View Full Version : Outdoor Research Treckking poles?
Sailing_Faith
10-19-2011, 11:29
What is wrong with the Outdoor Research treckking poles (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Outdoor-Recreation-Group-Double-Trekking-Poles-With-Twistlocks/10928567)?
Yes, I know I will incur a certain scorn for purchasing gear from Walmart (I have some OR gear I got from Campmore already)...
Spending $18.88 can make sense if it saves money... but not if they are a problem and will just need to be replaced.... help me out here please.
Old Hiker
10-19-2011, 11:38
My son has given me one and I don't see any problems with it. I have not used it for any length of time, as I really like my wooden Scout staff. I don't trust the poles with my 200 pounds. I've seen my Wally clearance 2 of them for $7.50.
If you have any type of ice rink nearby, you may want to drop by and ask if they have any broken hockey sticks. These are very tough and light. You can cut them to the length you want and put a rubber crutch tip on them. I've not been able to bend or break them yet.
NOT Outdoor Research (OR). Big difference... I read your title and I was like, wow, OR is making poles now?!? Link clearly shows "brand" is Outdoor Recreation. Now, I have had Walmart poles for several years now and they are fine. Don't know if these are exactly the same, but they're probably pretty close.
Great idea on the hockey sticks, although not adjustable and couldn't keep them in my car like I do the poles.
fireneck
10-20-2011, 01:12
LOL!
If you're going the hockey stick route you could also use bike bar tape for a grip or a racquet ball "grip sleeve."
Doc Mike
10-20-2011, 07:03
If you buy the best you won't wish later that you had. There are several brands out there with a lifetime warranty, so you only have to invest one time.
atmilkman
10-20-2011, 08:03
If you buy the best you won't wish later that you had. There are several brands out there with a lifetime warranty, so you only have to invest one time.
Agree with this. I've got a pair of the ones that scope mentions from wally world and I slipped and stumbled one time and they saved me but I bent one real bad, straightened it as best I could, now its real hard to retract and expand. Have done the same with both my Black Diamonds and Lekis with no ill effect. I weigh 235lbs. and completely trust my BD's and Lekis but I'm afraid of the wally's. They have another brand called Swiss Gear which a friend of mine doesn't particularily care for because of the weak locking system. Now they might be allright for someone who unlike me doesn't weigh 1/8 of a ton. (lol)
Sailing_Faith
10-20-2011, 08:39
NOT Outdoor Research (OR). Big difference... I read your title and I was like, wow, OR is making poles now?!? Link clearly shows "brand" is Outdoor Recreation. Now, I have had Walmart poles for several years now and they are fine. Don't know if these are exactly the same, but they're probably pretty close.....
Scope,
Thanks for the catch, I admit I was faked out by the OR... I have bought some pretty good Outdoor Research gear over the years and was so glad to see it was being sold at Walmart I did not notice it was a knock off brand. :rolleyes:
Sailing_Faith
10-20-2011, 08:45
If you buy the best you won't wish later that you had. There are several brands out there with a lifetime warranty, so you only have to invest one time.
Always sound advice. I generally do, but there are two reasons I was thinking of 'cheaping out' here. I have never used poles, so I am not entirely sure I will like them.... so this is an experiment (for me). It seems like most folks use them and the knee stress is a significant consideration for me as I had a torn meniscus in my right knee years ago.
I am also pretty flakey, so there is something greater then a slight chance that I might lean a set of poles against a tree and forget that I ever had them... until much later. So being out $18.88 might affect my mood quite a bit less then $129.99.
Thanks to all for the input, sorry if I messed anyone up with the thread title / brand confusion.
Doc Mike
10-20-2011, 09:12
My leki's on steap and cheap were $59. That's only about double the price of the cheap ones. I'm 210 pounds and they have saved my knee's, buttocks, and head, more times than I care to remember.
clsvideo
10-20-2011, 09:15
My first trekking poles were from Walmart. They cost $14 for the pair. Not bad for just getting started. The main problem with mine was that the had a twist lock mechanism on them that sucked. As for their Outdoor Recreation products. I have their dry bags for separating stuff in my pack. They are cheap and they work great. I spent a total of 20 bucks on dry bags instead of 8 or 10 bucks a piece.
Sailing_Faith
10-20-2011, 09:18
My leki's on steap and cheap were $59. That's only about double the price of the cheap ones. I'm 210 pounds and they have saved my knee's, buttocks, and head, more times than I care to remember.
Thanks, I will keep an eye open for them. :) Steep and Cheap are my new 'click it every time you get on the net' site... between them and Woot.com I am constantly struggling against the 'impulse buy'..... (maybe not struggling hard enough). :)
I plan to spend a week or two hiking and am leaving in the next couple days so I am thinking the Outdoor RECREATION poles from Walmart will likely fill in until I find the right deal on something else.
Persistent
10-20-2011, 12:57
If you get the "OR" poles at Walmart, get the ones with flick locks rather than the twist locks. They are a little more expensive (I think $12.88 each) but the locks are so much easier to deal with and they re- tighten with a coin or screw driver. They may not last like the Leki's and are not as light, but your idea to try them out to see if you like them is a sound one.
Ladytrekker
10-20-2011, 16:52
I bought the Swiss gear from Gander really inexpensive compared to leki's. I kept thinking when these break I will get the leki's couldn't justify throwing them away. I have had them for 4 years use them every time I hike and they are still in perfect condition. So who needs the expensive ones I saved that for the extra on my sleeping bag because being cold a night bothered more than cheap poles.
clsvideo
10-20-2011, 19:27
I just got a pair of Black Diamond Distance poles for $70. They way just 12 ounces for the pair. I'll see how they hold up on my section hike. My friend got the carbon fiber version of the same pole. They weigh in at 9 ounces for the pair but were $40 more.
Sailing_Faith
11-11-2011, 21:52
Well,
After 2 weeks with these poles they worked great. They did cost me more then $18.88, since I had to replace them... I left them in the trunk of a car of a wonderful couple I hitchiked with to get from Loft Mt. back to my truck at Big Meadows.
Was glad I only contributed $18.88 to the cause, drove down to waynesbourough and gave WM another $18.88 for a replacement pair. :)
If some kind moderator could move this thread to the 'trecking poles' section of the gear forum I would be thankful. :)
My trekking poles are 2 sturdy sticks straight out of the woods. They were free and now have 800+ miles on them.
Echraide
11-12-2011, 04:57
One of my hiking buddies uses a single trekking pole from Walmart. It seems to have served him well for about two years now. He's happy with it.