Rigid Trekking Poles

Reviewed by FromSagetoSnow

  Great poles for the mountains Trekking poles have come a long way since the days of using old ski poles. I’ll admit that I resisted them for a long time, just assuming that they were nothing but extra weight and expense. While I seldom use them on easy, family hikes, I find them indispensable on climbing approaches and mountain hiking.  While these poles aren't cheap, Leki has addressed the problem of weight and stowability all while making some fantastic poles with the Makalu FX Carbon poles.

Read more: Leki Makalu FX Carbon review (1)

Featured review by Yul

These poles are as tough as it gets. I hiked around 1,000 miles in the last six months and I’m glad I had these poles to support me. These are so durable I never even had to tighten the screws of the Flicklocks! I hiked while carrying an average weight of 36 pounds (16 kilos) and in all types of terrain, but the majority of it were granite and other igneous rocks.

Durability Brilliant, superb, outstanding! There were numerous times I had put all of my weight on these poles and they never bent or seemed like they are going to. I threw them down slopes, dragged them on gravel roads and rock slabs and nothing broke, nothing turned loose. The flicklocks never failed! Neither did I ever have to tighten the screws, for 1,000 miles! That’s unbelievable in my point of view. The carbon tips seem like they will stand at least another 1,000 miles and though there is evident wear to them, it’s not nearly what I would expect it to be.

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Featured review by Mackaym

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.

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Featured review by Brian Nordberg

A beautiful pole that takes a beating, but the form over function of the flick lock design loses points. This is the 95-125 cm Women's version.

When the porcupine bites on my wife's 7 year old BD poles started to become annoying, we started looking for another set. These 7 year old poles have been champs with thousands and thousands of miles. And only a few issues. So we decided to grab a pair of the new Black Diamond Women's alpine carbon cork poles. At 5'2" the smaller size and weight limit means a lighter pole. And at 5'9" I was also able to use the poles without issue, but I had to extend them to their max. So we cannot recommend these if you are over 5'9" Old vs new The all carbon shaft is amazing at absorbing shock.

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Featured review by Herdingcats

My age betrays me. Before buying these poles I thought of trek poles as an experiment for me. I assumed that I would end up giving them to someone else. Nope, that's not going to happen since I now love them. In fact, I've let four people try these, and exactly four of them have now bought a pair for themselves.

Trekking poles and walking staffs are certainly nothing new. Historically I've regarded them as things that an athletic young fella wouldn't benefit from. Turns out, while I am still making an effort to be athletic, I'm pretty clear that I'm not young any more. Happens to all of us.  :) In the last year or two I've been making many changes to my gear and general approach to hiking / backpacking, so I've been trying to stay open to ideas about all gear. Trekking poles were at the top of the list of items that I didn't think I would need, but that were highly recommended.

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Reviewed by Aris Kondylides

Very good, three-section aluminum trekking poles for trekking and year-round mountaineering. Sturdy and relatively light, feel dependable, and delivered with multiple baskets. Great price tag and the cost/quality ratio. 550g / 1 lbs 4 oz | Open, Max: 140 cm / 55 in | Collapsed 62.2 cm / 24.5 in

I was looking for a trekking pole to cover my needs for at least three-season use, and I generally accept something a little heavier to gain durability (and dependability). After some research I went with these poles, which are not widely well-known apparently, as other brands have the lion's share of the market and many buyers go by the reviews online to play it safe (completely understandable). Trekking poles fully retracted Trekking poles, fully open (right) and fully retracted (left) I was pleasantly surprised by this pair of trekking poles, which are three-section poles, made entirely of aluminum (MSR mentions the "light, high-strength 7075 aluminum lower sections").

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Reviewed by Jonathan Contreras

Indispensable, durable, lightweight trail tool for hiking, trail running, and backpacking.

Possibly my favorite piece of gear. Hard pressed to find a situation where I do not bring along these poles since they are so light and portable.  Fit is determined by height of user. Come in a couple of different sizes, I use the 120mm model which is the size recommended for my height. Grips and straps are very comfortable, I tend to use with gloves and have noticed absolutely no chaffing or pain. Only problem with grips and straps is if you remove the straps they are difficult to put back on (straps are L or R handed, the grips are the same)  Pole is non-adjustable, which accounts for the incredible light weight of the product (no moving parts).

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Featured review by Bill S

The Cascade trekking poles are a very good design and construction. They appear to be very durable long-term. They are certainly a bargain for the price, delivering good performance, as good or better than many better-known, higher priced poles.

Background: The conventional wisdom is that poles provide better balance, promote rhythm when hiking, and “4 points on the ground”, especially on steep, rough trails, when carrying heavy loads. I have been using poles since I was very young, first as sticks I picked up along the trail, then single purpose-made staves (made from bamboo or various woods), often decorated with little plaques that showed where I had hiked. I will have to say that my favorite hiking staff is the one presented to me when I retired as Scoutmaster of Troop 5.

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Featured review by Redstratrich

I am a convert. After a couple of back to back hikes in the backcountry over washed out trails, through landslides and dozens of deadfalls with a loaded pack over steep 1,000 - 2,000 ft elevation changes I decided to give my creaky knees a break. I have had good luck with BD products and the flik lock system seems to be the better option for on the move adjustment and I preferred the BD fit and texture of the grips. Also I have to admit the price point was attractive to me because I struggled with the idea of paying for a walking stick, but now I wish hadn't delayed the purchase.

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Reviewed by Brian Nordberg

The best of the inexpensive pole lineup from Cascade Mountain Tech.

Many years ago, while in the North Cascades, I sprained my ankle. It was 7 steep miles back to the car. My wife had trekking poles and loaned them to me so I could "crutch" down the mountain. With the help of the poles, I survived and have been using poles ever since. I have pairs from Komperdell, Leki, Black Diamond, and three different versions from Cascade Moutain Tech: the aluminum, standard carbon fiber (CF), and the 3k carbon fiber version.  The 3k is the lightest of the three at 8 ounces per (plus 1 ounce of duct tape I added).

Read more: Cascade Mountain Tech 3K Carbon Fiber Quick Lock Trekking Poles Cork Grip review (1)