Trekking Poles

[Shangobango]

Just wondering what the features are that make for a good trekking pole.

I am looking hard at the Sissy Sticks at this point but having never used trekking poles I really don’t know what I am looking at.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Light weight, cork handles, flip locks not twist locks

Bad


Good

 

[ccc23454]

I have several sets and the lock style is just prefernce they both work same as grip material just get what you like. My advice is get the right size, most people dont pay attention to this and just buy whatever they see and like feel of if they try them. I am a bigger guy and my favorite poles are leki sherpa xl's they are long enough when going downhill and tough enough to handle my weight plus extra load of a 100+pound pack, they work like a third leg(-joke here) so better be able to support your body. Every year i find broke poles laying around trails..those guys bought wrong poles!

 

[yacantski]

You'll pay a lot more but ultralight poles make a huge difference. I have helinox passports they fold up really small and are super light so I take them everywhere.

 

[Brandon270]

I agree with what was said above, light weight and flip locks are great. I got some carbon fiber ones from Amazon for about $80, I know these aren't the best you can get but I've abused them quite a bit for the past year and they have held up well. Its surprising how much they help going up and down the steep stuff, especially with a load.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I've had a lot over the years, my favorites are BD Alpine Carbon Cork. Fixed length are good too, just take a little getting used to.Twist locks haven't held up for me.

 

[EYJONAS!]

You guys must go harder than me I've had twist locks the past 4 or 5 seasons and they hold up for me.

I must not be punishing them or myself enough.

 

[1_pointer]

I agree with the flips over the twist. I have the twist. THey've not quit, but I've had to pull them apart and clean them out so they would adjust/hold properly. Not too hard at home, a nuisance in the field.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

I've been using the cascade mountain tech carbon tracking poles. Inexpensive and never had issues with them. Costco sells a two-pack for a reasonable price.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I agree with the flips over the twist. I have the twist. THey've not quit, but I've had to pull them apart and clean them out so they would adjust/hold properly. Not too hard at home, a nuisance in the field.

Yeah, they are a little high maintenance. I bought Komperdells because they were cheap. Gotten five years out of them, and will probably need to replace them in another year or two. Love the cork handles.

 

[Huntkook]

I've had a lot over the years, my favorites are BD Alpine Carbon Cork. Fixed length are good too, just take a little getting used to.Twist locks haven't held up for me.

I have the same poles. As everyone has said, light weight, flip lock and buy a good name brand. They'll last longer.

 

[hogcarpy]

I have the same poles. As everyone has said, light weight, flip lock and buy a good name brand. They'll last longer.

Agreed. I've used a lot of different trekking poles the last 20 years. I bought a lightweight set of REI carbon fiber poles because they were on an incredible sale. I didn't think the weight difference would be a big deal. I was wrong. I wouldn't go back to the heavier poles.

 

[MTLabrador]

The BD trail ergo cork have been my favorites. They have been durable and seem stiffer than the aluminum Lekis that I’ve used and bent on multiple occasions. I definitely prefer cork grips.

 

[thatsjet]

I have some cheapos I bought at Costco, twist style and they hold up fine. I probably don't put a lot of strain on them as I'm not a big dude and don't use them for constructing my shelter or anything so they're mostly for stabilizing me on downhills.

 

[skyfire]

I've had my BD alpine carbon cork trekking poles since 2013 - way before my hunting days when I was simply backpacking.
Only issue I've ever had was a rodent nibbling part of the salty cork grip off. I was fortunate enough to put an end to that before any real damage was done. The trekking pole still works great.

 

[Wildabeest]

I use Leki Black Diamond Carbon Cork. I love the cork grips. They absorb/shed moisture and just remain consistently comfortable regardless of how much you are sweating. Hard plastic grips get slippery when wet, and soft plastic always seems to deteriorate and shed plastic onto my hands. Carbon shafts are great to reduce weight and add strength. They are adjustable which is nice. Only complaint I have is that the adjustments clasps themselves cannot be tightened. They still work fine when the shafts are extended, but when everything is pushed in for storage they don’t really secure the shaft anymore. They’re not cheap, but I found them on sale at REI a few years ago for about $120. They have a lot of miles on them and still going strong!

 

[Wildabeest]

Apologies, they are Black Diamond brand, not Leki. My ski poles are Leki...

 

[Jape]

Another vote for flip locks and cork handles. I have some Leki’s with bright orange stripes (easily spotted) and love them. I prefer aluminum because they are nearly as light as carbon and if you have a carbon pole that gets bent it will likely shatter and be unusable, whereas aluminum is more likely to bend and you may still be able to use on a heavy packout.

 

[BrokenChicken]

i also use mine as shooting sticks, i've just crossed over handle loops and rested rifle on it.

 

[AggieHunter]

Have some lightweight black diamonds that fold down and worn good