View Full Version : Help, a rock chuck ate my trekking poles!!
astafford
06-20-2016, 17:20
Bought an expensive pair of Black Diamond trekking poles for my Maine to NY section hike this August. Been using my older pair but broke out the new ones for a hike to fish an alpine lale in the Big Horn Mtns. Left the poles with my pack while fishing and returned to find most of the cork chewed off by a marmot. Called BD and they told me there are no replacement parts for handles and I should be more careful where I leave them!! Thinking about trying silicon caulk to fill in voids and wrap with some type of tape. Cork is chewed off completely to pole in some spots. Any suggestions???
MuddyWaters
06-20-2016, 17:26
There is foam like putty at hobby lobby, like modeling clay. It dries. I woul mold it in missing areas, mold to hand, and let dry. After dry, glue into place.
orthofingers
06-20-2016, 17:27
Bought an expensive pair of Black Diamond trekking poles . . . . cork chewed off by a marmot.
Should have bought marmot poles!
astafford
06-20-2016, 17:32
I was waiting for that comment. There is a great advertising idea with this story.
cmoulder
06-20-2016, 17:41
Bought an expensive pair of Black Diamond trekking poles for my Maine to NY section hike this August. Been using my older pair but broke out the new ones for a hike to fish an alpine lale in the Big Horn Mtns. Left the poles with my pack while fishing and returned to find most of the cork chewed off by a marmot. Called BD and they told me there are no replacement parts for handles and I should be more careful where I leave them!! Thinking about trying silicon caulk to fill in voids and wrap with some type of tape. Cork is chewed off completely to pole in some spots. Any suggestions???
If you measure the poles' top section diameter you might find some other manufacturer whose grips fit the poles. It also helps if you provide the BD model information, etc. (photos of the damage)
saltysack
06-20-2016, 17:54
I read a post somewhere where a Gossamer gear handle will fit a carbon cork BD pole.....Sticks Blog I believe?
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I read a post somewhere where a Gossamer gear handle will fit a carbon cork BD pole.....Sticks Blog I believe?
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Measure your pole outside diameter. The GG grips fit a pole with about a .56" diameter. Even if your poles are slightly larger or smaller I would buy a set of GG grips for $22.50 and end up with a like new set.
astafford
06-20-2016, 18:02
BD flick lock alpine carbon cork
35257
rocketsocks
06-20-2016, 18:04
There is foam like putty at hobby lobby, like modeling clay. It dries. I woul mold it in missing areas, mold to hand, and let dry. After dry, glue into place.yup, wood dough
rocketsocks
06-20-2016, 18:05
If it starts to dry out on ya while yer working it, just add a drop of alcohol.
MuddyWaters
06-20-2016, 18:43
yup, wood dough
Cept what i refer to is like eva foam
Four years ago I had a similar loss on the CDT in Glacier. One of my hiking poles holds up the vestibule on my tent. Just before I dropped off to sleep I saw a rabbit near my tent. Woke up to find all the black rubber chewed off the handle. Once back in East Glacier bought some black electrical tape. Built up the voids then re-wrapped the handle like you'd do for a baseball bat, layer after layer, stretching the tape and wrapping. It's held up so far. This method worked for the black rubber, not sure how'd it work with cork and electrical tape.
MrsGorp
cmoulder
06-20-2016, 18:57
yeesh, those are some expensive poles...
The GG grips are 13mm inside diameter. Could probably force them on over 14mm, but not much larger.
They are also EVA foam, not cork, But I think I would consider slicing off the rest of the cork and cutting down (very carefully!) some GG grips to fit that space. Are the tops of the poles secured by some sort of expander?
Critters chew 'em for the salt, btw.
cmoulder
06-20-2016, 19:58
Alternatively, you could replace those sections with some fly-fishing pole grips, available from many places, such as Mud Hole (http://www.mudhole.com/Components-Rod-Building/handles-grips-components/Fly-Rod-Handles-Components)...
Depending upon measurements, might be able to get a longer fly rod grip and make two pole grips from it, shaping with a Dremel drum sander.
astafford
06-20-2016, 20:19
Keep the ideas coming. I think I'm scrapping any type of filler idea. I am going to shave off the remainder of the cork, measure pole diameter and see how the end knob is attached.
saltysack
06-20-2016, 20:23
Keep the ideas coming. I think I'm scrapping any type of filler idea. I am going to shave off the remainder of the cork, measure pole diameter and see how the end knob is attached.
As malto and I said....
https://sticksblog.com/2013/12/29/gg-lt-grips-on-my-bd-acc-poles/
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saltysack
06-20-2016, 20:26
His look like previous generation so not sure if will work....I have the same ones as you...love mine but bummed about not selling replacement cork grips....
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Feral Bill
06-20-2016, 20:38
Maybe cork tape made for bicycle handlebars would be of help.
Berserker
06-21-2016, 09:21
Man, I had a similar thing happen several years ago on the AT in NC. Used one of my poles to pitch a tarp for a hang out area because it was raining, and when I got up the next morning something had chewed almost the entire foam grip off of my Leki pole. I can only hope that sucker got a bad stomach ache, whatever it was. At any rate, my immediate fix was some duck tape, which actually worked fairly well.
I think as someone suggested above something like the grip tape used for bicycle handle bars or maybe the stuff used for a tennis racket grip would probably work pretty well.
Rain Man
06-21-2016, 13:13
... when I got up the next morning something had chewed almost the entire foam grip off of my Leki pole.
Not sure about critter damage, but Leki has replaced sections of my poles several times over the years, whenever damaged, at no charge.
DuneElliot
06-22-2016, 16:31
Nothing to do with your hiking poles...but any interest in going hiking with someone else? I'm just up in Story and ALWAYS looking to go hiking. Heading up to Sherd Lake and beyond tomorrow with family (dad wants to fish).
You ever done the Solitude Loop Trail? I'm planning on doing it at the beginning of July.
SUGRU (R) goes on like playdoh (R) but dries Hard(ish). I got it on my cook pot handle. Be sure to give it 24 hrs to set/dry. Comes in quite a few colors & can be mixed to make different colors.