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Viewing 19 posts - 51 through 69 (of 69 total)
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  • #2111079
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    What is gaffa tape? Never heard of it.
    billy

    #2111087
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    "What is gaffa tape? "

    Gaffers Tape –

    Strong, tight weave, low tack tape that is easy to use and easy to remove. Origins can be traced to the movie industry.

    #2111105
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    I would avoid putting any tape inside the poles. I've worked with a lot of different kinds of tape and can't recall any that don't leave a sticky/gummy residue. If not right away, then over time. Especially when used in the hot sun. Getting sticky stuff inside the poles could be a huge mess/problem as one pole is supposed to slide freely inside the other. Obviously, sticky would be a problem for sliding. And hard to impossible to cleanup inside that tube.

    billy

    #2113890
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    So… I got to thinking (always dangerous :)…
    I pulled the bottom section of my Locus CP3 carbon fiber poles and thought I'd see if the bottom section from my aluminum Leki Cressida poles would fit into the CP3s…

    Walla… they do!!! And there is zero weight penalty!!!

    And… it seems to diminish the infamous, intractable 'rattle' of the CP3s!!!

    Added benefit is aluminum bottom section will better resist the cutting and abrasion from rocks that is worse on the bottom section than the CF bottom section and.. aluminum is less likely to break if you get the bottom section wedged in a crack…

    If you don't have aluminum poles with a bottom section with the correct diameter you might try dropping by you nearest REI store… I know that the one in Sacramento has a 'bone pile' of returned/damaged trekking poles and have found they will gladly donate parts for repairs, etc.

    Billy

    #2113916
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    Ultimate 'rattle' fix:

    #2113923
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    Ultimate 'rattle' fix:

    I painted 3 coats of clear/fast drying finger nail polish on the top inch of the lower and middle sections of the CP3 poles. This widens the diameter in lieu of sticky tape that could leave gummy residue inside your poles which could collect dirt/grit and become a problem. The wider diameter reduces the worst of the rattle by reducing the 'slap' of the inside pole against the outside pole when they vibrate from impact on the ground. This solution reduces the rattle, but does not eliminate it.

    But if you replace the bottom section with aluminum an section from other poles as stated in my post above, then all rattle is eliminated… the only exception being unless you intentionally slap the poles sideways to create vibration.

    So, for the ultimate fix (ultimate so far) replace the lower section with aluminum from another set of poles and paint the top inch of the middle section with 3 coats of finger nail polish… let it dry over night before installing. The number of coats painted might vary depending on the product that you use. I painted on one coat at a time to test how snug a fit I was getting. 3 was just right with the product I was using.

    I have not field tested this solution, but pretty sure it will be good.

    Billy

    #2113941
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    I'll try it! I even have some clear fingernail polish for my sunglass screws.

    The problem is not inherently the width of the inner pole, though that contributes, but the hardness of the end piece. If it was made out of a hard rubber, or softer plastic it probably would damp out the rattle. Unfortunately a lot of the thing that could both increase the with and dampening effect, like coating the tip in Plasti Dip are problematical for durability.

    Does anyone know if the end piece comes off, or is it epoxied in there. Possibly replacing it, or drilling a hole in it and adding some form of dampening device would work.

    I wonder what mixing up ground up rubber in the nail polish would be like.

    #2113958
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    I really think the main problem is the overall vibration of the poles up and down the length of there. It seems to me there are two sounds: one being the overall vibration through the length of the entire pole. the other being the rattle of the outside of the inside pole against the inside walls of the outside pole (say that 5 time fast :)

    While the fingernail polish (or tape)reduced the inside against outside pole noise, it does nothing for the vibration up and down the entire pole.

    The aluminum lower section entirely changes the vibration up and down the pole… reducing most of the noise, but still some residual rattle inside the pole, especially the upper section. The fingernail polish at the top of the middle section reduces that.
    The two fixes together and there is very little noise now… probably would not notice it except that I am now looking for it.

    billy

    #2113989
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    The carbon fiber is very elastic, the Al not so much. The elasticity, when viewed from a certain perspective, is actually a good quality. The under-damped oscillations that arise from it not so much. But the noise comes mostly from the rattle of the hard pieces. I'm not going to replace the tips and there is little that can be done to get rid of the elasticity. Taping weights to various points might help, but defeats the purpose.

    I'm starting to think that Plasti Dip might in fact be a possible solution. If it come off it will simply peel off like a glove, and can be reapplied. Nothing sticky. Can be sprayed on in layers, and is cheap. Has a kind of rubbery-plasticky surface. I have some errands to do today, but will try it tonight and report back. If it works you should simple be able to spray the tips on the inner poles.

    #2113990
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    Marko,
    I thought of plasti dip but thought it would be too thick of a coating… but there I'm not sure I'm thinking of the same product as you.

    I also thought that spraying foam… that kind of foam they use to fill cracks/gaps in houses to seal out drafts… I thought that filling one or more of the pole sections inside might dampen the vibration… but could be a mess and pretty much irreversible… and would add weight…

    keep us posted how your experiments work out…

    Billy

    #2114047
    alan genser
    BPL Member

    @alan-1

    Locale: NE

    returned from my first trip with the cp3 poles. though if i shook the poles hard i could get a rattle, on trail they were dead silent.

    and the gossamer gear grips are amazing.

    #2114058
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    interesting Alan… I haven't used the poles outside, but the vibration/rattle is SOOOO bad it's hard for me to imagine results like yours…

    do you have the latest version of the CP3s? The previous version may not have had the 'rattle' issue; I believe that is just the newer version over the past year.

    and did you do any modifications?
    and.. how far do you extend them… it may be that it is not a problem when the pole are extend more for taller people…

    thanks for your report

    billy

    #2114324
    alan genser
    BPL Member

    @alan-1

    Locale: NE

    i did pre-emptively do the tape "fix". but, after applying the tape to one (still at home) and shaking/testing the differences between the two poles, i couldn't really tell much of a difference.

    though i'm 5'11", i keep my poles fairly short, 110-115cm.

    they are pretty new, just got them a couple weeks ago.

    also was my first time going strapless with trekking poles. didn't miss them in the slightest.

    #2114399
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    Interesting Alan,

    I too did not find much difference in the taped fix… or the finger nail polish version of thickening the inner tubes either for that matter… the biggest difference I found was swapping the lower section for an aluminum one… changes the vibration of the poles…

    I suspect that some people are just not as sensitive to the vibration/rattle… or… perhaps there is some variation in the production?

    billy

    #2114413
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    The frequency and amplitude of the inner oscillations will vary with the extension length, hence the variability with the user.

    I tried tape, and it worked, but it does rub down pretty fast. I use my poles in my shelter, and an different lengths than hiking, so it would seem that the tape solution might be of limited duration if you need to slide them a lot.

    The plasti dip is looking good. One layer of it is much thinner that any tape. Stronger too. I was hugely busy today, but I will follow though soon on final results. If it works then the soluti0on would be mask the end, and keep layering spray plati dip right until the rattling stops, but no further. I think this might be a more long lasting solution.

    #2114416
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    I'm shocked to read that plasti dip is durable!

    http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php/439718-Durability-of-Plastidip

    #2114417
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    Relative to tape, yes. It's all relative.

    Favorite John Depp movie quote. Inspector: "So you were not killed then. That is not so bad." Depp: "Sure, when you downgrade it from murder. But when you upgrade it from room service it's quite serious."

    #2117082
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    Yesterday I did a 5 mile hike with my new CP3 poles.
    One pole had the bottom section replaced with an aluminum Leki section and the top section had my finger nail polish 'fix' described above.
    The other pole had all 3 original carbon fiber sections with no alterations or fixes.
    My poles were set to 120cm.

    Most of the time I really did not notice a difference. Some times I did notice the 'rattle' on the unaltered pole… mostly I think that was on the forward swing when the bottom of the pole would hit a rock or sometimes when planting the pole on a rocky spot. But, really, it did not occur enough to be bothersome. I would think anyone would easily get used to the 'rattle' without doing any of the fixes. I really did not notice it on the trail like I did in the house when trying to make it rattle. And if you hike on dirt trails you would likely never notice the 'rattle'.

    That said, the pole with the aluminum bottom section never rattled. And I really like the idea of an aluminum bottom section taking the beating on rocky trails. Rocks over time will destroy that cabon fiber bottom section, I would think.

    Billy

    #2117110
    Greg Mihalik
    Spectator

    @greg23

    Locale: Colorado

    nm

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