Choosing Hiking Poles?

[Erin]

I have had one old pole for years. A cork topped Klomperdell. It has held up very well. I just got the Black Diamond FL Z poles as a Christmas gift and I can't wait to try them out on New Year's Day hike.

[magic_game03]

I currently use a pair of Salomon ski poles that I bought at Goodwill for $3. They're quite comfortable and light (aluminum). They've held up very well. I was hiking between the James River Footbridge and the Blue Ridge Parkway when I slipped a bit and they saved my bacon when I dug the left pole in....

That reminds me of the greatest set of poles I ever owned. I was hiking the PCT and left my poles in a car after a hitch and was bummed. I stopped into a little thrift shop in North Tahoe and found this ratty, old, purple, heavy pair of poles that had a cam locking joint but didn't seem to really telescope that much. I bought them for $6 bucks and was on my merry old way feeling that some how I scored not having to lighten my wallet by $175 at the outfitter. Tahoe is notorious for lightening wallet loads. Later I found out that they were LifeLink SAR poles and you could pull out the shafts and screw them together to make an 8 foot probe wand. That year turned out to be a 180% snow pack year and the reenforced tempered poles were unbreakable which came in handy so that I could get rid of my ice axe and use the poles in glissading. I would later loose one of them after trying to ford the N. Fork of the Kings River in the notorious High Sierra Murro Blanco bushwack traverse The other pair was, fittingly enough, left in a car after hitching to Olympic Park also notorious for lost things. I pretty sure that the Olympic area is the Bermuda Triangle of the Pacific North West.

[Wise Old Owl]

Oh one more thing. Cork is the real deal. Once you go cork you never go back. Couldn't imagine using rubber grips. But...I don't know what happens to cork handles after using them for a few months....wear out faster then what...

+1 could not top this - huge difference!

So often, we can get these notions of what gear we must have to hike based on someone Else's idea of what's needed to complete the "ideal" hiking picture! I know MANY hikers, and MANY long distance hikers, who DO NOT use trekking poles! However, I did recently splurge on some Black Diamond Zpoles Ultra Distance carbon fiber afordable trekking poles with rub-baah grips. They are SHWEET but of course UL so some extra TLC will be needed on my part when using them.

Total agreement - if you are in a tent and because we are answering a question from the starter, he's 25 and might not need them. I gave up on tents a long time ago, Tried bivys and now hammock as you get older.. I like the idea of poles having dual use. Well we all know.. I use good quality to lessen bloody hips and Knees.... the surgeries can be somewhat avoided...

I currently use a pair of Salomon ski poles that I bought at Goodwill for $3. Not sure if they would hold up on a thru-hike.

Yes and if they don't, it don't matter, saw that first hand with a guy who flies all over the world to hike... he loves what is left of his ski poles!

I had never used poles before my hike, so I bought the cheapest ones I could find in case I didn't like them. Walmart brand worked for me...the whole way.

Yea and after six months they were donated to a brother. - I think they make a good starter set. No Worries Mate.

Possibly the best idea, is get what you can afford to fit your needs - cork yes, flip cam if you can get it, shocks no... certainly better than picking up a log when u are hurting.

[trapper]

I have Leki Makalu poles and the locks are wearing down fast. Also, one of the tips fell apart. Don't get these poles. The tips and locks are poorly designed. I like the locks on the Black Diamond poles.

i have these poles....love them....1k miles on them not 1 problem

[jeffmeh]

As I have previously stated, there have been quite a few quality problems with the Black Diamond Z poles. I am a fan of BD poles, but not the Z's.

[Razor]

Leki has the best service up and down the trail. About a year ago they fired the southern rep and service has been spotty ever since . Some stores can navigate through the company layers and some just don't. Overall it is a product that is well received on the eastern trails.--with that said there are other poles that have come to market the past 2-3 years that deserve looks. With the money they cost and the many ideas of use and some of not to use it would be wise to think of the previous suggestion of getting some Wally World poles to experiment with before taking the plunge!

[Joker4ink]

I really like Leki's and they have amazing customer service! I've never had an issue with them slipping, the cork grips are very comfortable, the wrist straps & locks are solid and take all of my weight.

Customer service: A while back I had to change out the tips but because my current tips were older and the new ones wouldn't stay on the lower section. I called Leki and they sent me out new tips (newer style which still didn't fit), so then sent me a new set of lower pole sections with tips which work perfectly. One other time (my fault), I was hiking Bear Mountain in NY and lost a lower section and while stored on the side of my back. They sent me a brand new section under warranty. That's a company that sticks by their product...even when it was my fault about losing the section.

[handlebar]

Hmmm! My first pair of Leki Makalu Compacts lasted 15 years and about 5000 miles and I never had a problem with the twist locks. While hiking the ALT, I slipped and fell hard across one and it bent badly. Leki would have replaced the broken piece, but I needed poles that could adjust a little longer. Naturally, I replaced them with a new set of Leki Aergon's. As to the tips falling apart, I did find that they last about 1500 to 2000 miles, but, if you go to Trail Days or the AZT Kickoff, the Leki rep will tune up your poles and replace the tips.

[Tim Causa]

Black diamond makes a pair that are 3piece telescoping with flip lock, cork grips, AND the grips are angled forward about 15 degrees which really felt comfortable on my wrists. I have been on them for about 500 mikes and love them.

[StylinLP38]

I have a pair of Black Diamond Alpine $150 which only weight 1.2lbs. Question: My wrist was hurting some after a 11 mile hike. My longest hike to date. Am I pushing/thrusting too hard on them? I use them to propel my 250lbs forwards and upwards. helps alot. Or should I lay off some and just let gravity do some of the pushing.

[Another Kevin]

If your wrist hurts, you're probably gripping too tight. Try just steering the poles with your fingers and taking the load on the straps - that's what they're for.

And re: choice of poles. I'm a recent convert - just got mine about a year ago - but find that they're knee savers for an old poop like me. It's a religious argument, but I come down in the camp of flip-locks, cork grips, no shock absorbers. So far I'm quite happy with my Komperdell poles. (For what it's worth, REI and LL Bean have Komperdell replacement parts. EMS does not - at least where I am.) Komperdell also makes the REI house brand, at least this year.

[Max L]

thanks for all the advice guys!
fyi, I stopped by REI the other day and picked out Black Diamond Ergo cork poles. I think they'll preform just fine.