Trekking Poles, Shocks or rigid?

[Kaptainkriz]

flip lock no shock

[MtDoraDave]

I haven't used the shock absorbing poles, and probably won't. I have to be aware not to stomp my feet as I hike, but put my feet down smoothly - reducing shock on my body. Similarly, I try to place the poles rather than to jam them.
It takes a conscious effort at first, but becomes routine.

[cmoulder]

I have to be aware not to stomp my feet as I hike, but put my feet down smoothly - reducing shock on my body. Similarly, I try to place the poles rather than to jam them.
It takes a conscious effort at first, but becomes routine.

Dave, that is a very good observation.

Perhaps the distinction between people who are "hard on gear" and those who get maximum service from far lighter tack.

[DownEaster]

I have to be aware not to stomp my feet as I hike, but put my feet down smoothly - reducing shock on my body.

You can go one step (pun!) further in that respect. I've been making an effort on my training hikes to set my feet down fairly flat, instead of the heel-to-toe roll I'm used to. The idea is to reduce ankle strain when hiking under load.

[AfterParty]

I got some leki carbon varios and they don't have shocks and I like them

[Starchild]

My first pair of sticks were shock absorbing and I wore the tips down to nubs just an inch below the basket. I liked them, and still do appreciate that feature when I have to use that set. It helps in that it smoothes out the contact with the ground, and I really power into the sticks at times, and use it to 'polevault' my way down which is really helpful to have some give.

But I have since switched to carbon fiber sticks which don't have a/s and while I do miss the anti shock, I also don't miss the extra weight of the a/s and the heavier material of the a/s set. While I did see the benefit of A/S sticks, I would not go back to them as the other drawbacks to them is too high.

[Rhughesnc]

Happy to take the Lekis off your hands. Since your local and all.

[Rhughesnc]

I am 6'5" 250, I have dented a posturepedic mattress. Don't think there is a NOT "hard on gear" option. I am pretty light on my feet for a big man, but when I push off, there is a lot of force transferred to a UL pole.

[Rain Man]

I also take my pole sections apart in between hikes to let them dry which cuts way down on issue with the twist locks loosening up. If left for an extended period with the sections collapsed, aluminum corrosion can start and that forms a somewhat slippery surface inside the tube.

Indeed, taking poles apart and cleaning the aluminum corrosion powder out is part of good maintenance. That stuff gets to be almost like baby powder in there.

Easily my BIGGEST problem and pet peeve with all twist-tighten hiking poles is the cheap plastic "screws" and expansion "nuts" inside, which are easily broken. Then you're screwed (pun intended) unless your manufacturer sells pole sections. It's really an irresponsible substitution of weak plastic for metal parts. IMHO.

[Traillium]

Black Diamond's current shock poles use only flicklocks and the shock system is much more elegant than any of the other options I've seen on the market. I have no idea what Trailliam is talking about regarding BD shock poles clicking unless it is an older model. There is nothing in their current design to click (that I can tell) except the carbide tips on the end of the poles that all decent poles have and that all click when you hit rocks with them.

My BD shock poles (flicklock) are only a year and a half old. Very annoying clicking, especially on one pole. I'll take them back to the excellent store where I bought them the next time I'm in that town, and see if they can figure out what's wrong with them — or what I'm doing wrong …

[QiWiz]

I prefer poles without shocks.

[FlyPaper]

It seems there are more options without shocks. Any thoughts on how much the shocks help?

Thanks

I can't even think of how shocks would benefit.

[cmoulder]

I can't even think of how shocks would benefit.

Some folks up-thread claim discernible benefits, but unless you're just jamming the pole tips into rock there isn't (or shouldn't be) any significant shock to start with.

[Another Kevin]

For me: aluminium, lever locks, cork grips, no shock absorbers.

[TexasBob]

I have some older Leki anti-shock poles. The feature can be turned off and I have hiked with the anti-shock both on and off. My wrists feel better at the end of the day when I use the anti-shock feature. My guess is that us older hikers with more of life's wear and tear on our joints will notice the difference with the anti-shocks to a greater extend than younger folks. Think about modern hiking boots and trail runners - they are all made with shock absorbing materials in the soles and nobody thinks of that as a gimmick.

[cmoulder]

We need a physicist-physiologist to weigh in about whether that is a fair analogy.

My guess is that it isn't, but I am neither a physicist nor a physiologist. It seems that full body weight+pack being placed on shoes is not the same as much less force being used for propulsion/balance assistance from a device that is not being worn.

Probably would be difficult to do some sort of double-blind study to determine if the placebo effect is a factor.

[MtDoraDave]

You can go one step (pun!) further in that respect. I've been making an effort on my training hikes to set my feet down fairly flat, instead of the heel-to-toe roll I'm used to. The idea is to reduce ankle strain when hiking under load.

Before I ever stepped foot on the trail, one of the books I read about hiking suggested this way of foot placement, both for LNT, and for traction ... And I'm sure as you suggest, muscle and joint fatigue come into play, too.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Super Makalu for the win. Aluminum, 3 section, angled cork grips, shocks.

or whatever you can get for cheap.

[Traveler]

I have some older Leki anti-shock poles. The feature can be turned off and I have hiked with the anti-shock both on and off. My wrists feel better at the end of the day when I use the anti-shock feature. My guess is that us older hikers with more of life's wear and tear on our joints will notice the difference with the anti-shocks to a greater extend than younger folks. Think about modern hiking boots and trail runners - they are all made with shock absorbing materials in the soles and nobody thinks of that as a gimmick.

I've had both types of poles and found the anti-shock feature to be noisy, but does provide some benefit in wrist pain. To solve the wrist/hand pain issue, I have a pair of NCR Paddle gloves with a padded palm, nylon back and half fingers with padding that helps reduce the initial shock of the pole strike to the hand. They also help prevent blisters from poles in wet conditions and some hand cushioning when scrambling on rocks.

[Bansko]

Shock absorbers decrease the efficiency. Just as a very stiff bicycle frame transfers more of your muscle power to the ground, a rigid trekking pole transfers more of your arm power to the ground. Shock absorbers waste your arm power to compress the spring.

Yeah, what Lyle said. I've extensively used both shock absorbing and non shock absorbing poles and came to the conclusion that shock absorbing poles are a waste of money, and energy.