How important is the weight of trekking poles?

[Gabe Joyes]

I'm going to be a rebel and say I don't think it makes that much of a difference. I've used a few different types of aluminum poles and some carbon fiber poles before weighing between 10-16 oz. Sure, I can tell I am using a different pole. The weight difference in negligible, especially since your arms and shoulders don't do much else while hiking. My thought is unless you have toothpicks for arms save a few bucks. Odds are you aren't going to arrive at camp and say "wow these trekking poles really tired me out today."

[Tyson Marshall]

"The weight of the paddle makes a huge difference in the way you're able to feel and perform, particularly toward the end of the day. There's a world of difference in a paddle that weighs just 6-8 oz less."

I think it should be mentioned that the design of the paddle may make more of a difference than the weight of the paddle. For instance, an Aleut paddle versus a modern paddle…

Cheers.

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