Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork

Summary

Great pair of durable trekking poles!

I have had these pole for quite a few years now and have used them for numerous miles. Have never had a problem with the poles themselves or any hand discomfort what so ever. I use these to support my dining fly during rain storms and for eating and keeping gear dry and have never had a problem, even through heavy wind.

My old poles bent at the lower shaft performing the same function one night in a mild 15 mph wind/rain storm. If I ever do need another set of trekking poles, I will without a doubt be looking at BD's.

Summary

The Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork trekking poles work very well and are comfortable. They do a great job of helping me keep my balance while carrying large or shifting loads. I would definitely recommend these poles to others.

I had been considering getting a set of trekking poles for a couple of years, and when I found this set for less than $50, I decided it was finally time. I purchased them at the beginning of January, 2012, and here I am nearly three months later, and I've only had a chance to use them a couple of times. Thus, only 4 stars for now, due to the unknown longevity factor.  If they prove to be durable through the summer, I will definitely up the rating.

Immediately I could tell a difference between the quality of these poles and the quality of other trekking poles I've looked at in stores. Everything from the tips to the baskets to the locking mechanisms to the grips and wrist straps seemed much better quality on these Black Diamond poles.

I used these poles most recently on a hike with my three kids (all under age 5) and my wife. I carried our 2.5-year-old son in a Kelty backpack child carrier, and my wife carried our 5-month-old son in a front-pack carrier.  I gave her one of the poles to help her maintain balance over the uneven, narrow singletrack trail.  The flicklock mechanism works very well and made it easy to dial in the right length for each pole. After we finished our relatively short hike (probably only about 2.5 miles roundtrip), my wife wanted to get herself a pair of these poles.

The added stability a set of high-quality trekking poles like these provides while carrying a 35 pound pack of shifting child is very noticeable and comforting.   

Summary

Good pair of poles.

Trekking pole are nice on long hikes and a must for backpacking any real distance or, when facing serious elevation gains. I bought these for a hike through the Grand Canyon and started using them for practice and now I take them out almost every time. I couldn't have done the Grand Canyon without them.

These particularly are a great pair. The locks are both strong and easily adjustable.

I purchased the BD Ergo Cork trekking poles early last summer for a peak-bagging and hiking trip in Colorado. Have since used them also during regular hikes in northern Colorado, western Kansas, and south-central Missouri and NW Arkansas. Attractions at the time of purchase included the BD reputation, the Flick-Lock tightening mechanism, and the combination of an ergo hand angle with the cork grips. Concern at the time of purchase centered solely on the possibility of rapid wear of the cork grips.

The poles have functioned extremely well, giving excellent aid in balance and reducing cumulative stresses on lower extremities, knees especially. I've not experienced a single episode of slippage at tightened joints. The Flick-Lock apparatus is easily manipulated, even with gloves on.

The padded wrist loops are very comfortable. The grips remain in very good condition and are extremely comfortable, with one minor exception, that being the fact that the fit of my hand into the contours of the grip isn't as good as the rest of the experience--not at all bad, but short of truly superior. Almost certainly a factor of one grip size for all hands, and not enough to prevent my recommending these poles highly.

The Ergo Cork trekking poles do not have shock-absorbing devices, and this may be an issue for some, but I liked the feel for the terrain provided by a non-shock-absorbing system, and I prefer knowing that I don't carry the added weight of such or lose energy in it, either. After up to 6-9 miles per day of use on serial days, I've not yet experienced any hand discomfort, tingling, etc., due to vibration, etc.

I've had a couple operations on my knee (one was 20 years ago and the other 15 years ago) and had resigned myself to wearing a knee brace whenever I did any hiking. I picked these poles up because I really didn't want to wear my brace and I wanted to see if these would work well enough to not have to wear my brace again ...

These poles worked wonderfully for me!! I did an 8 mile hike with 30 pounds in my pack (with out my knee brace on) and it felt like I had done a 2 - 3 mile hike ... and with out any knee issues that I would normally get. I usually take a 5 minute break on the hour, but I went 90 minutes between breaks and felt like I could have gone further between breaks.

The 15 degree angle that the hand grips have, along with the cork material, make for a very comfortable grip. I had no blisters or sweaty palms.

These poles are definitely going on my required list for day and multi-day hikes.