DIY Carbon Trekking Poles 295g / 10,357oz

[Christian Kunz]

My first encounter with a Pair of Trekking Poles was some years ago when i was on a Hiking Trip with my friends. With the help of these poles they were a little bit to fast for me, so I decided that I urgently needed also a pair. At this time my preference was to get one for a cheap price, weight doesn’t matter.

Today I’m older and weight become more important to me, so I began to start my own DIY Project of assembling some light Carbon Poles. One of my priorities was a possible small Packing Size. So I think about telescoping them.
The Results of my Work I explained in German Language on my Blog.

http://www.netzsofa.net/2012/06/28/ultraleichte-trekkingstoecke-selbstbau-myog/

http://www.netzsofa.net/2012/07/14/ultraleichte-trekkingstoecke-selbstbau-teil-2/

http://www.netzsofa.net/2012/07/17/ultraleichte-trekkingstoecke-selbstbau-teil-iii/

http://www.netzsofa.net/2012/08/10/ultraleichte-trekkingstoecke-selbstbau-teil-4-projekt-abgeschlossen/

At first I thought I would use the poles for hiking trips and as tent poles but actual I use them for trailrunning. In fact in this Summer in the northern Alps they worked well and finally I’ve got no breakdown.

Here the facts in data:
Weigth: 145g 5,178oz for one pole / 290g 10,357 oz for both

Min. length 59cm

Max. length 140cm

The Handles are from Duplon, a light plastic foam that is use for fishing rods. Extremely pleasant to touch and easily to form in shape with abrasive paper.

The Tips are made from a stainless steel allen screws and worked well for a long time.

I anodized the alloy parts because my sweat is extremely aggressive against the surface and if I didn’t do that, the small M4 threads doesn’t work after a short time anymore, because they are rusted.

The telescope variante was my choice because I like the small packing size. For this the weight is in my opinion absolutely OKAY. Be observed the maximal Length of the Poles and the individually adjustabillity of it, I think it's the greatest shit I got in my hands for a long time!

So this was my first Thread here at BPL……cheers Christian

[Colin Krusor]

Congratulations, Christian. those poles look great, and they are very light. I have not seen hardware like that on telescoping hiking poles before.

Excellent work.

[Sean Rhoades]

Very nice work. I've actually come across your blog once but I can't read/speak German. Thanks for posting your poles up here. Nice to be able to understand the process.

[Daniel Russell]

Sean,
I suggest you download google chrome and then try out his blog. Chrome has a built in webpage translator. It will detect when you stumble upon a page that isn't in your language and ask you if you'd like to translate. It works great and I was able to read his blog (minus the charts).

[Christian Kunz]

Hi Guy's

I Never thought that it was such a Great Feeling to be On the trails with lite poles….in fact i Hope if someone want's to Build his own DIY Poles the Photos will help to find your own Great Ideas. So Language doesn't matter.

There are some essential Points that are important if you Imagines such a Project. I think if you Take it to the Top, there are some opportunitys to make it lighter than my poles, Even when you prefer a One Pice Pole a shorter handgrip or u use it without the handloops etc.

Duplon as handle material was a great, Easy to use and pleasant to Hold, the tips are made of normal Steel, and they worked Fine Till now and they are easily to change if they where worn down. The handloops are from normal climbing Rope with a small diameter.

The Carbon tubes are pullwinding tubes, and the weight – price relation is payable. Hand or Machine winded tubes are much more expansive, so it will blown my Budget. The pullwinding tubes are stabil enough, i use a Wall thickness of 1mm. If u want to telescope the poles the major advantage over Hand or machine winded tubes is, that u can finished the pullwinding Tube surface with abrasiere paper, so it will be easily to telescope. Hand or machine winded tubes are often different in Diameter for +/- o,2mm and telescoping doesn't work!

All Parts Hold together with 2k adhesive and Till today everything Works as it should.

Cheers Christian

[Mike Oxford]

For anyone doing the same, be careful how you cut your carbon shafts…

Without a 10k RPM+ rig, like a mounted dremel or a commercial carbon tube cutter (maybe a local archery shop will do it for you) cutting the carbon will produce exceess amounts of rather nasty carbon dust and you risk delaminaation of the carbon fibres, as well as weakening the carbon structure.

Always wear a facemask/respirator!

-mox

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