View Full Version : Trekking Poles MSR Overland Carbon or Leki?
irritable_badger
01-04-2006, 19:25
I have never used a set of trekking poles but I am going to give them a try on my hike this year. If I don't like them I can just send them home but I hear lots of good things.... Does anyone have any experience with the Overland Carbon poles from MSR? They are really lightweight and my experience with carbon equipment in other, non-hiking, venues has been great. They are priced competitively with Leki as well. What appeals to me most about the MSR poles is the natural shock reduction associated with composites; no moving parts and greatly reduced weight. I see a lot about the Leki poles and I am not trying to buck a traditionally good product, I just wanted some input/suggestions from others.
The MSR poles can be found here: http://www.msrcorp.com/poles/overland_carbon.asp
dje97001
01-04-2006, 19:31
We found some EMS-Komperdell co-branded air-shock, carbon poles at EMS and they are in a similar price range and weight class. I love them. They are a lot lighter than most lekis out there and they felt much more stable/substantial than the lightest weight lekis I tried (those actually felt way too flimsy). I've taken a few spills and the poles didn't snap, bend or dent when I thought they would completely break (i.e. my body weight fell on them while they were pinched between rocks). So this is more of a vote for the carbon route.
greentick
01-04-2006, 20:12
I just got some REI-Komperdell carbon poles. Will be taking them out tomorrow for a few days. They are light. Will keep you posted. I think REI has the non-antishock poles on sale right now.
Log onto www.ula-equipment.com (http://www.ula-equipment.com). The Pacerpole feels so much better in your hand with the ergonomic grip! Instead of the" broomstick" grip, your weight is on the heel of your hand. They have a carbide tip, rubber tip and snow baskets. Read the info from the manufacturer in Great Britain (www.pacerpole.com)and (http://www.pacerpole.com%29and) see how the bio-mechanics work. There's more to it than just walking with two sticks.
Bassline
01-05-2006, 17:53
Leki has some of the best customer service in the outdoor industry. My Super Makalu's with the cork grip have seen a lot of action, and still havent let me down. I would go with the Leki's, but I think the real important thing is that you are indeed using trekking poles. They make hiking a lot easier.
A friend of mine, at trail days, had his poles repaired at the Leki tent. $70 dollars worth of parts, free. They also cleaned mine. Now that's customer service!