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BD has an adjustable Vapor Carbon ski pole now


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Home Forums Gear Forums Gear (General) BD has an adjustable Vapor Carbon ski pole now

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #3667743
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    My favorite trekking poles have been the Black Diamond Vapor Carbon 1 poles for many years now. I use fixed-length poles when possible as I’ve broken so many adjustable poles over the years, but BD just announced 2-piece Vapor Carbons that adjust from 100-135 cm and collapse down to 95 cm. I might trim 10 cm off the top of the lower section to allow them to shrink down a bit smaller when collapsed and use them for packrafting trips.

    The one downside for me is they use the metal ‘pro’ flicklock system where the locking lever faces forward and gets flipped open by brush with some regularity when bushwhacking. On a recent elk hunt I handed the lower section of another guys BD pro flicklock poles to him after he got mugged by salmonberries and alders a few times. We eventually duct taped the mechanism closed. A short section of road bike inner tube slipped over the flicklock mechanism obviates this downside, but I still prefer the older plastic flicklock that wraps securely around the pole shaft. I always use small, round summer baskets and jam about a 2″ chunk of radiator hose over the flex tip (slid up against the bottom of the baskets) to reduce ground penetration.

    Anyway, I’m excited to have a [somewhat] collapsible version of the best light-but-burly pole on the market.

    #3667761
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    I really like the “baskets” (spurs, really) on a pair of Outdoor Adventures Mountaintop trekking poles.  When I search for them now, I can’t find any current offerings, but the spurs they promote for “sand and deep grass” do work really well on Adak (a cold, foggy, grassy volcano) to prevent the pole from going in too far but snag less than any other poles I’ve tried.  Not especially light at 262 grams each, but they’ve held up for years of me and others schlepping caribou meat out with them.  Two-section, one flip-lock.

    Mine:

    Stock image:

    #3667768
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    I’ve replaced the larger alpine Flex Tech tips with more minimal Z-Pole-series tips/baskets on BD Expedition poles. The Z tips are pretty stretchy after sitting in boiling water for a few minutes, but they don’t go on every size pole tip. But it’s hard to beat the full size Flex tips for endless rock-stabbing durability.

    #3670033
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    I got a pair and immediately swapped the alpine Flex tips for some Z tips. I slid a piece of road bike innertube in place, ready to secure the Flicklock lever closed for future brush combat. They are 15.2 oz (430 g) for the pair. Not UL, but very good for such stout BC ski poles.

     

    #3670058
    Mike M
    BPL Member

    @mtwarden

    Locale: Montana

    nice looking poles and good idea on the flicklocks

    they should make those so they’re compatible with their whippet heads

    I have the aluminum Traverse WR, but they are a full 6 oz heavier- I’d definitely rock the carbon ones if they took the whipped head

    #3670103
    Philip Tschersich
    BPL Member

    @philip-ak

    Locale: Kodiak Alaska

    Because of the additional loads and stress on the Whippet interface and upper shaft they really need to beef that part of the WR poles up. I’m not sure a carbon upper would help much. It’s the threaded sleeve inside and the kinda porky Whippet head itself, along with the chunky rubber grip (though I’m not sure how much weight foam grips would save).

    #3670117
    Mike M
    BPL Member

    @mtwarden

    Locale: Montana

    ^ ahhhh- maybe that’s why they don’t

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