Are expensive Trekking Poles worth it?

[Papa D]

This question sort of depends on what sort of hiker you are. If you go on weekend hikes or three day hikes a few times a year, I suppose that any old sticks would do fine - Coleman Poles, etc. I've often given kids old ski poles that can be found discarded behind ski rental shops in the spring which also work fine.
Speaking for myself personally, I hike many miles every year - - sometimes, I really want to use my poles. At other times, when my hands are tired or I need them for holding roots and rocks, I like to go pole-less. For this reason, I have the Black Diamond Z-poles which are super light and nearly perfectly suited to my needs. I invest in good quality equipment because I know that I am going to use it often and for a long time - - I typically purchase the best equipment that I can for my needs from from companies that I support because this is important to me. But, like I said, for a casual user, it is not critical to have poles that are special in any way.

[avalonmorn]

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/kom...colorFamily=01
These came yesterday, love them so far. I ordered the rubber tips too for the hard Oklahoma roads and dirt. I got them for less than 48 dollars with a coupon code.

[Astro]

Started out low end with SwissGear and have since upgraded to Leki. In my opinion the price difference is worth it.

[TheYoungOne]

So I weighed my Colemen cheapo pole and one pole is almost a pound. Without the rubber foot, just using the tip, its 14.2 oz. The problem is they don't come with baskets so in soft dirt or mud they will dig in deep. It seems I can cut my weight almost in half if I go with the higher end ones. However they are opening a Costco near my home, and if they have those carbon fiber one I may snatch those up.

I really like hiking with poles, but I hate to drop over $100 for a pair of good ones. If I cant find the Costco ones I might compromise and get the $70 REI brand ones when they are on sale.

[colorado_rob]

Yes, I'm a gear-junkie, so yes, they are worth it. My BD "z-pole" carbons weigh 4.6 ounces each. At first I was skeptical as to their durability, but hundreds of miles later, and some serious loading on a pole (I only use one) with near-falls, stuck in rocks, etc, they have held up just fine. Since I only use one pole, buying a set gives me a "backup" pole in case one does break. I think they are guaranteed anyway, so I can send one back while I use the other. The price? $120 on sale for a pair. Stupid expensive. But definitely worth it IMHO. 10-11 ounces lighter, apparently, per pole than the cheapie quoted just above.

Perhaps folks don't realize how much energy is used with poles. Lifting them up every step. Have you ever heard the saying with footwear: Each additional pound on you feet is like five pounds on your back, because you lift your feet with every step, up, down, up, down, repeat 5 million times for the AT? It's the same with poles. Up, down, up, down, repeat 5 million times.

Would you rather lift something that weighs one pound 5 million times or would you rather lift something that weighs 4.6 ounces 5 million times??? The answer is clear for me.

[FarmerChef]

I use cheapo Mountainsmith poles on sale for $25 a pair from Sierratradingpost. Are they Leki's? No. Cork handles? No. But they're comfortable enough, shock absorptive and have lasted us around 1,000 miles...so far. With regard to weight versus more expensive poles I must concede the point. That said, I've never known the difference so can't complain and I fear that once I go forward, I won't be able to go back Maybe when these finally breath their last I'll get an upgrade...or the end of the trail....whichever comes first.

[swjohnsey]

You can find the BD Trail online for around $50. Good poles.

[pnkwolfe]

I have the BD Alpine Carbons and like how light they are and the carbide tips but until yours break or wear out you could wait and find some at REI garage sales 1 or 2 at a time cheap.

+1 on the black diamonds and on the REI garage sale. I've got about a half dozen sets and don't think I've paid more than $25 per set.

However, the good with the bad...you're less likely to shed tears over a cheapo set when a rain-swollen mountain stream in the Whites grabs them and carries them away (my sacrifice to the mountain gods).

[Biggie Master]

The principle I apply to all purchases (vehicles, appliances, clothing, or backpacking gear) -- is to pay what is required to purchase a quality product. "Expensive" is a relative term. I don't like to waste my money, but I do prefer to have a product that works as intended and is completely reliable. A name brand or high price tag doesn't always guarantee quality, so you can't always use that as your measuring stick.

FYI -- I was a skeptic about trekking poles for a few years too, but I've use 2 BD aluminum poles with flick-locks for the last 4 years and I love them. I think i got a deal (sale+online coupon) and paid maybe $60 for the set...

[Tinker]

I have a heavy, old set of Leki "Health Trek" aluminum poles, three section. I haven't weighed them, but they are quite a bit heavier than some other hikers' poles I've hefted. Some people complain about the twist lock mechanism slipping. That has never happened to me, maybe because I make sure that they are tight (which I can do, probably because I've been a landscaper and mechanic all my life), and probably because the walls of the tubing are likely thicker than those on lighter poles which makes them less prone to giving under the internal pressure of the locking mechaism.

I've bent my poles several times in boulder fields in the White Mts. and Pa. and, despite being a bit twisted and scraped, they are still mechanically fully functional.

When in doubt, be conservative, when seeking the lightest, be willing to take reasonable risks with your gear. From experience with cross-country touring ski poles, I can say that aluminum will not shatter when bent beyond its breaking point. It makes a clean break and can often be temporarily fixed with a tin can splint by wrapping the broken section with the aluminum sheet metal several times and duct taping the heck out of it. I don't know if that can be done as readily with carbon fiber poles because they tend to delaminate for many inches each side of the fracture when they fail (again, experience, with cross-country ski poles - I use aluminum thin-walled racing poles which are a bit heavier than carbon fiber, and have been bent and bent back several times).

[RED-DOG]

No expensive trekking poles are not worth the price, when you start find two sturdy sticks in the woods works better than the store bought kind.

[Rain Man]

i've never understood the point of shocks other than adding weight.

Oh, they add another thing too! -- NOISE. IMHO, so-called shock-absorbers in hiking poles are nothing but a gimmick to add more profit to the sale.

... Saw a lot of people who couldn't collapse their poles - they'd get stuck at a certain setting....

Sounds like "user error." It's not hard at all to pop the sections apart and blow or wipe away any grit. I've done it for other hikers on the trail, who are clueless about their own equipment. As far as design issues, I've seen those plastic flip-locks crack and/or break right off.

Having said that, all things being equal, the flip-locks are faster. If I could find a light-weight set with a strong, sturdy set of flip-locks, I'd give 'em a try.

To the OP, whether "expensive" hiking poles are "worth it," is entirely up to you. Mine were a gift to me, so they were well worth it! LOL

RainMan

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[jakedatc]

Yea rainman.. the shocks don't really make any sense other than fooling people who don't know better.

I agree, the stuck poles were probably oxidized. problem is once it happens and they fuse up it might be too late. Never had my fliplocks crack.. the screw is adjustable so you shouldn't have to use a lot of force to close them. but again.. know how your stuff works.

flip locks do add a lot of weight but are worth it for the quick adjustment. I have 3 lengths i use for different terrain and then i use them for my LH tent.

[snifur]

never had stuck poles. after each hike i clean my sticks with pledge. i own expensive and cheap poles. i cant find any benefit one side or the other. unless you count saving $130 on sticks as a benefit. i have never broke a set of cheap ones. broke 3 expensive ones though. my cheap ones have lasted longer then the expensive ones. now i use the expensive ones as a fashion statement. Best poles i ever owned though was a set of Komrpressor Alpinist; lasted me 8 years and many many tough rugged miles through out new england. loved them. i miss them.

[evyck da fleet]

I bought the expensive BD poles that weigh 5 ounces each for my thru hike. I broke one in VA, called BD and they sent me a replacement pole so I didn't have to find the closest REI to return them for another pair. So for a long hike I thought they were worth it. When I go out on day hikes I still use them but I think I'd be just fine with any pole for that.