HikeArizona.COM

I need a new pair ... suggestions?

light, durable, cheap

pick any two

I had a pair of cheap, durable REI brand poles that served me very well for many years and many miles. I am now considering the BD Alpine Carbon Cork I saw in the REI mailer ... they look awesome, but I don't really want to drive all the way to Phoenix to try them out. I haven't used carbon poles before, nor the "Flicklock" type adjusters.

I've carried a pair of Leki Maluka (SP?) for many years and miles. They have a life-time guarantee against splitting, and Leki has replaced all 4 lower segments. The rubber handles are getting kind of skanky lately, too much toxic salty sweat I suppose. The handles aren't guaranteed. If or when I replace them, I would be hard pressed for a reason to go with a different brand.

Black Diamond are more expensive and to be honest I am not really happy with them. Despite adjusting the tension screws on the levers which control the telescoping, the levers still pop out of place, unprovoked, causing the pole to suddenly contract. Could be disconcerting on a tricky ascent/descent. My solution was to duct tape them into a single position, but for $100+ a customer should expect more.

http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=291125

kingsnake wrote:Black Diamond are more expensive and to be honest I am not really happy with them. Despite adjusting the tension screws on the levers which control the telescoping, the levers still pop out of place, unprovoked, causing the pole to suddenly contract. Could be disconcerting on a tricky ascent/descent. My solution was to duct tape them into a single position, but for $100+ a customer should expect more.

http://hikearizona.com/photo.php?ZIP=291125

I, on the other hand, have had pretty good luck with my Black Diamond that I've had since the spring of 2009. Black Diamond replaced one of my clips that wasn't working well and in fact, gave me the other one so I would have a matching set. Their service was top notch for me as I asked them if I needed to buy new poles or could I buy the replacement parts and instead, they just sent me the parts for free. If you're interested, I can get you the name of the specific Black Diamonds I have.

Angela

I recommend that you avoid carbon fibre.

I tried acarbin fibre set several years ago and had them break when I was catching myself from falling. The break was near the handle and left a knife sharp point which with a little bad luck could have sliced my wrist.And yes I did fall as they broke suddenly with most of my body weight on them.

In similar situations with my Leki aluminum poles they just bend rather than break which gives you a chance to save yourself. Bottom line: Carbon fibre breaks while aluminum bends (and bends back so you can continue most of the time).

As for other features the external clamps are easier to maintain and adjust. You have to keep either tyype clean and adjusted however. I have not found the springs to be very helpful in cushioning and probably not worth the extra cost.

I have only had limited experience with snow so you probably want to consider a set that easily changes to the snow size cup.

Good luck - you have lots of good product to choose from

JR1

PS: I use the clip stick as a nice monopole when approach hiking. almost as good as the Leki but only $10 at home depot

Thanks for the input everyone.
I have never felt the need for springs/shock absorbers ... and I didn't think that my old cheap REI poles were too heavy, so maybe I will stick with something more like them rather than pay twice the price for fancy carbon after all.

I've destroyed two pairs of Leki's; they are good, took unbelievable abuse, used as pry bars and as handline anchors. I tried a Black Diamond pair that are very lightweight for backpacking. Just got a new pair that are very light but beefy, it's a company I had not heard of, starts with an H like Helicon or something like that. Aircraft aluminum and look easy to adjust. Haven't tried them yet. Less than Black Diamond and most Leki's.

I have two different pair of Lekis......a pair of Voyagers that are at least 7 years old and have been through heck and back...love these because they have a "pin" locking system. Don't think they make these anymore. I also bought a pair of Leki Makalu titanium about 4 years ago and these are OK but they are the twist until tight kind and I've had some issues with them not staying tight. All in all I do like Lekis

Trish

i adjust my poles for flat ground, and set them that way for any hike.. and as a result i've learned to hike without adjusting my poles. usually i'll go a dozen miles and only adjust them for pitching my tarp, or other reasons. for steep terrain (siphon draw, etc.) i use my hands. poles go away.

that being said, use what works for you. what works for me are the http://www.rutalocura.com/trekking_poles.html (used to be Titanium Goat) poles.
super ultralight. not for everyone.

pricey, yes. stupid light, YES.

Yeah, I am not a big pole adjuster either ... I do like poles with extended foam sections below the grips for that reason.

Probably 6-7 years ago I bought a single pole for $9.99 and although had no issues with it keeping an adjustment, I hated it. It seemed like it was in the way more than useful so I put it away and hadn't used it in years.

But now with steadily worsening of arthritis, the little cartilage I have left in my left after surgery along with my growing penchant for off-trail and peak bagging hikes I've grown somewhat used to using the single pole. If 75-100% of a hike is flat, I won't even bring it along but when I do bring it, I will adjust the length quite frequently, sometimes within a few minutes. When climbing more or less straight up I have it quite short, straight down I lengthen it and traversing across slopes I'll have it in the mid-range, holding it in the down-slope hand. Yet as beat up as it has become and much as I adjust it (I'm sure over a hundred times on the last peak bag) just twisting it to a moderate tightness it stays tight.

Unfortunately, trying to find a cheap but still decent pole (so Tracey has something to use as well) is a bit of a challenge. I just bought a pair of what seemed to be the cheapest yet good adjustment holding ($19/pr on sale @Big 5... Sportsman's Warehouse was completely sold out due to their sale) and while that part is great, the rubber tips will be gone after 3-4 hikes. Compared to that I'm pleasantly surprised how well the tip (clear, must be some time of pliable plastic) of my original pole has held up.

Costco down here (CC & Baseline) has 2-packs for around $25 again. Fully adjust, shock and extended grips. Mine weight about 1/2 lb each, got them last year and they've been great, especially having the extended grip.

Not that that helps you up there! But maybe you have some Valley connections!?! If not, let me know!

After how poorly the NorthPak Outdoor poles I bought last month fared I decided to take another shot at getting something decent. (I had bought them during a short period of 'trekking pole sale season' when supplies were very limited) So I stopped back in to see my buddy Dave at Sportsman's Warehouse for some ideas. He wasn't in but it only took me a few minutes to check out their wide selection of poles... from $25 to $160(for a non-adjustable pair)!! I took only a minute or so with each set, changing the length back and forth to see how well they worked for my use. None of the twist-to-adjust length poles were to my liking. Then I tried the only set with a single clip adjustment and within seconds I knew I had the answer. They were Black Diamond Syncline's with flick-lock adjustment.

They listed for $69.95 but had a red-tag sale price of $35. A bit more than I paid for the NorthPak poles but now after three solid workouts with plenty of climbing including many length-changes, I would recommend them to anyone. Only one thing about them that didn't suit me perfectly was the metal tips (carbide?) whereas I wanted something with a softer, stickier end for gripping on rocky ground. But I remedied that by slipping on a short length of 3/8" fuel-line hose and it has worked fine. If I ever need the spike end I just slip off the hose.

HIKING poles. (That word, "trekking" is so.........East Coast yuppie.... Out here in the West we go hiking.)

@azbackpackr
Whatever.

azbackpackr wrote:HIKING poles. (That word, "trekking" is so.........East Coast yuppie.... Out here in the West we go hiking.)

Actually, I'm with you. But if I plugged in 'hiking poles' when searching through various sites, sometimes I wouldn't even get a single result, which baffled me... until I plugged in 'trekking poles'. So whether I liked the term or not, it worked.

it's not east coast anything. it's a term borrowed from Europe, where MOST hiking poles are made.

good thing they're not from New Zealand, they'd be "tramping" poles

hey Liz, you wanna go Tramping? lol

All so called trekking poles do for ya is make ya a four legged drive hiker !