in tall grass and fern kind of stuff where they're constantly dragging through the stuff. I just carry them then.

This. I'll take mine off for grass and carry them in my pocket until I'm out of it.