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Cheap Carbon Fiber Poles From Costco.
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Mar 23, 2015 at 10:58 am #2185231
Thanks for confirming Paul. I'm heading to Virginia next week and I'll try there.
Mar 23, 2015 at 11:29 am #2185242I may have to stop by Costco Louisville and get some myself. Now I just need a 'Price Club' membership…..
Are these the poles in reference?
http://www.cascademountaintech.com/product_p/1010.htm
Mar 23, 2015 at 11:52 am #2185247Anyone spotted these in the Bay Area or Central Valley? My store in Modesto never seemed to stock them previously and haven't seen them recently. Got some a few years ago in the Bay Area. I'm headed into the Bay Area next week and if I know a specific store has them, I might swing by.
Mar 23, 2015 at 12:53 pm #2185264AnonymousInactiveI haven't used em but I remember quite a few people reporting good things last year. You can probably dig it up int he archives.
I thought the consensus was that they're entry level but good value. More $ will get you lighter poles.
Mar 23, 2015 at 2:29 pm #2185291I saw a full display case this morning at the San Diego Mission Valley Costco. They are in the "seasonal" section (with the pool toys, kayaks, etc.), not in the sporting goods aisle with the backpacks. Go figure.
Jun 18, 2015 at 7:46 am #2208233Do the Costco's in Colorado still have them? Just checked three in IL and they don't stock them. :(
Otherwise I'll order on Amazon.
Jun 18, 2015 at 7:50 am #2208235A few weeks ago the Costco in Fort Collins had a pallet of them. Haven't been back since.
Jun 18, 2015 at 10:20 am #2208262The one in Superior, CO (10m from Boulder) had them as of Tues evening.
Jun 18, 2015 at 11:20 am #2208280My boyfriend is on his second pair of Costco poles. The first pair broke. To be fair, he also broke his Gossamer Gear poles.
Jun 19, 2015 at 6:57 am #2208439I've heard a few reports of these breaking. I don't have first hand experience since I don't buy cheap knockoffs.
Jun 20, 2015 at 9:38 am #2208708They can also be purchased directly from Cascade Mountain Tech:
http://www.cascademountaintech.com/Trekking-Poles-s/247.htmI picked up a pair of them over a year ago and have used them quite a bit. These poles offer more bang for the buck than anything out there, in my opinion anyway. They're not the absolute lightest, but they're light. Besides the beefier shafts may offer a little more durability so it's not necessarily all bad. The flick lock version is what you want of course.
Aside from these, there are not many other choices when it comes to carbon fiber poles with the flick lock… BD Alpine Carbon Cork (pricey, also not ultralight, but bomber), and the Locus Gear poles (pricey, lightest thing out there).
I wrote a bit about all of these poles on my blog (blogspam incoming…)
http://hikeitlikeit.com/2014/lightweight-trekking-poles-revisited/I ended up gravitating towards the Cascade Mtn Tech poles and have used them quite a bit. I met another hiker up in the Sierra who was also using them and asked him about his experience. He hiked the JMT with them, broke a tip on one pole (took a fall), finished his hike, then bought another set of them. You can call them "entry level" or whatever, but at the end of the day… they're all sticks.
edited to add: I've found the staps on the Cascade Mtn Tech poles to be very comfy. I also like the feel of the BD Alpine Carbon Cork straps. Of all these poles, those two straps seem to slip the least also, which as everyone knows is the annoying achilles heel of trekking poles (if you use the straps)
Jun 20, 2015 at 1:38 pm #2208743I have a pair, they're awesome. If you can't find them in Costco, they're on Amazon with Prime shipping. A little more expensive, but still cheaper than anything CF from Black Diamond or Leki. I'm convinced that the quality is exactly the same.
Jun 20, 2015 at 4:26 pm #2208768oops, duplicate post.
Jun 20, 2015 at 4:35 pm #2208771I think the Amazon link is for the twist-lock, which seem to have some complaints about the adjustment breaking; if you want the flick-lock variety and can't find them at Costco, you can buy them directly at http://www.cascademountaintech.com/Quick-Lock-Trekking-Poles-p/1010.htm
I've used these for a couple of years dayhiking and backpacking with no problems whatsoever. I keep the rubber tips on, contrary to what most people do, which seems to prevent me from getting the narrow tips stuck in a crack between rocks (which I suspect is one contributor to breaking poles). And I like the way it feels on rock (and mutes the "click, click" sound).
Jun 20, 2015 at 6:09 pm #2208786I wrote the Amazon review that Sam Farrington included in his earlier post in this thread. That was written in 2012, a few months after we had completed a thru-hike of the JMT (the “Multi-day hike in the Sierras” that I mentioned) where we attempted to use the CMT trekking poles. My youngest was without poles within the first week when both of his broke (we were able to pick up some ski poles at the Mammoth thrift store for him to use the rest of the way). I initially attributed it to the technique of an 11 yr. old (and still do to some degree), but my older son’s and mine all broke at some point after that during the hike and I was left wishing I had ponied up for higher quality poles.
Just an update, I have since bought two more sets (both twist locks, the flick locks hadn't yet come out) along with a set of GG LT4’s. One of those CMT sets failed at the adjustment points fairly soon with regular use. I have been scavenging that set, along with the remains of my JMT set to keep this last set going. I usually save the LT4’s for multi-day hikes, using the CMT poles for day hikes, etc. Some things that I have learned along the way:
1. Get the flick locks if they are available. As any mountain biker knows, Flick locks can be kind of sketchy with CF although I am sure that they have reinforced those areas, but the twist locks on these have been too unreliable in my experience.
2. If you get the twist locks, try to minimize adjusting the length and when you do, do so as gently as you can while still twisting it just secure enough to use. If your style dictates that you change the length for uphills, downhills, setting up your shelter, putting them back in the car, etc., I’d suggest a different brand (or get the Flick Locks). This last set has lasted me almost 2 years now because I try to use them as fixed length poles as much as possible, only using the adjustments when I have to for a shelter, etc. Otherwise, I leave them at my hiking length. If you need to shorten them for storage, store them with the twist locks loose.
My opinion on the CMT poles is that if you see them in Costco, buy them. Even the twist lock version is far better than anything else in this price range IMO, and certainly better than the low quality (to put it kindly) poles that I’ve bought for the kids from Target, Big 5, etc. both in usability and reliability. But the twist lock version is clearly not of the quality of the higher end offerings from Black Diamond or Leki (and definitely not GG), mainly because of the adjustment mechanisms. Maybe they have solved this with the Flick Locks. My local Costco doesn’t carry them (I checked again earlier today).
Jun 21, 2015 at 7:09 am #2208848I have bought and used BOTH the Yukon Charlie and Cascade Mountain Tech (CMT) poles from Costco. Here is what I've gathered about these two poles:
1) The CMT flip lock poles were 7 oz each, and the Yukon Charlies were 6 oz each.
2) The CMTs were NOTICEABLY stiffer. Just put the pole over your knee and press.
3) The CMT carbon tubes are LARGER. I did not measure since the Outside Diameter (OD) doesn't tell the whole story.
4) The CMTs had tapered tubes, Yukon Charlie straight tubes. So, for 1 oz more per pole with the CMT, you get what I think is probably a stronger pole, HOWEVER: when you close it up, the last end stays loose unless you adjust the flip lock tension. Minor nuisance.
5) The Yukon Charlies, with straight tubes, did not make any noise when planting. The CMTs, however, made a slight click. The reason is because the CMTs include a small plastic spacer at the end of each tube and it's not stiff enough to keep the inner tube from plinking against the outer tube.
6) The tips of both are not replaceable. I dont care. I carry the rubber boots and use them over rocks or whenever the ground is hard enough to merit. The wear rate is minimal.That said: ANY carbon pole is a tradeoff. They WILL break if you are careless. They will not break if you are sticking to longitudinal forces only, which is what they are designed for. I can put my entire weight with a pack on these poles. TESTED. So far, the CMT poles have been fantastic. I love them.
Jun 21, 2015 at 8:52 pm #2209006Not only lost this argument, but the nails keep being driven into the coffin.
But will crack the coffin lid, and just croak that good filament wound carbon tubes are way better than cheap carbon, despite the price difference. That I know for sure.No longer an issue for me, as have gone to highly tempered alloy ski poles made in Europe. Scott Explor – Series 4. Made sturdy and weather resistant enough for skiing, very long grips for choking and telescoping 3-sections. Novel cam lock on upper joint that is easy to adjust in all weather and works better than either twist locks or flip locks. Feel safer with the alloy than even more expensive carbon from Japan. Just don't want to break and lose the use of a pole on longer treks when they are indispensable. Use only one pole, so it gets a lot of abuse no matter how careful I am. The extra two ounces (~8 oz) doesn't bother me at all.
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