Trekking poles

Hi Gordon. I think that, for me, the key attributes are weight, strength, hand comfort, being adjustable from 120-140 cm., and be compact for air travel. So my 8.6 oz. BPL carbon fiber Stix (no longer available–BPL closed the Gear Shop in 2011) are my favorite ones. The 125 cm. length is perfect for supporting my Contrail in an inverted V setup, and they are so light. However, they are a fixed length, so no adjusting the length, and not at all compact. The Komperdell foam grip is perfect for me. But carbon fiber isn't as robust and forgiving as aluminum, so I need to be careful with them–no pole vaulting over small streams with these.

I found a pair of 16.7 oz. Black Diamond Z-poles on sale this winter. They are very compact when broken down, and they are adjustable from 120 cm-140 cm, allowing them to work for several of my tents. They also can be shortened a wee bit for uphill slogs, or lengthened ~15 cm. for downhill cruising. The only thing I dislike about the BD poles is that the handle grips don't have a bulge to rest my index finger. So I made some from closed cell foam and duct tape. It's pretty ugly, but now my hand doesn't slip down the pole when I'm gripping tight on the uphill grunts. Also, I remove the straps from my poles, so a good grip is important to me.

I have BD Trail poles. They are heavy by BPL standards, at 17 oz/pr. Their good points, for me, are: robustness, flicklock ease and reliability, adjustability, and comfort. Although I wish they were lighter, I don't baby my poles, and I can't afford to replace carbon poles like GG LT4s on the regular. If I were to upgrade I would get the Locus Gear CP3 flicklocks. Several BPLers have confirmed their toughness, and they are significantly lighter than the BD Trails.

I am going with Fizan Compacts on my next purchase. My cheap komperdells are 1 lb and work fine for now, but the compacts are ~11 oz and have the toughness of aluminum. Also they are under $100, which is the max I am willing to pay for the most likely to break piece of gear I use.

" If I were to upgrade I would get the Locus Gear CP3 flicklocks. Several BPLers have confirmed their toughness, and they are significantly lighter than the BD Trails."

+1 A very well made, sturdy pole, and an excellent choice.

Another vote for Locus Gear CP3 poles.

I have used the REI power lock poles for a few hikes and they are great so far. The quick locks work fine, and without baskets they are 7.3 oz each, and cost $129 per pair. If you don't need straps, you could cut them off and probably reduce the weight another ounce per pole… that is really some robust material, and lots of it.

I have a pair of Ruta Locura two piece Yana poles, at 3.5 oz each. The handle took some getting used to, but I like it a lot now. They are very light and true multi-purpose; I have the 1.3 oz clarkii Tenkara rod as well, so it (I only carry one) becomes my fishing pole. At night, I use the two halves as bridge hammock spreader poles -others use them as tent poles (A second lower segment can be inserted in the handle for a taller pole.) My son likes that the upper section fits a 30 calibre blow dart, that he can play with in camp.

Bert

"I have BD Trail poles. They are heavy by BPL standards, at 17 oz/pr. Their good points, for me, are: robustness, flicklock ease and reliability, adjustability, and comfort. Although I wish they were lighter, I don't baby my poles, and I can't afford to replace carbon poles like GG LT4s on the regular."

All of that. I use Black Diamond's Trail model, also, and like them very much. Need the durability as I'm constantly going off-trail to ramble up and down gorges and follow waterways, and the adjustability for setting my TT Notch at different heights to cope with weather. Love the grip extension for steep climbs, too.
Never noticed the weight. They've been like an extension of my arm for years.
Just ordered a replacement set(best review you can give something), since I lost one last week into a place it couldn't be retrieved from while being a little blasé about life and limb.
Recently bought my girlfriend the Trail Compacts, which are the same thing, just shorter overall and with a smaller grip and shorter extension.

Planning to use my loaners all through next week, since my new Trails probably won't get here in time.
BD Trail Backs that were <$40 from Sierra Trading Post. Not a bad budget pole, I suppose, but they lack the grip extension, have a less comfortable grip, and less padding on the straps, so the Trail is well worth the extra cost.

+1 Locus Gear CP3's.
+10 Locus Gear CP3's with GG LT4 Grips.

I have a pair of the CP3's and I love them. They are light, tough, and I don't notice any additional rattle. I followed others on BPL and ordered a set of LT4 Grips. I find these grips to be some of the most comfortable I've ever used.

These have already generated some discussion (and some controversy) around these boards, but I have to plug my Cascade Mountain Tech poles from Costco. $30 for carbon fiber flick lock poles, and they've held up well even when I torqued them in a few ways that I expected might break off the tip.