11 oz set DIY trekking poles with carbide tips

Very neat!

Cool poles! Have these poles been bleached/ cooked so they won't bend or crack?

Good job. Here is a video tutorial. Bamboo is amazing.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=62687

"Cool poles! Have these poles been bleached/ cooked so they won't bend or crack?"

Thank you. No, the only treatment I've done to them is to spray them with silicone water repellent on the parts of the poles where fibers are naturally exposed. Otherwise, they are straight from the bin at Walmart. No bleaching or cooking. Bamboo is very strong for its weight and its been my experience that additional treatment is unnecessary for this use (I've made several other sets, although this is the first with carbide tips). I hover in the area of 190 lbs, and I've planted the tips and put all my weight on these without them bending excessively or cracking. I've used them the same as I've used aluminum and carbon fiber poles, caught the tips between rocks and had to free them, etc., and so far they've held up. That being said, I try to be careful not to abuse them as it is still wood. I'm sure that they wouldn't take lateral stress to the shaft as well as alumunim or CF. But I have several other sets of aluminum and CF poles and these are my lightest pair.

"Good job. Here is a video tutorial. Bamboo is amazing."

Thank you, and thanks for pointing out the video. Yes, Dave makes some beautiful poles, much more refined than mine. I followed that thread when it was posted, it was shortly after I had made these. I wanted to get some miles on mine before I posted anything in order to test their strength and durability. He gets a lot more into the finish and appearance than I did and he uses a much thicker bamboo as well. There is at least one video on You Tube where a guy used the same size bamboo as I did, and he's been using that same set for 4 years I believe. He used rubber cane tips from a pharmacy, but I wanted carbide tips.

Tom, nice project. How have these held up?

Do you have any clue what the ID of the z-pole tips are (I realize this may be tough do determine bc of your method of joining) ? I am considering these for a project I am working thru but am trying to avoid purchasing a ton of different tips.

thanks,
James

The ID is 3/8" for the Z-Pole tips.

They've been holding up well, I have over 200 miles on them.

thanks for the info on the zpole tips.
!
Glad to hear they are holding up well…definitely good mileage for the money!