Black Diamond Trail

Summary

Very secure. I use them with confidence.

I've been using these extensively for several months. They have been very reliable with full backpack weight —65+lbs and moving quickly.  I'm very confident with these descending steep slopes.

There is a particular way to adjust the strap, but, once set, it stays in place.

I also have seen absolutely no slippage in the locking mechanisms even in steady rain.

The tips and baskets are still solid after more that 50 days of use - occasionally on gravel.

I was going to purchase Lekis initially, but a knowledgeable sales guy convinced my to buy these. While they aren't sleek looking Lekis, they are a very reliable piece of gear.

Summary

Great for smallish hands (guy and gal). Very compact and comfortable shock system. I would recommend this product.

Great fit for my hands. I'm 5'6". These poles are easy to maintain and saved my ACL-less right knee on a 3-day backpacking trip on the AT.

Work great paired with the rubber tips. Very compact. They dropped a few times when I carelessly propped them and only had one set of scratches at the end of it. Lower grips were great on uphill climbs. Flick Locks were easily adjustable.

I can't say enough about these hiking poles. After many years of backpacking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks my knees started acting up. I really thought my hiking and backpacking days were over. Then my wife bought me these for my birthday and all I can say is lets HIKE! I can do more miles now than I ever did before. I can literally hike with a full pack on, all day now.

I would say my only complaint about them is the material on the handles gets slimy when I get sweaty. And that's why I gave them 4 outta 5 stars...

All I can say is "Flicklock". I tried these out after another brand with the old twistlocks failed on me during a snowshoe trip. Try making it down a mountain with a foot of fresh powder and poles that collapse every time you put any weight on them. When twistlocks fail, you're done as the adjustment occurs when you lock the poles and if that doesn't work, it means the hardware failed. The Flicklock systems is much simpler and external so you can easily adjust or diagnose any hardware problems.

Aside from the great BD locking system, these poles are light, strong, and comfortable. The handles are soft and comfy as well as the straps. I often find myself leaning into the straps to rest because it's so comfortable and sturdy.

Used these on a recent trip to the Red River Gorge, KY. Grips and straps are extremely comfortable. One pole length actually slipped once during a fall, but I was able to tighten the locking mechanism with a phillips screwdriver and worked just fine after that. I highly recommend them.