Best Treking poles??

Excellent Input

You guys have really helped!! Directionally, I've learned a lot from your great posts. I plan to hit the local retailers this week (REI, Dicks etc) and touch/feel/buy using your advice or if needed, go the mailorder route: STP, Killer deals, etc to get the exact pair. Thanks much!!! I'll Let u know my results.

I have a pair of the EMS branded Komperdells as well, and started having problems with slippage after the first season of use. I brought them in, the sales associate took the offending pole apart, replaced the locking nut thingie and told me how to clean them. (Oops, hadn't been doing that...) All free of charge, very cool. I love the poles, wouldn't do any hiking without them 4 seasons a year. They double as the poles for my tarp when needed too.

jbrown said:

I have a pair of the EMS branded Komperdells as well, and started having problems with slippage after the first season of use. I brought them in, the sales associate took the offending pole apart, replaced the locking nut thingie and told me how to clean them.

Click to expand...

Leki uses a plastic expansion nut mechanism. I clean the poles occasionally and put a tiny dab of silicone grease on the threads. (Do _not_ get any on the outside of the expansion nut or on the inside of the tubes.) No slippage problems.

Doug

Its all in the wrists

My reccomendation - Don't try to save money on poles

I have a pair Leki Makalu Anti-Shock and they have literaly saved my life.

I have had my poles for about 5 years now, they have gone to Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Hawaii, Washington, the Tettons, Europe etc. Before buying them I had huge knee problems, my knees and angles would hurt so much I could hardly walk for a day or two after a 20 Mile weekend. Now they're sore, but not comparisson.

Various thoughts:

1. Antishock is all about Tennis elbow. If you plant hard (ie use arms to take 30% of weight) on your way down enough time you'll put strain on your elbows. I find that my elbows get sore when I don't have the antishock on

2. Straps matter a lot, if it slips you'll have to tighten it every few minutes. Look for wide straps, covered in soft microfleece if possible, you'll save a lot of blisters, liner gloves etc.

3. Its all in the wrist. I have friends who break their poles twice a year. Every once in a while your pole will get stuck in a crack, between branches etc. Its super important not to bend the barrel. Recognizing when it gets stuck, and quick pivoting your arm to exert force straight through the barrel saves your pole. Avoid jerking it up as the mechanism can take that much force. Twist poles are much easier for men than women as you need quite a bit of torque to tighten it enough for it to take your magnified weight (think going down the Garfield trail etc.)

4. Buy it at REI. Poles are one of the most likely things to break. While mine seem to survive, too many of my friends break them all the time. REI can be seen as a lifetime warranty for only $5-$10...much cheaper than what an insurance company would give you.

Oh yeah, I 'm sure you want to hear how a pole saved my life. On my honeymoon in Hawaii I was up at the Seven Sacred Pools (doing some stupid bushwacking), when I approached a pool overlooking a 100 ft waterfall. My big plastic boots slipped on the rim of the pool sending me topling backwards 8 feet. I hit my head hard on a rock as I hit the 1 ft deep water. What saved me was that I had my poles on my wrists and as I fell I spread my poles wide hitting the rocks hard, absorbing some of the shock of the fall. B/w the poles, my pack and my thick head I just survived to live another day.

Poles are like hiking boots. They're with you every hike you're on. A bad pole will remind you of your decision with every step. Spend the $130 bucks, you won't regret it.

Lots of info on poles and how to use them: http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm

Doug

rain on the parade

I've tried several types and brands of poles. None ever lasted more than a year or two. (That one in my avatar? Broke into two pieces when the bottom lock collapsed into bits.) Unless there's snow and ice on the ground, I prefer my good old broomstick. Here's why:

1) stronger. I never worry about it bending or breaking, even if it gets jammed deep between boulders in a talus field. And it won't collapse on me when I'm descending with a heavy pack.

2) self-adjusting. I carved little ridges for grip all along the upper section. Instead of frequently adjusting the flicklocks or whatever, I just position my hand at the spot that gives me the length I want. I ALWAYS have EXACTLY the right length for the terrain, because I can adjust for each step - it saves a lot of strain on my wrist.

3) longer & sturdier. I haven't had to use it this way yet, but I feel a lot better carrying this pole in an area where there are predators around (this means humans, mostly). The same properties also make it better for stream crossings (not that that's much of an issue in the Whites). One situation that has come up is lending a handhold to a buddy while climbing up steep rocks - you don't want to use a pole that might slip or break.

4) No basket. It basically never gets caught on tree roots, branches, and whatnot.

5) Wooden grip. Sweats less than rubber or cork.

6) cheaper. Mine was free. Why spend a hundred bucks every year when one broomstick will last a decade?

Life Link Guide Lites

I have used these poles for a while now and they are great. The poles are actually oval shaped so the locking mechanism will not start to unlock after time. Makes sense to me, a circle can rotate in a circle, but an oval cannot rotate in an oval. Also the bottom section of the pole has some special kind of tape on it so they are easier to twist when the pole is all wet. They are also one of the lighter poles you can get.