Locus gear cp3 vs BD carbon cork

I will be using single pole application in mid.

My BD poles held up years of use. Looking for a replacement since mine recently got stolen when my car was burglarized. :( I grabbed a pair of Costco poles but I know they won’t last long per Andrew Skurka’s long term tests.

I own both the Locus Gear CP3 & the Black Diamond Carbon Cork.

I’ve used the LG’s on some quite sketchy alpine terrain and they never left me down. Mind you, I’m not the heaviest (65 kg/143lbs). The durability of the poles do not worry me, but the locking mechanisms however are made out of plastic (like the Cascade Mountain Tech-poles) and they starting to show some hairline fractures, so that kind of worries me. However, Andrew Skurka wrote a solution for that here: http://andrewskurka.com/2015/long-term-review-cascade-mountain-tech-quick-lock-poles/

I believe I’ve used the LG’s for roughly 500K/310 miles. Those were largely trails. Sometimes scree, sometimes snowfields, but: trails. The tips still like look new.

There has been some talk about an infamous rattle, but that has never really bothered me. And I’m a sucker for noises I can’t control.

The CP3’s (or at least one of them) have been the poles for my Khufu-mid in some pretty hefty winds and they never gave away.

I love the CP3’s, but…

I use the BD’s if large sections of my hike will be off-trail-ish. At least, that was my intention. I’ve used them now pretty regularly, even on well maintained trails. I love that you can grab them lower when climbing uphill without needing to adjust the poles height.
They’re considerably heavier then the CP3’s, but that also does not really bother me. They feel a lot beefier then the CP3’s, obviously. That’s maybe why I prefer them nowadays.

I leave for Scotland in a few weeks, most hiking will be off-trail. So the BD’s are going with me, but I’m sure the CP3’s could handle it as well.

Summarizing: if you mostly hike on well maintained trails, go for the CP3’s. They’re fantastic poles, beautifully crafted and very durable for the weight.
If your hikes are really demanding and/or mostly off-trail, opt for the Carbon Cork (or, the Cascade Mountain Tech Poles?). Those will probably last forever.

@ Paul S sorry to hear about you gear being stolen same thing just happened to me… it was a needed push to let go of attachment to material objects and good reason to upgrade gear. ;) I do hate thievery though, we must work together not against each other.

@ Arne L thank you for the detailed review and comparisons. I think I am leaning toward keeping the BD carbon cork. The weight savings looks attractive but I do a lot of off trail and also love being able to use the lower grip with adverse changes of terrain. I was thinking I could possibly mod this on the cp3s or just grab the carbon with no grip.

I recently picked up a pair of the Locus Gear cp3’s (beautiful poles) and before that the Cascade Mountain tech carbon poles. I have extensive use with BD trail poles and am very familiar with the BD carbon corks.

The carbon corks are much beefier and will definitely be more durable at the expense of maybe 5-8oz. With that said, I second what Ame recommends with the carbon corks for off trail but the CP3s can more than handle trail use and would be my choice…and was my choice.

I Have yet to use the cp3s with my duomid but they poles are less “flimsy” when together than the black diamond trail poles that i had no problems using with my mid. I have also never utilized the bottom grip that extends on any of my poles but prefer a soft foam handle like the trail poles or cp3s to cork/fake cork.

If you decide on the carbon corks, consider which year model you get as the locking mechanisms are different. The plastic ones (which are a proven standard design that works) are on older models and the 2016 models due to supply issues. The flock lock pro aluminum mechanisms are on the newer poles and deliver a more sleek design though people have complained about accidental opening of the latch in heavy brush http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/forum/hiking/general-hiking-information/gear/27232-bd-alpine-carbon-cork-w-flicklock-pro

Thank you for that link to the ADK forum. Altho I’ve heard of breaks in the lower sections of other carbon poles, was surprised to hear of it in a Black Diamond Pole, especially one as beefy as 9.5 oz per pole.
Some months ago was going to post a thread on MYOG about swapping out the grips on a Yukon Charlie carbon pole, which is carbon only in the top section, and light alloy in the bottom two.
Even tho the grips the Charlies come with are awful, the flick-lox are excellent quality and have worked flawlessly despite repeated use. Love being able to constantly change the pole length on varying terrain, without the hassles common with twist-locks.

Did not do the post because folks seem OK with the all carbon varieties, and altho I happened to have acquired some excellent foam grips from Italian made poles by Scott, the grips are not available separately.
But now, think I will do the post. The modified Charlies are 7.5 oz per pole with a beefy strap, mud basket and rubber cover over the tip – less weight than some of those mentioned on this thread. And from working with carbon fiber tubes for MYOG projects for a long time, know that carbon has a definite downside in rough use what with the possibility of fracturing. This is much less likely to occur with alloy tubing in the lower pole section or sections, as it is capable of bending before breaking, and still remain usable.

Will post on MYOG FWIW, and readers can draw their own conclusions about whether the Charlie mod was worthwhile. The one pole that was modified immediately became the only pole I use now when there is no snow cover. Trekking poles have saved the day, and possibly my life, on several occasions, such as one caught on a steep shale field that was supposed to be part of a USFS trail, but had been neglected. And then there is always the possibility of falling on my face on descents over sharp rocks should a pole fracture. So breakage is not acceptable to me when there is a less calamitous alternative.

Sam, I have been wondering myself if it may be worth while to swap out the lower carbon section of the cp3 poles for a black diamond trail pole lower section. (Yes, exact fit and match). I have not weighed each to see the weight difference but if I recall correctly, someone else looked into it a couple months ago and saw a very minor weight penalty comparing the lower aluminum vs lower carbon poles.

What do you guys think?

I have both the CP3 and BD Aluminum Cork poles (forget the name). The CP3 poles are certainly lighter than the BD poles and I agree with the thoughts above on them being perfect for trail use. My biggest concern with them is off trail use. What little I have used them for has really beat them up in short order and I feel like I may not want to rely upon them long term off trail. The BD poles are bomber and will probably be my choice for off trail usage from here on out.