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GG Trek Poles
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Aug 28, 2014 at 6:33 am #1320366
Does any one know how strong those orange loops of line that are protruding out below the handles are?
How much can I hang off of them? What are they there for?
Aug 28, 2014 at 7:30 am #2131102I have some LT4S's and… I have no idea what they're for :)
and now I'm curious to know!
Aug 28, 2014 at 1:38 pm #2131181“How much can I hang off of them? What are they there for?”
From http://gossamergear.com/trekking/lt3c-trekking-pole.html “The poles do not have straps, but before you think they’re necessary, try a ~2 oz. pole. Most testers who bemoaned the lack of straps found they liked the poles better without straps, after using them for a few trips, because of the extreme light weight. A small loop of Spectra cord at the bottom of the handle allows the user to attach "keeper" straps or cords, to leave hands free when taking photos, for instance. The loops are not designed to take any significant force, and are not intended as an attachment point for conventional straps. ”
I can vouch for that. 8oz poles gives you forearm cramps if the straps aren’t used properly. So it is so nice to get rid of another nuisance with these light poles. Plus, w/o the straps your wrist won’t be yanked or your pole bent because the tip got stuck in a rock crack while trekking out 3 mph.
-Barry
-The mounatins were made for TevasAug 28, 2014 at 5:51 pm #2131252Sorry to go off your topic, but..do you love these poles? How is the locking mechanism?
Aug 28, 2014 at 10:03 pm #2131327I had to cut the foam handle off an LT4 once. My recollection is that the loop is just the end of a doubled over piece of cord that goes up 3 – 4" between the handle and the pole. The handle is glued on, and the cord is glued in too, so it's probably about as strong as the foam on the handle. Like they say, not strong enough to use as a strap. But I've used the little loop to make a keeper cord so I don't lose the poles in a river crossing, going down a steep cliff, etc.
Aug 28, 2014 at 10:11 pm #2131328FWIW, I wouldn't trust them. I met a guy on the JMT a few weeks back who had LT4s. Just before Silver Pass, he stumbled, caught himself with the poles, and they both snapped. It was right before a big descent, and without the poles he screwed up his knees and he ended up having to leave the trail at VVR.
Aug 28, 2014 at 10:15 pm #2131330I've broken one in the time it took me to wear out two sets of pole tips (2000 miles?). I did the same thing, stumbled and the pole broke when I leaned on it wrong. But if you're careful with them they will last a long time, and they are so much lighter than the other options.
Aug 28, 2014 at 10:45 pm #2131334I have both – the adjustable length LT4 and the fixed length LT3 – and love them both. Over time I have learned to not push them past their limits. For all trail hikes I take my Gossamer Gear poles – the LT3 when I go with an SMD tent as my fixed length fits the tent perfectly. The LT4 when I go with the ZPacks Duplex or the BD BetaLight as both need longer poles. The Gossamer Gear poles are so amazing light that it always takes a little time to adjust to my pair of Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork that I nowadays – after breaking my LT4 on the Sierra High Route – take for off-trail excursions like my recent Brooks Range Traverse with my sons.
Aug 29, 2014 at 5:41 am #2131352I have fixed-length LT3s. Abandoning straps were a blessing for me. I was always concerned that in an unexpected bad fall my wrists my snap as a result of those darn straps.
I don't use poles regularly but have had two or three near falls that were stopped dead in their tracks from the poles. In those brief instances, I had almost all of my weight on those poles. They have tremendous vertical strength but not much in the way of lateral strength.
As long as you are mindful where you place you pole, you won't have a problem. I've never come close to snapping a pole.
Aug 29, 2014 at 2:03 pm #2131444I've had the LT4's since they came out. The original version didn't offer straps and I've never missed having them.
I'm a big guy – 270 lbs – and I've never had any slippage once they're locked into place. I've had plenty of stumbles where I've put my full weight on them without any problems.
With that said, I did snap one in half this past July while hiking hut-to-hut in the Whites, but it was totally my clumsiness that did it. I slipped while stepping down some rocks and knew I was going down so I let go of my left pole. Unfortunately it fell straddling two rocks and my arm hit right in the middle of the rocks, breaking the handle-portion of the pole right where the lower portion ended.
The good news is that GG sells LT4 parts so I was able to replace just the upper portion of the pole for $39 and I'm back in business.
Aug 31, 2014 at 5:34 am #2131700Can't add much on what others have said except to say I love mine.
I use the little loop to secure poles to pack when not in use. -
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