UKC

I realise it's a topic where people are often poles apart - boom boom!

I've offered to get a friend a pair of poles for chrimbo as she enjoyed borrowing mine and I'll enjoy the hunt.

My pal found that my 15 yr old cheap as chips pair jarred her wrists a little so I'm sure she'd appreciate anti shock.

They'd get holiday and weekend use, need to be fit for Munros, not requiring an engineering degree to collapse/adjust length and have lovely soft handles as my pal gets blisters!

I may also upgrade mine but for me the straps being supportive and comfy matters and a pommel comfy for palms on descents. These are the only things my tenner a pair poles don't do for me!

The budget is about £40 for a pair but could be doubled for amazing poles (her birthday is just after chrimbo!).

That all sounds very girly - but, hey ho, we're girls!

Any recommendations?

In reply to flopsicle:

Decent poles are pretty similar these days, the only thing I would say is that I prefer flick lock to twist lock, especially for someone with wrist problems. However I can't see you getting a decent pair of anti-shocks for less than £60. I have a pair of Black Diamond Trails and a pair of Leki Makalu Antishocks and I prefer the wider padded strap of the Black Diamonds to the slightly unnerving bounce of the antishocks. Both go for about £70 a pair though, at £40 you are in basic twist-lock territory I'm afraid.

In reply to flopsicle:

I've had a few pairs of the twist lock mech, you don't need an eng deg to keep them maintained, but in the long run over the course, you may as well have, as Clarence sez flip lock is the way forwards. Buy cheep buy twice.

HTH

In reply to Clarence:

It can be potentially doubled as a budget, but if it's a birthday and chrimbo pressie I want the difference to be worthwhile for holiday use.

I have twist locks and I realise I've been insanely lucky that they've lasted, I've seen plenty come apart or just collapse. I don't really get how flick locks height adjust and haven't the nerve to start playing in shops in case I break something worth a king's ransom.

In reply to flopsicle:

No joke but see if you can find an Aldi pair.

Mine cost £7 each, they have ergonomic cork handles, an anti-shock system and are indistinguishable in style and quality to my friend's expensive leki poles. Honestly, they give nothing away in quality to those- the construction external and internal is identical.

In reply to Siward:

As someone still using £10 a pair poles 15 yrs later - I hear you! Will keep my eye out.

Nattering to guy in The Green Welly he rated the Sprayways for cheapies that go well but they were twist locks. I've looked at the Sprayway Nevis and they have a "Three Section Clip Closure Locking System" not sure how that fares in the twist verses flip issue? They're only £30 a pair so she'd get some posh Cava too!

In reply to flopsicle:

not anti shock, but light and flick lock and cheap: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Karrimor-Carbon-Walking-Poles-Black/dp/B009YOLTFS/r...
I have a pair, and like them. Saying that though, I don't use them, but carry them incase of injured or struggling clients or a river crossing.
I have also heard someone raving about these, but never used them myself:
http://www.blue-tomato.com/en-GB/product/Black+Diamond-Compactor+115+135cm+...
Having had to try to fix more twist lock ones than I care to remember, I would avoid those!

In reply to flopsicle:

You can pick up basic flick lock black diamonds for around £48 in a few places. The model is 'trail back' and they have got some good reviews. The 'trail' model is the next step for around £12-20 more which gets you a better grip and more foam down the pole. You can also replace sections if they break.

In reply to flopsicle:

I'm almost sold on fliplock or at least avoiding twist lock. Just one question though - what are they like for stashing on the outside of packs?

My poles tend to stay out as they're damn handy for herding a small child but my pal switched about when she used them.

The Karrimor ones look really well reviewed and very light - if they had anti shock the pressie hunt would be done! Not that I'm that convined by anti shock, just my pal felt mine jarred her.

In reply to flopsicle:

Have you considered Z-Poles? I just bought the mens Black Diamond FL distance poles from First Acent... £54. No anti-shock, but great for quick deployment and collapsing.

http://www.firstascent.co.uk/expedition/expedition-poles/expedition-poles-z...

In reply to craig1983:

If that's for a pair we're done!

In reply to flopsicle:
£54 for the BD poles is a bargain, buy them!

I've been using z poles for a couple of years and wouldn't buy anything else.

In reply to Siward:



I'm with you, I buy 3 pairs of cheap poles, if I leave them behind, good luck to whomever finds them, no way would I go any distance to retrieve them.
If I bend one, I use another pair, (and keep the rest for spares)

But then I am m not careful with gear, and a forgetful type, so a good pair and I would soon be parted.

In reply to craig1983:

Bargain, grab a pair of those

In reply to craig1983:

Oh flip! Now I've seen these;
http://www.firstascent.co.uk/sale/clearance-trek/black-diamond-women-apos-s...

Fliplock, anti shock and my friends favourite colour is purple! Just when I thought it was sorted. I'm still not clear if these are pairs though.

In reply to flopsicle:




When you add them to the basket, it says qty 2 and 90 quid.

In reply to Jim C:

Just tried and I got quantity 1 @ £45. I think I'll ring them tomorrow to get a definite answer and then report back.

In reply to flopsicle:


I must have just hit the add to basket twice without noticing.

It is Looking like you will have to fork out 90 quid for a pair.
( if I had poles at that price, I would have to have them attached to my wrists )

I guess if you use poles a lot, it might be worth spending serious cash, but I only use them occasionally, short ,when going up really steep ground , and long, going down very steep ground, so I'm not a big user myself.

In reply to flopsicle:

Woooohooo! They were pairs! I've bought the purple ones for my pal as it's a chrimbo pressie - I think pressies should be ever so slightly indulgent and nuts, she loves purple and worried about jarring so - together with advice re locking system - they fit the bill spot on!

And then, as the price was so good I bought the ergo cork for moi. Stock was really low, i bought the last one of one of them and second to last of the other.

Big thumbs up Craig! And UKC in general for the usual mine of ace info...