One thing leads to another

(didn't the Fixx say that?)

So after reading the thread on the ultralite shelters, tarps and tipis, I see that most of them use a treking pole for support - who wants to carry tent poles anyway.

These days I use an old ski pole when I hike but it doesn't collapse. If I invest in one of these ultralite shelters, a collapsable pole may come in handy. Not that I'm ready to spend any $$ but what are the recomendations on poles?

Leki Makalu Antishock - I don't leave home without 'em!

I'm fairly certain that was from the Fixx's "Reach the Beach" album.

Dude, my wife got me a pair of 2 section EMS poles for my birthday last year, they were around 40 bucks (I think.) They have the carbide tips with removable rubber tips, and they came with snow baskets too. They're actually another brand (Leki, Komperdell, not sure...) with the EMS logo on the shaft, and I love them. I have used them to pitch my 8x10 silnylon tarp in the backyard only, but love the way they work. (I always seem to find an empty leanto and don't have to pitch a shelter.)

On another note, my brother has used a pair of carbon-fiber ski poles on several hikes and he loves them. Gossamer gear will be making a one-piece carbon fiber hiking pole weighing in at 4 ounces or less, I don't remember.

You have a ton of options, but if you don't want to lay down a pile of cash, go for the EMS poles.

I'll second the Leki Makalus . . . I have the Ultralite Ti and I LOVE them . . . Some folks have had trouble with the poles coming undone while hiking . . . well, after years I finally figured out why that happens and how to fix it . . . the more intelligent ones amongst us probably already know this but I am slow

If the poles come undone, switch hands. When I hike I tend to torque (sp?) the poles outward, just the way my hands move as I place and remove the poles from the ground. If I switch the poles then I am torqueing them in the opposite direction which tighten the poles instead of loosening them. Did that make sense, I just recently figured this out as I watched closely my placement of the poles and the effect of that placement on the turning mechanism. Give it a try if you poles come apart frequently.

sli74

I would also try REIoutlet.com. I picked up a pair of Black Diamond pole for under $50.

Mark

For what it's worth, on the way down Jimmy Dolan Notch Trail last week, I bent the lower shaft section and cracked one of the plastic collars on one of my 3-year-old, EMS-branded, Komperdell-made 3-section poles. Went to EMS in Carle Place (on Lawn Guyland) and they gave me full credit for the pair. I walked out (after paying the difference) with a pair of Leki Makalu Core-Tecs that I am aching to try out. BTW - the old poles were fine, until this incident, held up well on Wittenberg, DP/Becker Hollow to/from Hunter, Thomas Cole and other trails with steep spots. But I guess my 270 lbs. (including pack) was too much this time.

I really like the Black Diamond poles because they have a flip lock. I had problems with grit getting into the twisty types of poles (Komperdells, for example) and rendering them useless. The flip-lock works a lot better for me.

-- Ivy

Speaking about bending/breaking poles . . . Hiking the Carters and Moriah with a large pack last week, I slipped, postholed and fell against a rock and twisted/fell on my pole pretty good practically bending it, thought I'd definitely have broken it BUT the Leki's were just fine and I came out with a big bruise . . . the Leki's are amazingly strong.

sli74

Another vote for the Leki Makalus.

Mine are into the fourth year of heavy, all-season usage and I love 'em. I hiked for years w/o poles and will NEVER go back.

Funny...I used to have the same problem that Seema has and figured out how to solve the problem just as she did. (Nice description on how to solve that, Seema!)

I'll second the Black Diamond w/ the flicklocks. Plus, the Expedition poles get down to like 22" (?), and you can buy replacement parts. Which have come in handy after some particularly nasty skiing wipeouts.

I have a pair of Leki Makalus Classics. These are non-shock absorbing models which I prefer because they are lighter and the shock-absorbing ones I've seen tend to squeek - which would drive me nuts eventually. Mine also have cork hand grips which are much nicer than the hard rubber grips, especially in summer when your hands tend to sweat. I like these for the most part, though I've had some problems getting them to tighten when it's cold out (like 20 degrees or less). You can just twist and twist them and they never seem to "catch" and tighten up.

I had a pair of the Leki Ti's that Sli mentions (which, BTW, contain zero titanium - just a marketing gimmic) but they only lasted 1 and 1/2 hikes. I slipped on a wet root in the Mahoosucs and, as I tried to brace myself with one pole, it bent and broke in two! I'm not the biggest guy in the world, so I was really suprised. Luckily EMS gave me a full refund on them.

Leki Makalu Antishock

I'll say Leki Makalu Antishock too...I was never a big believer in poles but after purchasing em, I have yet to do a hike without em! My knees are much happier too (I'm a big hiker...about 250lbs and they havent buckled on me in their 3 years of use!)
HEAD

_________________________

BirdHead Studios

second hand poles?

I have lots of retractable poles - some new, some used and all in very good condition.

If anyone is interested in a particular type, send me an email/PM, and we'll work out a deal.

For some reason I never got the knack of carrying them around?!


Inge Aiken
518-283-7749
[email protected]

I've been hiking with poles for a year now. I started with my old cross country poles to try it out, and decided that it worked for me with my knees.
I really think that the only thing that matters is that the poles don't collapse too easily when you fall on them. However, I also think it is a neat feature that they will collapse when you really come down on them HARD, but they give way slowly, at least thats what my Leki's do.
I was having problems with loosening as Seeva mentioned, but I found that since I broke in the poles, it has pretty much stopped happening. Also, I learned that disassembling the poles and sanding the expancion plug with fine sand paper helped a lot. You do need to clean the buggers from time to time on the INSIDE.
I am a mechanical designer working in the manufacturing field, and I just can't get past what they are charging for these things. I know what the materials cost, and what they cost to manufacture. I could never pay 100 bucks or more for a pair of poles. I suggest you watch for sales. I got my Leki Air Ergo3's for $49.95 for the pair. At that price I couldn't pass them by. I also picked up a single "Panorama" (made in the Checzh republic) for 10 bucks at the same sale. It is a nice single pole with a tee handle. Good for light walks. I have decided that I hate the anti-shock poles with the springs. The noise drives me nuts! I don't even like the tap- tap that my plain poles make, but those springs are very annoying. How can you expect to see any wildlife when you are boinking through the woods?
Be patient and catch a sale.
Happy Hiking,
Tom

hey there - if you do not currently hike with poles, or if you use something basic like a ski pole... then my guess is that you would get by just fine with a cheap pair of 3 or 2 section telescopic poles.

I've been using the same pair of 40 dollar EMS 3 section poles for almost 6 years now. I dont quite understand the need for the shock systems in some of the more expensive poles.... but I guess it probabaly depends in how you use them.

I have been taking my Leki poles on every hike for 5 or 6 years. They really help to offload stress on my knees, ankles, and calves. About 3 years ago I put on the rubber tips for 3 season hiking. Not only do the tips prevent poking holes in trails but I no longer sound like a blind man tapping my cane through the mountains. I love the silence and wouldn't consider using naked carbide tips again.

I too have the Leki Makalu Ti Ultralights. I love them. What the heck do you need shocks for anyway? Its a POLE! Perhaps this should go in the "dual purpose gear" thread, but does anyone use their poles as pogo sticks? :-D
The poles helped me a lot a couple of weeks ago when exploring the bushwhack up Macomb. I fell on the poles quite a bit, and they held true.

-percious

Well, Leki says the rubber tips are for use "indoors or on pavement only," but I think I'm going to try them on my next trail hike to see if they cut down on "boinking" through the woods. I'm also curious to see how the tips hold up.

Note to Tom: I thought the verb "to boink" meant something completely different, in the woods or anywhere else.

On several occasions while hiking I have found someone else's rubber tips that had fallen off. I would like to avoid poking holes in the dirt, but I'm not sure how well the tips stay on. You would think that it would be very noticeable if/when they fall off, but based on how many I have found, perhaps not.

percious,

I find the shock system on the Leki Makalus offer some value when descending fast and hard while putting added weight on the pole. If they're set in spring shock mode, they distribute the weight better and put less load on the pole, esp for someone like me who weighs in at 190 + pack. Pogo? Of course! I use them to vault from one mountain top to the next...well worth the extra $!