Locus Gear CP3 Trekking Pole Tip Replacements

[Brad Rogers]

My Locus Gear poles purchased in 2013 have no carbide tip left, and the metal has gotten worn and rounded as well.  This has become more of a concern since I started using an X-Mid that pitches trekking poles up and the grommet doesn’t seat well without a carbide tip, so I’m going to try replacing them.  I’ve read that I can remove them by placing them in boiling water for 10 minutes or so to loosen the adhesive and then attaching some new ones with epoxy.

The first question is has anyone done this?  Am I going about this the right way?

The second question is what tips to use.  I read Dan Duston did this with Black Diamond tips and someone else used Leki tips – is there any reason why I should prefer one over the other?  I generally don’t use baskets of any kind.

My final question is do you have any epoxy recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Erik G]

I think you’ve got the strategy right. I haven’t replaced tips, but I’ve put new ones on MYOG trekking poles. I used Black Diamond tips and JB Weld instant 2-part epoxy. Worked like a charm. Still going strong after a couple hundred miles of use. The BD tips are much less expensive than the Leki ones, for no apparent reason to me.

[Bruce Tolley]

@ Brad
There is a another thread going about which adhesive to use to replace tips of Komperdell CF poles. Sam Farrington has commmunicated some detail about the downside of using epoxy.
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/recommended-adhesive-for-carbon-fiber-trekking-pole-repair/#post-3623005

[Ken Larson]

Trekking pole replacement tips….INSTRUCTIONS

https://andrewskurka.com/trekking-pole-replacement-tips-buyers-guide-instructions/

[Brad Rogers]

Thanks.  It sounds like Black Diamond tips are the least expensive and the other tips aren’t particularly better, so I think I’ll try that route.  Skurka recommends no glue, so I may try that and see how that goes.  I don’t always 100% agree with everything he posts, but the man can and does hike, and if he hasn’t had any failures with no glue, I imagine I won’t either.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I have used a heat gun to warm up tips and a bench vise to remove them. It usually takes just a little warming and a twist to get them off.  Unless the fit on the replacements is very loose, you don’t need much glue to keep them on, as the force is usually driving them on even tighter. Silicone adhesive is good enough and can fill some big gaps– just let it dry with the poles upright. Polyurethane glue (like Gorilla glue) is very strong and has good gap filling proprieties, Wipe off any excess as it will bubble over, and again set the poles upright to dry.

Epoxy seems like overkill and God help you if you need to get them off.

Black Diamond Flex Tech tips are a good buy and you can replace just the carbide tips as well as install rubber tips. I have never tried them on the Locus poles.

[Brad Rogers]

Well I ordered a set of Black Diamond tips via Amazon for $8.  I’ll let you know how it goes when I swap them out.

[Erik G]

I just noticed I wrote that I used Loctite epoxy in the other thread. FWIW That was a brain fart on my part, I did in fact use JB weld epoxy. Don’t think it would matter one bit, but just for the sake of accuracy and all…  :)

[Dale Wambaugh]

The major difference in epoxies is the amount and type of filler they include.

They won’t fall off! You could cut them off, putting the pole in a vise and going at it draw knife style and then clean up the residual mess.

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