View Full Version : REI Brand Hiking poles
hikergirl1120
02-06-2009, 13:54
Has anyone used any of their hiking poles and if so how did they stack up?
Someone recommended that I go with some Black Diamonds but they are double in price.
I think most REI poles are made by Komperdell. Black Diamond poles have a locking mechanism that many people like, but if you are thru hiking, I would recommend either going with Lekis, due to parts avalibility on the trail, or go ahead and buy a set of replacement tips for what ever brand pole you buy. Most people tend to have to replace them after 1000-1500 miles.
YoungMoose
02-06-2009, 14:17
i would of gotten black diamond ones
hikergirl1120
02-06-2009, 14:18
I haven't gotten anything yet...just cruising sales
Alligator
02-06-2009, 14:23
i would of gotten black diamond onesThat's what I did, but I just received them (BD Alpine CF from reioutlet.com). I haven't taken them out yet, but the straps are comfy. The flicklocks have a screw adjuster for the tightness.
I'm not a fan of the internal expander system.
I bought Black Diamond "Hiking" and we liked them so much I bought a set for my wife too. Now her's won't get nearly the use of mine as I am thru hiking in two weeks but it also provides me a spare set. REI put them on sale just before Christmas for $56 or so... now they are back up. If you are a REI member you should get your divident and 20% coupon in eary March... I will be on the trail so I guess my wife gets mine. We really like the locking mechanism as they are easy to use with any size gloves.
I used REI (Komperdell) polls for several years, no major problems. I now use PacerPoles and will not go back. These are unique and much more comfortable to carry all day. Check them out:
http://www.pacerpole.com/
I own top of the line Leki's that were given to me. They have the same kind of "twist to lock" mechanism that the REI poles have. I would throw them out and buy Black Diamond eliptical "Flick-Locks" in a heartbeat if the person who gave me them hadn't paid so much. IMO the flick-lock is a much better method of locking to poles.
Yes, REI poles are made my komperdell.
I have both the REI Summit poles and a set of top of the line REI Staff edition Titanal poles.
The titanal poles are far lighter than the Summits. The Summit poles were cheap if I remember correctly, not exactly suitable for a thru. I wouldnt hesitate with the the higher priced REI poles, such as the Titanal (I'm not even sure these are available to the public yet?)
Just my $.02
garlic08
02-06-2009, 20:49
I used REI (Komperdell) poles on my AT thru. I did have problems finding tips until I went to an EMS store in Manchester Center, since Komperdell makes their poles, too. I used the carbon fiber poles, got them on sale too, and they actually survived the AT to my amazement. I would never pay full price for them. The light weight was very nice on the long hike.
I own some Black Diamond backcountry ski poles and agree that their locking mechanism is the best.
I have owned some komperdells and some lekis. the komperdells got returned to rei. I had a very old leki several years back. i got spoiled by it so now i bought new lekis after returning the komperdells.
mtbmatty
02-07-2009, 12:06
i picked up a set of the black diamond poles this summer. i liked a lot of the features
1) the fliplock: you may need to tighten the screw every once in awhile ( no big deal ) i have a friend who has lekis with the twist lock(which are replaceable, not sure of the cost) but she has to stop and re-adjust them periodically
2)the grips: pistol grip on the top and extended foam beneath it , no need to adjust for going up hill or down you can just choke up or down on the grip.
3) i also thought the straps were comfy however i stopped using them when someone told me there is a possibility to get the pole stuck ( maybe in between some rocks) if it were to catch you off balance or in an awkward spot you could end up takin a spill. i'd much rather drop the pole than get dropped
4) 3 sections so they collapse down and become shorter for storage
as far as the tips the guy at REI said not to worry about them wearing out
i guess time will tell
not sure if the tips are replaceable
hikergirl1120
02-08-2009, 08:48
I bought the Black Diamond Trail poles. They were not $124....only $79.99 which was a lot better.
I haven't gotten out on the trail in the past two days but I do like the fliplocks (although they are really hard to lock, I almost thought I was going to break it....) I can see how they would be better than a twist lock design.
I got the same information about the tips at REI. The guy seemed to think that I wouldn't need to to worry about tips for a LONG time. Then again I had to practically beg him for any information....
garlic08
02-08-2009, 11:02
I bought the Black Diamond Trail poles. They were not $124....only $79.99 which was a lot better.
I haven't gotten out on the trail in the past two days but I do like the fliplocks (although they are really hard to lock, I almost thought I was going to break it....) I can see how they would be better than a twist lock design.
I got the same information about the tips at REI. The guy seemed to think that I wouldn't need to to worry about tips for a LONG time. Then again I had to practically beg him for any information....
If you're pushing that hard on the lock, try turning the adjusting screw 1/2 turn counter clockwise. You do need to adjust that screw every few months or so. And do not ever leave the locks unlocked--the screw can fall out if left untensioned.:mad:
I only use my BD poles for skiing, so I've never looked for new tips. But it's hard to believe they will never break. It's hard to believe any pole tips can withstand the millions of hits, some of them very hard, on a typical thru hike. They're listed for $6.95 on the website, why not have a spare set on hand?
If you are only casually hiking a few days a year, the REI Summits will be fine. But if you are looking at exteneded trips, pay the money for BD's.
The Summits were my first trekking poles ever. I had about 75 miles on them when I began my thru-hike 10 years ago. I broke the first trekking pole tip around 300 miles. I started breaking pole sections in Virginia. By the time I retired the poles in Delaware Water Gap, I had broken four pole sections (repaired with a tiny piece of hacksaw blade, flange gaskets and duct tape). I replaced it with cheap Leki Sports. I broke even MORE pole sections on this pair by Katahdin. I also had severe problems with the twist-locks locking up, making it impossible to collapse them when I needed to use my hands or to strap them to my pack for a hitch.
I've since tried Leki Makalu Pros and a whole range of Black Diamond poles. I've used them under harsh conditions (teaching NOLS courses with 70 pounds of gear and maneuvering off-trail, hiking the Colorado, John Muir, Tahoe Rim, and Benton MacKaye Trails, and just day-to-day training). The more expensive Lekis help up well, but still gave me problems with locking up. My Black Diamonds have never had a broken pole, and I've never had a problem with a section locking up and not letting me open or close it.
As for BD tips, I typically walk about 500 miles before one needs to be replaced, but I'm a big guy and I really pound my poles when hiking.
grillmastertoo
02-08-2009, 16:37
hey bearpaw---what bd poles do you hike with?
hey bearpaw---what bd poles do you hike with?
My favorites are probably the carbon fiber poles with 4 flicklocks. Light, and I love having all flicklocks in the design.
I've hiked most with the Contours. I like them, but the binary locks on the lower sections get a little crotchety after several hundred miles. I've got at least 1000 miles on them and they are fine, but I have to press a bit harder than I used to.
I also own the Spire Ellipse poles, but for some reason, I just never liked the feel of them. They were heavier and the hand grips were different than earlier or later models.
hikergirl1120
02-09-2009, 10:55
Ok so I bought the BD's for like $80 then I read another post on here and realized that they are $54 at the REI outlet. So needless to say I am making the exchange. They can't reimburse me becuase the description of the ones I bought do not include the word "closeout" even the woman at REI said there was no other difference AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that was really disappointing!! (and good at the same time becuase I saved $30 ha ha)
Ok so I bought the BD's for like $80 then I read another post on here and realized that they are $54 at the REI outlet. So needless to say I am making the exchange. They can't reimburse me becuase the description of the ones I bought do not include the word "closeout" even the woman at REI said there was no other difference AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that was really disappointing!! (and good at the same time becuase I saved $30 ha ha)I had a cheap down jacket that I got on closeout from REI for about 50 bucks. The zipper broke so I took it back and wanted to exchange. I was shocked when they wouldn't just exchange it for another one. The guy said that because it was on closeout sale that if I wanted another one I would have to pay full price (90 bucks). I just returned the jacket since it was useless and got my money back. After that I don't feel bad about returning anything to REI.
The good news is that when they discontinued them this past year they marked them down to 30 bucks in the january super clearance so I bought another one. I really liked that jacket so I am happy to have one again.
Now that you don't need to know any more, I hiked with the REI poles on my thru. A problem all the way. First, I became proficient at tightening them on the fly, then there was the planting the pole and having a section sucked out in the mud leaving me with a partial pole, THEN in NH they froze up. I got a replacement lower section in Monson as it was bent and lost the tip. After my thru I took them back to REI and told them they were not good. The sales guy asked "What have you done with these?" After telling him they hiked the AT, he gave me my money back while remarking that those poles wouldn't even make the "Scratch and Dent".
I have the BDs with the flick lock. What a great improvement! I've been tempted to buy another pair when they come up on steep and cheap for $35. 'nuf said.
I like the cane style handle with the ball on top only made by Komprendel
sbennett
02-10-2009, 14:23
I have the BD elliptical ones and think they're the absolute jam. They never loosen...ever.
SUL-fury
02-12-2009, 10:52
walmart just came out with a new set. they are 'outdoor products' and they are superior in design to the twist and tight poles, even lekis.
anyone forking out over 15 dollars on hiking poles has been had!
mtbmatty
02-12-2009, 12:44
you get what you pay for. pay now or pay later
i find it hard to beleive walmart sells anything that is good quality, or that is gonna provide long term durability.
to each their own, i guess i've been had
cow_rock_camper
02-12-2009, 19:46
yeah, you get what you pay for...
you can buy a fifty dollar pen, or a bic pen.
guess what, they both write.
hikergirl1120
02-13-2009, 09:10
yeah, you get what you pay for...
you can buy a fifty dollar pen, or a bic pen.
guess what, they both write.
I think the "you get what you pay for" is def applicable in certain situations but not in all....I mean you could buy shoes at Payless for $14 but I doubt they would make it very far down the trail.
Don't get me wrong I am all about saving money but I must admit that it is better to sometimes spend a little more because you can expect better quality / durability.
mtbmatty
02-13-2009, 11:35
i see it all the time at the bike shop i work at. people bring in their walmart P.O.S. bike and expect us to perform a miracle and repair it. i sometimes have to tell them that the cost of the repair exceeds the value of the bike. a lot of times they say thanks i'll just go and buy another one. i think that is probably the definition of insanity. a recent study was made that i read in an industry magazine, showing that a bike from a bicycle shop has an expected life of at least 10 years and the department store bikes 2 years.
anyhow, i think you'll be happy with your puchase HG1120