Fizan Adventure trekking pole experience?

[dueurt]

I have the Fizan Compact trekking poles, and I like them – except they have a tendency to lock up with temperature changes. Using a trekking pole tent, that’s not something I want to live with any more.

 

The Fizan Adventure looks like a decent alternative, but I can’t find any reviews or comments on them.

[Mudjester]

I’ve been using Fizan Compact poles (2 sets) for a decade, both for hiking and tent poles, and have never had a problem with them locking in 3-season backpacking with fluctuating temps from 15-80 degrees. My only problem with the internal adjusters is that they loosen, and the poles shorten when I am hiking and exerting big downward pressure. I usually crank ’em down tight, but that doesn’t make much of a difference unless I REALLY tighten them such that they are a bear to loosen. So I wonder if you might be over-tightening them for tent use?

[dueurt]

I might be over-tightening them for hiking, but if I don’t tighten them pretty hard, they tend to slip a few centimeters.

There’s probably a sweet spot I need to hit, but that sort of thing is incredibly hard for me to do consistently.

 

There could also be other factors at play, but I do clean them regularly, and almost every time they lock up, heating the outer tube with my hands helps, which is why I blame temperature.

 

In any case, it’s a common enough occurrence that I’m ready to throw a bit of weight and money at the problem.

[Mudjester]

Yep, me too. Which is why I may switch to poles like Black Diamond carbon fiber that have outer tensioners with a lever rather than inner tensioners with a hand twist. But having only used inner tensioners (Leki, GG, Fizan) I don’t know if they are better. Anyone who uses such care to chime in?

Oh, and I trust you clean the tubes of the Fizan of any grit from time to time, which might also contribute to their stuckness.

 

[Matthew / BPL]

I have many years and miles on my BD Alpine Carbon Cork likes and have had zero slippage, jamming, or other problems. I do not baby them and never clean them. They just work. I sure wish them made them with foam grips.

I’ve been dayhiking with the adjustable blue carbon z-poles from BD for the better part of a year now. They are stiff enough for me (way more stiff than my old aluminum BD Z-poles) and I think I would probably take them on a non-snowy trip that stays below treeline. I don’t think I’d want to trust them to hold up my shelter in a 40mph wind but short of that they are a dream to use with a nice light weight and my preferred foam grips. The only ding perhaps is the straps are not as supportive as the straps on my heavier Alpine poles.

I hope that helps!

[Todd T]

I sure wish them made them with foam grips.

Hear, hear!

[Dan]

I find the poles that use levers more reliable than the ones you twist to tighten. I have a Leki pair with cork grips. Nothing special or especially lightweight, but they have lasted me for many years. If I were getting a new pair, I’d certainly consider z-style poles with a small adjustment range.

[Terran Terran]

I have the same problem with Leki. They don’t seem to break

[John “Jay” Menna]

I’ve broken more than one of the Fizzans that used to be sold on DROP.    They both appeared to me, made out of the same material, and weigh the same so I don’t know how different they are. But even my.125 wife managed to snap one.

[dueurt]

This morning I remembered that I bought the Durston Z-flick poles when I still wasn’t sure I could get comfortable with trekking poles.

Being 88g a piece, the total weight of my Fizan Compact+ Z-flick is 482g. A pair of Fizan Adventure is 460g, and as far as I can find, anything lighter with external tensioners is significantly more expensive.

 

So I’m thinking I might just take the 22g penalty and bring the Z-flick for now.

When I’ve got the money, I could grab a pair with external tensioners, that’s no heavier than the Fizan Compact.

[Author]

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