Looking to upgrade my poles. I have some older REI Made by Komperdell.
Looking for cork handles, anti shock, flip locks, and must be able to use as a tent support.
What you guys think?
Looking to upgrade my poles. I have some older REI Made by Komperdell.
Looking for cork handles, anti shock, flip locks, and must be able to use as a tent support.
What you guys think?
Leki have always worked great for me and I also use one as a fly fishing wade stick.
I would avoid cork at all costs as I'm on my fourth black diamond alpine cork pole and this inevitably happens over time---
Attachment 47676
A better option would be to get something with a hard rubber handle---as the cork in my example cannot be replaced.
And at how many nights/miles have these cork handles failed you?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tipi Walter
And, if I continue hiking and backpacking with my poles for the rest of my life, will I ever achieve enough nights/miles to have my cork handles do that same thing?
FWIW, I don't actually use cork either. I prefer the foam grips. However, I would rather have cork than hard rubber as the hard rubber is not nearly as comfortable as cork or foam and they cause blister issues for me on occasion.
As to the OP, the Black Diamond poles that have the elastomer shock absorber in them have proven to be lighter, quieter, and more reliable than most other shock poles.
I have leki with cork but they dont make that model anymore
FWIW - If using the pole for tent structural support, it may be better to use a hard grip like rubber or composite as opposed to cork. These are easier to wash off quickly to get food remains or salt from sweat removed. I have seen a lot of cork handles chewed up by small critters for the salt in them, many of these were used as tent supports. Having had some failures of carbon fiber poles with lateral pressures, I am not sure if these would be as well suited to become tent supports as aluminum poles would be but since I don't use poles for tent support that's just an opinion.
Beyond tent support, my experience with cork from three different trekking pole makers over time has not been good. Chunks of cork have been torn loose when dropped on rocks (sometimes a gentle fall did it), hand sweat on some of these made grips "greasy", some taking a long time to dry out, and in relatively short time started looking like the photo Tipi Walter has above. My last cork grip set never made it past warranty. Though missing some hunks of cork will not bother some folks, few things for me are as uncomfortable or annoying than a gouge from a missing hunk of cork where fingers want to lay and can chafe on the ruined edge.
Rubber grips are blister factories in warm months, so I tend to avoid them in summer. I do have a pair of rubber grip, aluminum poles for winter use and snowshoeing since the grips don't hold moisture and provide a "positive" grip that will not slide when stability is necessary. Also, after having some carbon fiber poles break under more rugged winter conditions (lateral stress loads) I have moved back to aluminum for winter use or if doing a hike with more than a little bushwhacking involved.
I prefer the "foam" grips on poles, though these can include a fairly broad range of feel to them, from a composite-like firmness to gradients of yield under hand pressure from minor to very gentle. The only drawback would be moisture retention, but with the straps properly used, I can open my hands to dry them and allow the grips to dry as well.
When looking for poles, the first consideration should be how they fit your hand, secondary consideration is how well suited they are for tent support or other uses. I find it difficult to purchase trekking poles from a catalogue even if I know exactly what brand and materials I want. Grips come in all kinds of shapes and materials that may look fine in a photo, but once in hand you find fingers want to lay just north or south of a grip bump that I can nearly instantly tell it will be a problem. The only way I can make a purchase assessment is to put them in hand and walk around with them a little before purchase.
Is flip lock even compatible with antishock? Examples?
ski poles from good will...
dead branch found on the trail...
sounds good but not ideal for someone that wants to also use them to prop a tent up.Quote:
Originally Posted by camper10469
For that it is much better to have adjustable poles so that you can get the right tension for the situation.
Anyway, looking for and carrying a branch might "get old" after the first few times.
Yes. In the ones I have seen, the antishock feature is where the shaft meets the grip.Quote:
Originally Posted by trailmercury
Personally, I don't like anti shock. I find it unnecessary extra weight that can fail. Also, while twist licks are frequently dismissed, I really like my Fizan Compacts. These have a very different type of twist lock mechanism that is very simple and reliable. Their minimalist design makes them very light. After starting with full featured heavy BD Alpine Ergo Corks, I came to appreciate the ultralight simple alternative.
https://www.blackdiamondequipment.co...ck-trek-poles/
I saw some research that stated “anti shock” wasn’t really that big of a factor or difference in actual trail use. I am all for Lexi. Great product, great warranty and have served me will .
anti shock was short lived - all but gone now