Hiking Poles

First off I just found this board today and really like what I see. Second I've been looking at getting a pair of hiking poles. From what I have read it appears that they are very nice to have while on the trail. I was wondering what other's thoughts are on the use of them and which brands and models tend to have the best poles...thanks

I have a pair that I have used for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Mine are made by Leki and are adjustable. Mine also have a shock absorber and I can put different baskets on them. They weigh about as much as adjustable ski poles.

Poles are made by a number of manufacturers at all different prices. You can get a relatively inexpensive pair from REI. High tech, very light carbon fiber poles are also available, but they are pricey. I'm not familiar enough with all the different brands to recommend anything other than the ones I have.

This has been discussed in this forum before. If you search down a bit, you can get some of the earlier discussion.

Basically, there is little difference among ski, hiking, trekking, snowshoeing and "Nordic walking" poles. There are some very specialized variations, like the radically bent versions used by downhill ski racers. But if you get the right length for your activity, it doesn't matter a lot what they are called.

The major differences are, as Tom noted, adjustable vs fixed length, with and without "shock absorbers", and the various size of baskets. The baskets are usually interchangeable within a given brand - none for just hiking, small for firm snow/mud/etc, larger for powder snow. Some are much lighter than others, some have different "swing weights" (basically where the weight is concentrated). The material makes a difference in weight and balance. Years ago, the best poles were bamboo, but you can only rarely find those now. Most poles these days are aluminum. Aluminum comes in different grades with the strongest for weight (hence the lightest) costing a lot more. An increasing number are carbon composite, space-age materials. The whole pole may be carbon fiber, or just the lower part of some adjustable poles.

Major point on adjustables is you can vary the length for conditions, including having different lengths for the up and down hill poles. For flat-ground travel on skis you want longer poles, while for skiing down a hill, you want shorter poles. Hiking uphill most people want shorter poles, and downhill longer poles (though some like it the other way around). Adjustable poles let you change as conditions change.

For my daily hikes, I use a pair of REI adjustables (no shock absorber), make by Komperdell, bought on sale for $20. They are just fine and I have used them for snowshoeing as well. My wife has a pair of REI (Komperdell) adjustables with shock absorbers. But after a couple hikes, she locked the shock absorbers out. For expedition use, I use a pair of Black Diamond Expedition FlikLok adjustables, with no shock absorbers. The FlikLok is a lot more dependable and lasts longer than the twist-lock type. But BD is much more expensive. The BD Expedition is 3 section and stores small enough to put in my checked luggage for the plane. I use these for hiking on trails for approach with heavy loads of climbing gear, hauling sleds up glaciers, skiing, snowshoeing, just all around use when travelling elsewhere.

For skiing (especially backcountry), I use a pair of Black Diamond carbon fiber probe poles. These double as avalanche probes, just in case, as well as being very light and having a good swing weight. They are FlikLok adjustable. I have tried Leki's carbon fiber adjustables as well and really liked them. I sometimes use the probe poles for hiking, such as during an approach to higher altitude slopes to get to the snow.

Basically the brand doesn't really matter a lot among the top brands. Komperdell, whether under their own name or with the REI label is less expensive and good for most purposes. Leki and Black Diamond are 2 of the top brands. I would probably suggest for your first pair, just go to REI and get a pair of their adjustables, with or without shock absorbers, when they are on sale (spring sales are coming up). These are cheap enough that if you want to change after a year or so, having gained experience and developed your own preferences, you can change to ones more suitable for your preferences without much loss.

I just got back from a trip to washing state and visited a REI and a Mountain Gear both very nice stores. It was great to actually see all the products and see how the size up and fit. Alas in the part of WV I live in there are no such stores.

After a few poles had issues, I've been using what Bill has; BD carbon fiber backcountry poles with Flikloks. The Flikloks hold even as you put torsion on the poles (inevitable). That torsion can loosen a twist lock on one pole and over-tighten the other pole.

I like the carbon fiber for a few reasons. It's lighter, it's thinner, and it's flexible. Where my friend has broken two Leki aluminum poles, my poles gave a little bit.

I like the strength and simplicity of the two-section poles but don't have the ability to compress them to a small size. Since I use them constantly, I don't necessarily mind.

Everybody's different, though. I hope you get a good deal on something you like.

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!

In my opinion, it ought to be a law that when hiking on narrow trails, people should be required to use hiking poles with turn signals mounted on them.

If one more newbie hiker hits me in the foot with his brand new pole, I'm pushing him and his gators into the palmetto bushes. :)

I have a pair of REI poles. What I have found as I have walked the woods is the sense of helplessness when my hands are strapped-in and I feel off-balance: I am afraid I will reach out, one way or another, to break a fall or a slip and be wedded to a long stick with a sharp point. So, I more often than not, just use them as a hiking staff by just gripping the handle and not using the straps. Maybe I'll get more accustomed over time and adapt better when I take more strenuous hikes.

1.) BD "flicklock" is the superior design.

2.) It's advisable to not wear wrist straps while crossing talus and similar surfaces.

I've tried using a pair of hiking poles but found that I really preferred using only one, leaving one hand free. After trying adjustable poles, I settled on a fixed-length staffs. My favorite is a hardwood broom handle, bought at a hardware store, about 5-6 in length, with a crutch tip screwed onto the bottom. The handgrip is made from parachute cord wrapped around the pole, and a wrist strap is attached through a hole drilled in the staff. On top of the staff is a Stoney Point binocular rest which comes in handy not just for bird and deer watching but also makes a convenient handle when I'm supporting myself with the staff while I'm walking up or down slopes. I also use the staff to lean against after a tough climb. I can put all my weight on it without fear of bending or breaking it.

I have Leki poles, and I really like them, for all the reasons cited above (I used them on the Wonderland Trail at Mt. Rainier, no problem!). A tip for short ladies: I bought the youth-sized Leki poles because they were perfect for my 5'1 height and much cheaper than the adult-sized poles.

I bought a pair of low-end Komperdell's on sale at Sierra Trading post some time ago. I find the extra push from the poles while hiking uphill to be of great value. I'm certain there is benefit from pole use on the flats and downhill, but I noticed the most benefit on uphill sections where I am slower than most turtles. Target sells cheap poles if you want something to try or go with old ski poles. The best benefit of my Komperdell's is they collapse for easy transport.

I have been using poles now for a decade. As someone with bad knees I have found them to be a great aid whether going uphill or down. I am on my second set of Leki sticks and let my hiking partners use the old, but still very servicable pair. My new ones are shockabsorbing and it is a feature I like for going downhill. I did have a pair of REI poles I snapped on the first day out while falling during a stream crossing. Not really the poles fault but when a similar incident happened with my first set of Leki poles it just bent them. It does lead to an earlier comment, before crossing talus or a stream it is best to remove the straps. Before I went to a pair of poles I hiked for a number of years with a single staff. Two poles I think are better.
Another great benefit of poles is that now that I carry a tarp instead of a tent on almost all hikes, the poles for pitching it are literally at my fingertips.

I have carried Leki Makilu poles for nearly 10 yrs now. Never had one slip or collapse. I am a 210 pounder so put a LOT of weight on them regularly. In addition to NOT using the straps, recommend the anti-shock for the trail hikers not only for the "give" when going down hill, but also easier on the wrists to those who are experienceing arthritis or carpal tunnel. I use mine when walking on the level to increase my stride length so at the end of the day the wrists can get "hammered". I've also used the "TRACKS" "Sur-Loks" with great success. My Makilu poles don't have a camera mount which the Sur Loks do. I bought my son and his wife Komperdells from REI. Both sets have failed!(collapses and both bent), they both have Makilus now.

I have a pair of leki makalu poles I love the cork grips because the don't give me blisters but I had a problem on snow with the locks un-screwing on one side. It took me a while to figure it out but the snow actuly twists the pole and loosens one side and tightens the other. so you need to rotate them to avoid this. My "pole shocks" no longer work and I found them to be little help when they did work.

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm

tells a lot about how to use whatever brand you end up with.

Quoting:

" It was great to actually see all the products and see how the size up and fit. Alas in the part of WV I live in there are no such stores."

It's really hard to describe how barren it is in these WV forests. I'd like to see one of those stores myself one day, being from central WV myself. I hear there's stores up north, but with the price of gas and driving a large V8 Dodge, I can't afford the arm or leg to venture up there.

Blackbeard

BTW, I don't do all that much hiking yet, but have ventured out a little with my WalMart $10 poles that are adjustable, shock absorbed, carbide tipped with two different covers and a medium basket. Made by ??? but seem to do quite well. Sort of got lost in my last post, sorry.

My wife likes hers also. She had a stroke and walks with a little difficulty still. They stand up to her occasional slips without bending and creasing - they're aluminum.

Blackbeard

Glad to hear you and your wife are getting out. Keep letting us know how things develop.

Wishing your wife a strong recovery, Blackbeard.

Thanks for the wishes and concerns, but alas, she actually uses her pole in place of a cane and still doesn't get out much except in the yard. I mentioned her as a testiment to how durable the poles are, as she loses her balance a lot, and places a lot of stress on that pole.

She switched doctors recently, though, and the first thing he did was get her off the dreaded Methadone, along with tons of other prescriptions. He then started all over with less severe meds, and built it up from there.

She's now on quite a few less drugs, and shows some life again.

Blackbeard

Good to hear Steve. I bet getting out even for a little bit is enjoyable. Your poles are a good example of an inexpensive solution. You could buy a dozen pair for the cost of a pair of Leki's.

BTW, as far as snow twisting the Leki's (another post above), I noticed the same thing once in a while. The BD Flicklock design is supposed to be better, but I already have the Leki's, so it isn't worth trading them in.