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Posted by Alicia on April 13, 2007 at 2:39:10 pm EDT
In reply to Hiking Poles posted by WVbackpacker on April 12, 2007 at 6:13:04 pm EDT

Just wanted to add a few points on trekking poles. If you haven't already read the previous trekking poles thread Bill mentioned, check it out here:
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/35908.html You’ll see that I’m a big advocate for poles for reducing wear and tear on your body, but as mentioned previously, people have their own preferences in what they like in poles and whether they even like them at all. And you’ll probably figure out what you like and don’t like only by using a pair for a while.

I originally got a pair of Leki antishock poles (no idea what model) probably close to a decade ago. I was thrilled to have them and they’ve been good, well-used poles, but I recently bought a new pair because I wanted some different features.

I chose the Black Diamond Enduro CF poles (I bought the Compact version for shorter folks) for a few reasons.

1. My Leki poles seemed to collapse too frequently. This may be due to not tightening them sufficiently or keeping them clean enough internally, but either way it became frustrating. It seemed like every time I used them they collapsed, no matter how well I tightened. The Black Diamonds have FlickLocks, which I’d heard good things about and I now love. These poles never collapse and you can even adjust them with gloves on in winter. (this said, many people don’t have collapsing issues with their twist-to-lock poles.)

2. I found that I never really used the anti-shock option on my Lekis. So I omitted that feature this time around. (again, some people really like the anti-shock option.)

3. Black Diamond also offers some of its poles in shorter lengths (Compact). So if you don’t need as long of a pole, you don’t need to carry the extra weight of a regular length pole. The Compact versions also have smaller grips for smaller hands.

4. My Enduros have a narrow shaft and are carbon fiber (CF) in the lower half for lighter weight, but I wouldn’t spend the extra bucks on that if you’re not sure of which poles you like best yet, anyway. You may find yourself getting a different pair down the road/trail.

One other positive about my Black Diamonds is that the baskets work with my Leki ones. This isn’t true of all brands.

Anyway, as I’ve said, trekking pole features end up being a personal preference. I think if you try some sale price adjustable poles from a name brand (Leki, Black Diamond, Komperdell, REI, etc…) you’ll find out what you like best within your budget.

Good luck!

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• Re: Hiking Poles - Ed G 06:44:45 04/14/2007
  • Re: Hiking Poles - sabino 17:38:40 04/14/2007
    • Re: Hiking Poles - calamitybrook 09:53:09 04/16/2007

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