Thoughts on Fixing a Slipping Trekking Pole

I'm not exactly sure about that brand, but I once purchased one of another brand. The flip locks were slipping badly, but there was a tightening screw on each lock. Once a Philips screwdriver was properly applied, it worked perfectly and I've never looked back.

–B.G.–

You can adjust (tighten) a Flick Lock with your thumb nail.
You do it with the lock in the open position.

It's not a new problem,. but the solutions are simple.
Don't damage the surface. Instead keep them clean. Tighten as necessary.

Cheers

I've seen a couple twist-lock poles and the problem is they get stuck and you can't change the length. Even with several engineers trying to out-engineer each other taking one apart and trying to get it to work.

Maybe flip-lock are better

Trekking poles need regular maintenance, especially twist-locks, like changing the oil in your car. Take them fully apart clean of all the part until they are squeaky clean, especially the expanders. Pay special attention to the inside of the shafts. If you have some kind of super long bottle brush this would be perfect. What I have found useful is using one of those long flexible "grabber" things with the plunger on one end and the 3-tooth claws on the other that you use to gram things in small places. You can attach a piece of cloth, or even steel wool at the end and clean the insides, only make sure you don't loose the material inside the shaft. The use of cleaning products is advisable if you make sure to get all of the residue out when you are finished. Unless there is something broken inside your twist-locks should hold fine after you do this – for a while at least. :-)

Delmar's idea of "resurfacing" the expanders might be very helpful as well if the wear make them too slippery. But as a baseline clean the parts first. I imagine roughening the surfaces will be a double-edged sword if you then can't slide them at all.

> I've seen a couple twist-lock poles and the problem is they get stuck and you can't change the length.
Can happen. Store the poles with the locks LOOSE. That way they will not stick so much.

Oh yes – also store them clean and dry. Cleaning the locks after each trip is not silly.

If you are really concerned about poles sticking, store the parts separated. Won't hurt them at all.

Cheers

"Oh yes – also store them clean and dry. Cleaning the locks after each trip is not silly."

clean them after every trip?

you must be joking

anything that needs to be babied too much doesn't deserve to survive.

sort of a "survival of the fittest" principal

(sort of half serious – I found my trekking pole floating in the river and it's never changed from it's initial position, permanently frozen)

Does not surviving mean you just throw them away when they get too dirty to work? :-)

I don't clean mine every trip but I don't wait for them to totally freeze up before I proactively take action either.

I just never adjust the length

I don't use it much. I prefer not using a trekking pole.

> What I have found useful is using one of those long flexible "grabber" things with the plunger on one end and the 3-tooth claws on the other that you use to gram things in small places.

Brilliant, that would work great. Thanks for the tip.

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