Need trekking pole advice…have it narrowed down to two

[lisa m]

I'm fairly new to trekking poles. I purchased a really crappy pair of Leki on a whim while at Yosemite 5 years ago…they cause intense vibration through my hands and arms while hiking through the rocky hills of Boulder.

I will be using the poles primarily to reduce strain on my knees as the ascents here can be pretty steep and rocky. They will be used primarily for light-load (5 to 10lbs) dayhiking, maybe 15-20 miles max at a time, sometimes fast-paced, and again on rocky terrain. It gets pretty hot here in CO during the summers, so I am thinking cork handles? And then I am also drawn to carbon hoping that it will reduce vibration, but wonder if they can withstand 15 to 20 miles at a time. And perhaps that in addition to sweat reduction, the cork or cork composite (Leki) handles might offer some form of insulation.

So I have two in mind:

Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Poles
http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/trekking-poles/alpine-carbon-cork-trekking-pole/

and

Leki Corklite Aergon SpeedLock Trekking Poles
http://www.leki.com/trekking/trekkingPole.php?pID=93

Thank you for any help you can offer in my decision making.

(oh, I would also like the poles to have the ability to transition to winter hiking/snowshoeing poles)

[Chad “Stick” Poindexter]

FYI: In Andrew Skurka's new book, he claims that the BD poles you have linked to are his current favorites… He says that they are "the best combination of weight, stiffness, and lock reliability." So, that has got to say something there…

I do not have them though, so no personal experience.

I do have the Leki's you linked to. I have only put a few hundred miles on them and then got my GG LT4's so they are now put up. But for the time being, they were really great poles. They seemed sturdy, and the locks held perfectly (both while using them to hike with as well as to hold up my tents/tarps). The only thing I can pick on them about is that I do not like the way the bottom of the handles are cut out on them. Sometimes my grip would be a little lower on the handles, and the bottom edge could be a bit annoying. Otherwise though, they are great poles.

I think either would suit someone well enough.

[Mark Dijkstra]

I don't know how steep "pretty steep" is, but during really steep ascends I prefer not to use the poles and just grab the rocks with my hands. During ascends that are not steep enough to just use my hands I do use my poles, but then they only have a limited effect. However, during the descend walking poles are absolutely fantastic to have. During a descend poles can relieve your knees a lot. I've noticed that I can descend over twice as fast with a lot less effort and without hurting my knees since I started using my poles.

My personal experience is that a foam handle is more pleasant than cork, especially with warm weather and sweaty hands.

I believe that carbon poles actually intensifies the vibration you feel. I may be wrong about this as it's been a while since I did my research on poles. Carbon is a lot stiffer than aluminium so every little shock is transferred to you. In an aluminium pole some of the shock is absorbed by the pole. Again, I could be wrong about this. If the vibrations are really bothering you, you might want to try poles with antishock mechanisms.

What may also help in reducing vibrations is good technique. I've noticed that a lot of people grip their poles quite firmly when using them and they barely use the strap. For a more effective use of your poles you should start with a better grip. Put the strap around your wrist and just let the pole dangle freely. Then move your hand down and let the strap come between your thumb and indexfinger. The strap will still be on top of your wrist, not under it. With this grip you can easily lean on the strap, while you only need 2 fingers to steer the pole. This is a far more relaxed and efficient way of using poles and because you are barely touching the poles directly you don't feel the shocks as badly.

[lisa m]

Thank you, Chad, for the quick and thoughtful reply. I understand Leki has a lifetime warranty covering breakage, and my if I'm not mistaken, BD only has a 1-year warranty against manufacturer defects? Do you happen to know if that is true? The BD's sound great, but purchasing carbon with only a 1-year warranty makes me a little hesitant.

[lisa m]

I agree with you, on truly steep ascends it's monkey time…hands to the ground, trees, whatever I could grab hold of. I was thinking of my ascent to Mt. Sanitas which is short, quick, steep, but basically a staircase of flagstone which makes more sense to walk upright or with poles.

You have certainly given me a lot to consider before pulling the trigger. Thank you.

[NoCO-Jim]

FWIW:

[lisa m]

bummer. :/ thanks for the visual. as a Colorado dweller yourself, i am reminded that we need to take into account the severe wind gusts that we battle frequently, strong enough to snap a pole if it had a little weight on it.

[Mark Dijkstra]

You're welcome.
Here's another thing to think about. If carbon fails, it fails catastrophically. It will snap and probably splinter (when it does, it's razor sharp). Aluminium will bend before it breaks. For this reason I picked aluminium poles. It's a good thing too, because last summer, during heavy rain, I slipped and fell on top of one of my poles. A carbon pole probably would have broken and could have caused some nasty wounds. My pole was just bent and I can still use it today.

In case you're curious, my poles ar Fizan Compacts. They cost about $80 and at 12 oz they are quite a bit lighter than the poles you found. Here's my review of the Fizan poles: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=46402&cat=Trekking%20Poles&cid=56

[lisa m]

Great review, nice lightweight poles, and a price that can't be beat. I need to add those to my list.

[M B]

son and I use the fizan also. I think they are about the best combination of price and lightweight. Seem durable enough so far too. Can get a little vibration and feel "rattle" as lower sections slightly vibrate in the uppers when strike solid surface , but nothing objectionable, and dont even notice in use. Only time they have slipped is when I jammed them down on firm ground hard and repeatedly trying to stick them in so they stand up, (like Im used to doing with ski poles) …got to get out of that habit.

[Steve B]

I have an older pair of BD carbon poles, but with foam grips. Nothing but praise about them. No breakage issues, but then I don't let them get stuck in rocks and keep walking.

Carbon *reduces* vibration. That is why it is used on the forks of road bikes.

Steve

[JP]

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[Mike M]

I have them too- four years of hiking and snowshoeing, with more than one little misstep by myself- still holding up great

I've been very tempted by lighter poles, but I like the solid fliplocks and these have been bombproof

[Robert Kelly]

Can't comment on these two, but have been very happy with both GG LT2's and LT4's. And I've really leaned on them on downhill descents, stream vaulting, etc. (and I'm no lightweight) ; )

[Dale Wambaugh]

I like Black Diamond poles, using the aluminum Trail model as well as the Apline Carbon Cork. As far as vibration issues, you may find some relief with the carbon poles, but I can't tell you how much. I never have cared for the anti-shock gizmos on trekking poles: I want to know what is going to happen when I plant that pole to prevent a fall. Twist locks work with some care and a feel for the tightness, but the flick locks are foolproof, easily adjusted for lock tension and all the parts are visible– no guessing about what is going on inside the tubing.

Another way to approach your hand discomfort would be to try some fingerless bike gloves. I use unpadded ones more to protect my hands from sunburn, but lightly padded ones might help your hands without adding too much to the diameter of the grip. If you have long fingers, you might be able to use fully padded bike gloves.

Most of the major brands have the option of being used with no baskets, a small 3-season basket (good for mud) and a full snow basket. The baskets are relatively cheap to add if they don't come with, so adapting to snow use is easy.

Someone mentioned the lower grip options on poles: you can't use 'em with the strap on your wrist. I have only used them occasionally where you need to shorten up for a steep step or two. Of course you loose the lifting aid of the strap and have to rely on your grip strength to pull yourself up. No free lunch :)

[Jake D]

BD you can replace any of the sections.

i think strap usage is personal preference. I like to hold the bottom of the grip and not use straps. i took my straps off and use a small(2") loop of triptease in case i want to hang them up

i'm guessing in the broken pole picture an aluminum version would have looked very similar. AL was the metal of choice before Carbon in bikes and is very stiff and will also break. i've seen photos of pedal spindles sheared off, crank arms, handlebars.. it all breaks.

carbon will definitely have less vibration.

[Paul Ashton]

Have to agree with Mark Dykstra. Leaning on the strap is so much more relaxed – you don't have the tension in forearm muscles created by gripping the poles tightly. Much lower energy use, and it barely matters what the grip material is. My home made bamboo poles have no grips as such, just straps plus decorative cord wrapping of the bamboo (functional also as it means I have a length of cord available if needed). I also have BD Al poles for when collapsibles are desirable. The locking system is reliable.
Regarding use, I get just as much benefit going uphill. I suffer from PAD (hardened arteries as a result of riotous living and genetics) so have very poor circulation to my legs. Lactic acid build up is rapid going uphill and stops me dead. Heavy use of poles – more or less pulling myself up by arm and shoulder muscles to relieve my legs is the only way I can go uphill. If I had to grip the handles I would be exhausted in no time, so leaning on the straps is IMO essential to efficient use of poles uphill. Lengthening the poles and using the same technique downhill is "best". Sometimes, for a short downhill section, I just place the top of the pole grip in the palm of my hand as I'm too lazy to change the length of the pole for a short descent.

[terry a thompson]

Go with the Leki! I have been using the Leki super Makalu since 1994 and i will not use any other hiking sticks. I have never had a faliure with them. i have used them on the PCT, JMT,Kilimanjaro,in Peru,and Scotland. They also are my tent supports.

hope this helps!

[Charles Henry]

I recommend the BD alpine carbon poles.

Aluminum poles transmit far more shock than the BD carbon poles. You should easily be able to verify this by knocking around the BD carbon and aluminums poles in stores.

Carbon definitely is used to dampen vibrations and carbon fiber is often used for such applications.

You will be hard pressed to break the BD carbon poles, although other carbon poles, ie, tigoat, are definitely not as durable. I've EXTREMELY tough on gear, but I trust my BD carbons so far. I've broken tigoat carbon poles simply by pressing them hard into the ground with arm force, not even tripping.

Finally, if you are still worried, you should 1) buy from REI or some other company with a bulletproof warranty. 2) know that BD will probably replace the poles at their cost to make you happy even after the 1 year warranty 3) BD sells replacement pole components, ie, the lower section which is most likely to break.

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