UKC

Does it make any differnence having trekking poles with suspension or is this a bit unneccesary.
Am thinking of getting a pair of the Alpkit poles which do not appear to have suspension, is it worth paying extra and getting ones that do?

In reply to mwerner:

Mrs Ridge only uses unsprung, and says they make a tremenous difference in reducing knee pain, so poles are a good idea. I believe general consensus is that sprung poles aren't significantly better.

In reply to mwerner:
Totally unnecessary. Go for the Alpkit ones, they're excellent (and very light).

In reply to Simon Caldwell:
Would you recommend the cork handles or the lighter EVA ones?

In reply to mwerner:
I've got the EVA ones and they're fine, slightly sweaty in hot weather but don't know if the cork ones are any different.
Ask Alpkit and see what they say, they're very good at giving advice (and not just advice to buy whatever's most expensive!)

In reply to mwerner: I've got a pair of Leki Super Makalu's, which are sprung and I find them rather annoying at times. Almost certainly heavier than non-sprung as well.

Sprung poles tend to be heavier and more expensive. I have been told give less stability as the bounce of the spring can put you off balance.
I have weak wrists so much prefer the sprung versions as it reduces the jarring on them, but unless you actually need the suspension it is probably an unnecessary gimmik.

In reply to mwerner:
Cheers for the advice, I reckon the Alpkit ones will suit me just fine.

In reply to mwerner: I've found my sprung ones a little disconcerting at times - if you put a little too much weight on them (as you sometimes inevitably will) you can feel the pole shift down a little, and it can make you think the pole is about to contract in, and so can reduce your confidence in them

Another thing to consider, and I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but I'm also not too sure about twist locks. Mine have this, and I occasionally find one of the sections shortening slightly under load, and so requiring readjustment to keep them at a good length. Maybe this is just a problem with my poles, or maybe its the case with all twist lock setups; I don't know.

In reply to Liam M:
Mmm, would be interesting to see if anyone else has had this problem with twist locks.

In reply to mwerner: I've certainly had this problem with twist lock poles, which is why I now use Black Diamond poles with the flick lock design which I find much more reliable. Rock and Run do the unsprung Gipron poles with the same locking mechanism for £35 the pair http://www.rockrun.com/shop/prod.html?d=19&t=239&p=1819&sid=cbd...

Another problem I once had with a twist lock pole was when it seized up in the closed position, leaving me with only one working pole. It wasn't a critical problem as I don't rely on the poles for mobility, but it was highly annoying.

I agree with Liam that the spring mechanism can take you by surprise a bit sometimes - but it is a pretty gentle surprise and so far I have not found it a major problem. OTOH I'm not convinced that the springs actually do any good. I don't think you'd be missing out not having springs.

In reply to mwerner:
Yes occasionally, the repeated pressure on the lock gradually unscrews it. But it's nothing more than a minor inconvenience, and not IMHO a reason to pay (a lot) more for a different locking system, eg black diamond.

In reply to GavinB:
agree completely - the springing is distracting and removes the ability to 'feel' the surface the pole is touching

In reply to mwerner:

The sprung ones don't feel good, I hardly ever use mine. You can't lean on them in nearly the same way as normal ones. I thinkit was a waste of money.

Leki compacts are my favourite, cos they're a good couple of inches shorter than makalus- they fit in rucksaks better, which is nice if you're travelling and want to keep everything out of sight.

Mine have solid plastic handles, which are just fine.