zPacks Carbon Fiber Staff - First Impressions
I ordered a zPacks Carbon Fiber Staff during their December sale and finally got a chance to test it out on a short hike this weekend. Here are some first impressions for this interesting alternative to trekking poles.
First, I should mention that my interest in the staff was triggered by my purchase of a zPacks Altaplex tent which requires either a trekking pole that extends to 58-60" or a trekking pole extender. My Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork poles do not extend that far so I would have had to either buy longer trekking poles or the extender. Instead of doing either, I decided to try out the carbon fiber staff which, at 60", is the correct size pole for the Altaplex.
My initial impression is that this is a promising, yet somewhat quirky, option for hikers who are not wedded to the idea of having two trekking poles in their hands. I've gone on hikes in Europe (hut to hut in the Alps and the Camino) where I did not carry poles at all so I was open to the idea and actually liked having my hands free. The staff keeps one of my hands free at all times.
In terms of comfort, I found it somewhat awkward to grip the staff because there is no foam or cork material to hold onto. I was wearing gloves on this hike and the staff seemed less secure in my hands than a trekking pole. On a positive note, the fact that I could grab the staff at any location made it easy to adjust the placement of my hands depending on whether I was hiking uphill or downhill.
The staff weighs just 7.5 ounces compared to 18 ounces for my trekking poles so that's a pretty big difference. It sets up the Altaplex very nicely and the staff is far stronger than a trekking pole would be extended to its limits or coupled with the extender.
However, this efficiency must be viewed against the fact that the staff is a single point of failure for the shelter system. If lost or broken, the staff won't be usable to erect the shelter and some other solution will need to be found. In contrast, if you break a trekking pole, you still have the other one to use for putting up a tent. This indeed was the case for me in 2014 on the Colorado Trail. One of my poles broke but I had the other pole available.
At $125, the cost is another negative but it isn't that bad compared to the cost of two trekking poles.
I am considering customizing the staff with cork material on the area that I normally hold to provide a better feel and grip. That might add an ounce but could be worth it.
Another plus of the staff vs. pole is that zPacks says that the staff won't be flagged in airport security checks unlike hiking poles. I'm a big fan of carrying as much of my critical gear on flights as I possibly can.
Anyway, these are my initial impressions after just a short hike - would be interested in the experience of others with this staff.
