Trekking Pole - Collapsible or telescopic?

[LZek10]

Hey Guys.

I'm needing to get a pair of trekking poles for a mountain goat hunt in Alaska. Do you prefer/have you had better luck with the telescopic versions or the collapsible version? On one hand, the telescopic seems like it would have a more sturdy design and be less susceptible to bending/breaking at the joint but the size the collapsible versions can break down to during transport is intriguing. One the flip side, Leki and Black Diamond are still producing both styles, so maybe there isn't much of a difference on the durability aspect?

 

[JakeSCH]

I cannot speak to durability of both, but I prefer telescopic because I use it them for multi-purpose roles (tri-pod legs, bipod legs, and for tarp pole if needed).

 

[Wrench]

Aaaaand if chit hits the fan and self arrest is needed, a collapsed pole is going to be stronger than a folded over one.

 

[Corvus Corax]

I have had the flick lock tensioning system on Black Diamond Carbon Cork trekking poles loosen up. It collapsed on me when I leaned hard on them on a pack out. Luckily we had the proper Allen key at camp to fix the problem. It could have been bad if they collapsed in a few spots on that pack out. I still use the same set, I am just sure to double check that they are adjusted correctly now.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Sample of one but I replaced my 20 year old Leki telescoping poles with some new Leki carbon vario poles a couple of years ago. Have 200-300 miles with them and they are great. I use mine as tent/tarp poles too and they have had plenty of adjustment. very light and compact enough to go inside my pack when not in use. keep in mind telescoping poles are not infinitely adjustable. The locking joints on most only grab on the last 6-8 inches of the pole at most.

 

[Poser]

Everything about Z pole designs suck with the exception of them being shorter when collapsed and allowing them to be shoved in your pack (for this purpose, trail runners may like them better). One thing I find myself doing quite a bit is varying the length of my poles constantly to match the terrain: shorter for steep climbs, longer for sustained downhilling, shortern the uphill pole while sidehilling etc.

I tried some BD Z poles for splitboarding and they were terrible. When collapsed, they were too fat to hold both poles in one hand (need a free hand to potentially pull the airbag in an avalanche) & the locking mechanism would ice up and freeze and was a PITA to unlock with gloves on.

Carbon poles are suspect for hunting (heavy pack) in rough terrain off trail. I’ve seen multiple pairs snap under the load. Many of the locking mechanism on telescopic hiking poles designs aren’t burly enough for 50-60+ lbs packs. They are designed for
With that in mind, having worked through several pairs, I’ve settled on the Peax “Sissy Stix” being the best available design on the market. Aluminum lower section, carbon upper section, comes with 2 different baskets, and the top of the grip is designed for different hand placements -I prefer to grip the knob on top vs. squeezing the vertical grip. Biggest advantage is that the locks are the burliest I have seen on the market and don’t require a screwdriver to tighten. I’ve used these extensively backcountry skiing//splitboarding as well as hiking and find the design far superior to anything else on the market in every aspect except total weight. They are competitive in the weight class, but far from the lightest, BUT they are the burliest design on the market that I have seen which is Crit sl for hauling heavy loads.

 

[tttoadman]

I have Leki in both styles. They both the same durable to me. the collapsible do rattle a little more. they are just as stowable to me. the telescopic just dock on the side of the bag. the collapsible cant do that. they both have their convenience.

 

[DBthePhoenix]

Hey Guys.

I'm needing to get a pair of trekking poles for a mountain goat hunt in Alaska. Do you prefer/have you had better luck with the telescopic versions or the collapsible version? On one hand, the telescopic seems like it would have a more sturdy design and be less susceptible to bending/breaking at the joint but the size the collapsible versions can break down to during transport is intriguing. One the flip side, Leki and Black Diamond are still producing both styles, so maybe there isn't much of a difference on the durability aspect?

I have a pair of the high end models from LL Bean and they've worked really well so far for my "practice" rocking in fairly rough terrain. Long term durability is still TBD but the telescoping design is secure when extended, solid when underway, and is easy to store in a vehicle or closet at home. I see no need to experiment with a collapsible model.

 

[mtwarden]

I had two pairs of z poles fail- one a stream ford and one snowshoeing, both were on multi-day trips and having just one trekking pole sucked! Them first failure was on a lighter aluminum model, the second one (they warrantied the first) was the heaviest aluminum they made. They both failed in the same spot. When they warrantied the second set I went with flick lok ones and they are still going strong several hundred miles later.

In fairness, I have a pair of carbon z poles that have a couple of thousand miles on them, but they are reserved for on trail endeavors only. It is nice to be able to get at (and put away) your poles on the move. But the design is inherently weak for off trail stuff imho.

 

[meta_gabbro]

Just another consideration to add, if you plan on using your poles as shooting supports it seems like the collapsible poles would be more useful since they're height adjustable by leg length, whereas with the folding poles you'd be stuck adjusting the pivot angle which could pose problems with stability and placement.

 

[LZek10]

I appreciate all the feedback! I ended up going with the telescopic (BD Alpine Carbon Cork, found a deal I couldn't pass up). The obvious drawback is the collapsed length, which isn't a problem until you are travelling. I can't say I trust the airport too much lol. I have thought about taking the 3 pieces apart and adding some sort of bushing to the ends as support to prevent them from breaking during transport. This would significantly reduce the overall length and allow the poles to actually fit in my pack. Has anyone ever tried that and did it work?

 

[mtwarden]

I haven’t tried that, might be doable.

What I do is remove the baskets and get one of those sturdy cardboard tubes and put the poles in it.

 

[LZek10]

... that seems way more logical haha. Thanks for the idea!

 

[tttoadman]

Once I am hunting, I break mine down and they go into a sleeping bag stuff sack that I can fold over the tips. Fits inside any of the 25”-26” frame bags. A little cleaner for a few days hunting than having them strapped to the side.

 

[Decker9]

This was my second broken Z pole, BD sent the alpine carbon corks as warranty replacement, 100% happy with alpines in the mountains.

 

[mtwarden]

^ same exact experience, I settled on the Alpines as well

 

[TheGDog]

The non-foldable ones with the cam lock on them... over time microscopic bits of grit can get into the cam action and disallow them from wanting to close and lock down into fully locked-in position. And it's not like you can totally fix this in the field.

Also the ones which are 3-foldable-sections stow away perfectly within the side pockets of my EMR II. I have had failures with the 3-sections ones, but only when I've arrived at my destination and attempted to fold them up again. A pin (think rivet sorta) that held the #2 section into the bottom-most section failed.

It was always a big pain with the non foldable kind because of how much they stuck up from the pack when negotiating under fallen trees/branches with catching on stuff and then ya gotta lower yourself down even more in that moment with all that weight on your back. Not fun in 90+F with a ton of weight on your back and you're like at mile 5 or 6 of the return trip.

I suppose though that in an AK Tundra setting, with less tress, the ones with the cam locks would probably be a more mechanically sound bet. I just find their inability to stow in the pack and not stick out uber annoying on the trails I frequent.

P.S. the latest pair is Black Diamond similar to the photo above, and the ridges they cut into the foam on the handle are No Bueno. Gave my thumb a blister. Gotta at least wear liner gloves because of those grooves they cut into that foam. That part... while I'm sure they did it for people in like snowy/icy climates, is very upsetting for me personally. Never experienced this problem before.

 

[Mike Islander]

Sample of one but I replaced my 20 year old Leki telescoping poles with some new Leki carbon vario poles a couple of years ago. Have 200-300 miles with them and they are great. I use mine as tent/tarp poles too and they have had plenty of adjustment. very light and compact enough to go inside my pack when not in use. keep in mind telescoping poles are not infinitely adjustable. The locking joints on most only grab on the last 6-8 inches of the pole at most.

Is this true? Mine grab anywhere on the pole. The pole would have to be tapered for it not too.

 

[Mike Islander]

I appreciate all the feedback! I ended up going with the telescopic (BD Alpine Carbon Cork, found a deal I couldn't pass up). The obvious drawback is the collapsed length, which isn't a problem until you are travelling. I can't say I trust the airport too much lol. I have thought about taking the 3 pieces apart and adding some sort of bushing to the ends as support to prevent them from breaking during transport. This would significantly reduce the overall length and allow the poles to actually fit in my pack. Has anyone ever tried that and did it work?

Put them in your suitcase.