Leki Super Macalu - I highly recommend these. I've had them since 2008 without any issues.
Leki Super Macalu - I highly recommend these. I've had them since 2008 without any issues.
Black Diamond Flip lock poles work very well. Leki though so and copied their design.
Got my Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles about an hour ago. Thanks UPS man! I got the rubber tips, too. Nice! I love new gear!
Seems like good design. Light. easy to adjust. I really like the cork handles. The only thing I'm not sure about is those long adjustment tabs on the wrist straps. I don't think I'm going to like those flapping at my hands for 2000 miles. I might have to cut off some of the extra. Anyone else modified this model in such a way?
AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015
I also favor Leki poles like the ones others have already mentioned.
The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
Richard Ewell, CSA General
I have the same poles. I used them for a lot of day hikes and a 5 day AT hike last month. Those tabs didn't really bother me. I eventually came to LOVE those wrist straps. They are very deluxe and when used correctly are very helpful. My knee went a bit gimpy on that hike so I really leaned on these poles a lot. The straps are chiral (i.e right and left handed). Those little tabs indicate which is right and which is left. If I were to make a modification, I will mark somewhere more obvious on the pole which is right and which is left (a sticker on the top of the handle, e.g.) I would worry that cutting the tabs off might allow the loose end of the strap to come out of the slot it is threaded through. The end of the strap is wide to keep it in place.
BTW, I was told that rodents like to chew on the cork handles (I guess they are going after the salt). Not sure if anyone else had this problem - not been a problem for me yet. Storing the grips off the ground at night might help.
Thanks, OMO. I marked the straps first thing, in case I decided to cut the straps off. As you said, doing so would also require some extra modification to keep the strap from pulling through the handle.
I will definitely keep an eye on my handles. Thanks for the heads up.
AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015
Something else to worry about . . .
The tips likely won't make the trip. Plan on replacing them a time or two. On the BD poles they have long and short tips. The long tips bend and break quickly. Leki tips are easier to find but you can get BD tips off ebay and such.
I didn't know if I would like poles or not (and I'm cheap) so I bought some from Wal-Mart and used them happily for several years. Then... I tried friend's Leki poles. Wow,it was like driving a Porsche rather than a school bus. Last month I loaned some gear to a co-worker and he broke one of the Wal-Mart poles. Oh darn, now I need to buy a new set. (His son also pissed in my sleeping bag, but that's a different story...) Moral of the story, there is a difference between poles, and if you're cheap, don't try the expensive one.
Having had several of these over time, and being one of last hold outs using a lovely, hand oil finished, hickory walking staff for years, I broke down and got some trekking poles when I could not travel with my faithful hiking staff a number of year ago. The first pair was fairly cheap and acted that way (discount store type), notably the handles were small in terms of being able to get your hand into the proper handset for them and the wrist straps were cheaply made and caused chaffing and cutting on occasion. Even with that I noticed a big difference in my ability to move at a more set pace up and down steep grades.
From the first cheap pair, I have had good luck with both Komperdel (sp?) twist lock poles and Black Diamond quick lock poles. I do not like the cork grips, (for me) they tend to get slippery (slimy) in humid conditions. The Komperdel's and Black Diamond have a composite plastic material that dries literally in seconds if you can figure out how to use the poles with your fingers unwrapped from the grip. The other feature I like on the more expensive poles is the wrist strap. The backs of these are padded and the width slightly more than the cheaper type, with a better finished edge. This adds an unbelievable amount of small comfort over many miles of use.
For what its worth, there are some things one can be frugal with and some things perhaps they shouldn't. A lot depends on age and experience. I would never think of spending $100 for a set of trekking poles when I was in my mid twenties, nor would I have ever paid big money for boots when sneakers worked fine. Today at 60 with my experience I can say with reasonable clarity that "people of modest means cannot afford cheap gear". It will typically break down when you most need it.
Amen Brother. Buy quality once. My first and only set of poles are Komperdel twist locks from Sierra Trading Post. They work. I look at the fancy new stuff. I can not find a reason to spend big bucks to save an ounce or two. I am a twist lock fan. They work on camera tripods and poles.
Wayne
Eddie Valiant: "That lame-brain freeway idea could only be cooked up by a toon."
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Best pair I own are the Leki Poles. I also have a pair of REI poles that aren't bad, but Leki (to me) is better.
"I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue
Gossamer gear lt4 trekking poles are really nice they are super lightweight at around 4 oz per pole and are adjustable. They are durable just dont use to break a fall cause like with any poles they could break. I've been using mine for awhile now and love em. I have the black diamond carbon cork also but prefer the gossamer fear ones more.
Where can you buy pacer poles and what is the us dollar cost? Shipping to USA is about how much if not available in us. I do not like using the straps on most poles, all it takes is to fall once with your hand stuck in the strap.
Trekking poles for me just had two entering arguments. How heavy are they, I went with the lighter end, not the lightest. And oddly, the top of the grip being rounded. All the poles I have tried were comfortable using in the normal fashion but found that the ones with skinny tops got old when going down hill and I was holding them in the palm of my hand to stop the pounding on my knees. I am older, if your young you probably don't have to worry about your knees.
I agree with not securing the straps to your wrist. I grasp the hand grip and the strap in the web between my thumb and fingers. If the pole gets stuck, I can easily release the hand grip without releasing the strap and recover the pole by the strap without breaking my stride. I also can throw the poles away from me should I need to during a tumble.