UKC

Hello all,

Decided to ask my olds for some trekking poles for christmas due to some upcoming romps through the worlds hills and mountains. I can't see any reason I can't get carbon ones as most of them don't seem to be out of budget. I like the idea of something a)light weight, b) packs smallish so can be stowed away, and c) good

Any recommendations? I liked the look of the Alpkit ones but they've sold out, boo. Then my eye caught the Brasher supalite carbon ones but they don't seem to pack down as small as the alpkit ones, though are a fair bit lighter.

All opinions welcome.

By the by I have done a forum search which is how I came across the alpkit ones but nothing really helped me hence the post.

Cheers all
Sharket

In reply to Sharket:

http://www.raidlight.com/boutique/stpi/179-byatons-trail-pole-longueur-110-...

I've got a pair of these. They are very light and break down to approx 30cms-ish. They are not as strong as regular ones though.

In reply to jon:

small thurs afternoon french test there, but gosh they are super light!

I can see why strength coul dbe a prob.

In reply to Sharket:

Yes, they are for trail racing - not that I use them for that, you understand... They are great for approaching crags to climb long routes as they fit easily in a tiny pack. Make a great clip stick as well! Worth repeating that they are not strong...

In reply to Sharket: Pacerpoles every time; noticeably more efficient and 'ergonomic' than conventional poles. You really notice how much more power you can get out of your upper body on ascents and long flat walk-ins. I don't bother with normal ski pole type models any more, they just don't compare. Their carbon poles are lovely, though would be on the short side for anyone much taller than six feet. Alloy version rather heavier but it extends longer, and the advantage if you're in remote areas on multi day walks is that they don't snap half as readily as carbon.

In reply to dan bailey:

Hmm, saw the pacerpoles, but skimmed over as they're a bit heavier than some of the others - however I don't know anything else about them. How short do they pack down?

In reply to Sharket: If your planning to go anywhere cold make sure you get flip locks and not the old screw versions. Just been to Patagonia with my old Makalu treck poles and they spent most of the trip frozen solid and strapped to my pack. Black Diamond do some great ones. Just remember while carbon is light it's not nearly as duarable as a normal material.

In reply to Monkeyrock:

OK, thanks. Will defo remember that about the locks.

Don't worry about carbon info though - I know more about the stuff than most people will ever dream of. Bonuses of composite materials R+D!

In reply to Monkeyrock:

Having said that, I meant that I will look after them - not so much that I'm a know it all

well maybe a little bit but in my line of work if you don't think that occasionally you wouldn't be in it.

In reply to Sharket: Another vote for the BD flip-lock adjustment. I've got a pair of 3-section BD poles which I've had no problems with.

If I was buying again I'd definitely get 4 section poles that are small enough to go inside my rucsac. An instructor I was climbing with in Scotland this year had a great pair, but unfortunately I can't remember the make/model.

In reply to Sharket:
Another thumbs up from me for the Black Diamond ones. utterly reliable so far, good price, not heavy (IMHO)

In reply to monkeys:

Yet another thumbs up for BD! I've got the expodition poles and really like them. they're not carbon but aren't that heavy, would probably go for the compact version if i were to buy again tho.

In reply to Sharket: The carbon poles go small-ish: take them apart and they go inside a climbing sack. The handle is the only vaguely cumbersome bit (but that's the bit that makes them so unique in use).

In reply to Sharket:

BDs flicklocks are great - the interminably stupid squeeze lock less so.

avoid at all costs. impossible with gloves, hard even without, they break, they freeze, they cant be adjusted.

its the only outright bad thing BD seems to do.
ive cursed the design ever since the first trip i did with them. rest of the poles great. eliptical designs a good idea, grips nice etc etc.

i cant whine enough about the wretched squeeze lock tho.

yes it keeps me awake.

In reply to Mark Stevenson:

Just to confuse matters I've sometimes found flick locks to be more problematic in icy conditions than old style barrel locking systems. I've had the flick lock mech freezes inside a lump of ice and could only gets the ice off by sort of putting my mouth round the pole! Also although I've got pretty strong fingers, I have found at times in the cold I haven't been able to flick the flick-lock - I think the plastic contracts. Barrel locks sometimes don't want to tighten back up, but I've never had problems undoing them. So, I wouldn't say don't get them, but I've had no less problems with them than with various Leki and similar poles with barrel lock mechs.

Sharket, the lighter ones tend unsurprisingly not to be as strong. I've now snapped the plastic end spikes (they are replaceable and designed to snap, rather than the bending the alloy pole so its not the end of the world, but both times happened during trips away) on my lightweight Dynastar poles. I've never done that with various Leki poles I've had over the year that have been used much more.

Leki is well worth a look, they have been doing this longer than many - I got my first Leki trekking poles in the early 90s and got a good decade of use from them. I still use a pair of Leki 2 piece poles for ski touring now that I bought in 1994 - and I'm a crappy skier who has snapped poles in the past!

Thinking about it I've used loads of different makes of poles down the years and don't think there is too much difference in use, just in longevity and toughness. I wouldn't bother with the spring loaded ones.

In reply to TobyA: Oh yeah - I've always found that breaking the poles into two bits (handle sections separate from mid and lower section) makes them much easier to fit inside a winter climbing pack - say about 40 ltrs in size. Having them strapped to the outside of pack is necessary with 30 ltr size packs, but guarantees tangles with any over the shoulder slings etc.

In reply to Sharket: I'd go for black diamond (which is what I've got) mainly because of the flip lock in a storm last winter i closed mine up but a couple of friends with leki twist locks got frozen which was less than useful when you have a very steep face to desend

In reply to Sharket:
also would definitely recommend trying out the pacerpole if possible (even just in a shop you get some idea but ideally borrow a fiends pair for field trial)... IMO well worth any slight weight or packing disadvantage or as they just feel so much more efficient in use -

Cheers
Mark

For a 4 section pole try Exped:-

http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage.nsf/b43HomePageE?openframeset

I got mine in Switzerland. I find it convenient that they are shorter than my rucsac and so don't protrude & generally get in the way like my 3 section ones used to. They can also go inside it when the bag is in the hands of airport baggage handlers.

Mike

In reply to Sharket:

Another vote for Pacer Poles.

I have dodgy hips and the grip design really enables me put a lot of weight on the poles without having my wrists at a vicious angle (as is the case with normal grips, especially on steep descents).

On the other hand, in my experience the Pacers are particularly excellent for steep, speedy, agile descents when heavily loaded (or just plain heavy; I weigh 85Kg without a pack).

As for the screwlocks, I had no trouble with them in the Alps this September and that included leaving them outside the tent on the ice for a couple of nights (-6°C).

I did have trouble undoing them in the rain in the Lakes on the first trip that I used them but that was because I was overtightening them. No such problems since.

In reply to Sharket: I can recommend BD poles.

I have a pair, granted a rarely use them, but when I have done I've never had any problems. The carbon is very light weight and the handle (various types) I have is fantasic.

You might end up paying slightly more than a normal pole, but you'll have forgotten that once you use them.

In reply to Sharket:

I have a paid from the Climbers Shop in Ambleside which are short in length. I'm 5'6" and they are OK for me.

Jonathan