Aluminum v. Carbon

[Blue Jay]

..........I'm just tired of hearing it!

Oh, I am SOOOOOOO sorry for you and your logistics.

[Blue Jay]

my pack weight dropped since they are my tarp poles. Egads

YES, finally a valid reason to use poles (alum. or carbon, you pick)

[Egads]

BJ,

I was once in the no pole camp until I tried them and found my uphill speed improved, my downhill knee strain lessened, and my pack weight dropped since they are my tarp poles. I use carbon fiber from Gossamer Gear with no problems. You just need to understand they are made for compression and not bending moments.

Egads

YES, finally a valid reason to use poles (alum. or carbon, you pick)

You didn't mention the other good valid reasons to use poles

[trailfoot]

Just coming off a the trail this year I had aluminum and would have wished I chose the Titanium like my hiking partners had. They were MUCH lighter and well worth the extra $$. Your only talking maybe $40-80 difference but weight wise it's huge after hiking mile after mile.

Go Titanium over aluminum, sorry I don't have any experience with the carbon. So I have no comment on that front.