UKC

The most boring thread on the planet but here we go…I’ve used Alpkit aluminium z-style walking poles for years (good value) but I managed to destroy one every few years. Can anyone recommend really durable walking poles. Ideally collapsible. Winter seems to be the thing that destroys them, getting jammed between boulders in the snow etc, so ideally suggestions that have survived years of hard all season use. Thanks. 

Not collapsible, but BD Flicklock expedition are as bombproof as walking poles can get. 

Pacer pole Aluminium have proved bombproof (and winterproof) for me for 9 or 10 years. I've worn out and replaced the tungsten spikes in that time. Currently unavailable till March unfortunately.

Another vote for pacerpoles, I have the aluminium and my wife the carbon. Both have lasted years and many multi day hikes.

Another vote here for the various Black Diamond Flicklock poles. Have 2 pairs and they last forever (think I've done at least 3000 hiking miles plus numerous long walk-ins to crags and multiple winter days with them). Have worn through the tips on one pair and they were easy and cheap to replace. Have also slightly bent the end of one but it has no impact on their performance. 

Sadly, there's not much chance of me making even the toughest poles last 10 years. Average is about 3 years for me before I manage to drive off from somewhere leaving one or both behind.

Martin

I'm sure you use yours more than me, but from the look of your profile - you are using them for very similar reasons: predominantly for winter climbing walk ins? If so, you'll probably want to stick with Z style as they're so much easier to stow in your pack for when telescopic ones. After looking carefully for alternatives for my Alpkit Z ones, I decided there wasn't a good alternative and just replaced my Alpkit ones! They're tougher than much more expensive carbon fiber BD z ones (I broke a half of a test pair in exactly the way you mention here). They remain really quite cheap as well. 

Alpkit did replace one broken z pole for me, but that's some years back now. I had the very first generation and they said it was a bad design and a few had broken at the same point, so they just gave a second generation one. But the unbroken 1st gen pole kept going for years after that I only replaced it last year when it was so battered that the bit that has to slide out to tension the pole into locked position, kept getting really stuck. I figured it was going on 10 years old and had done me very good service! 

I've broken a BD flicklock pole  (3 section version) while ski touring -  not exactly sure what happened but I planted a pole just before a turn & discovered that I only had two thirds of the pole in my hand & that the lower tube had cleanly broken where the flicklock had been. Luckily I could put them back together & they still adjusted long enough for downhill skiing. They would have been maybe 7 or 8 years old & had been used for both ski touring & walking.

I've had a pair of MSR Dynalock Ascent for a couple of years now. So far, they're by far the strongest and most durable feeling of the poles I've had (have previously had Alpkit carbon fibre (Twist style) and original Leki type). They are somewhat spendy though. I use them frequently these days, though they've only spent limited time in properly rough terrain so far.

After using a pair of Leki telescopics for ten years, I bought a pair of carbon fibre z style ones from Camp for a backpacking trip in Scotland last spring, which they did not survive. So now I have a pair of Leki collapsibles instead. 

My old Leki telescopic ones are still fine, just a bit heavier and less convenient to pack. And they'll still see some service, because I noticed that Leki strongly don't recommend z-style poles for ski touring. They evidently think telescopics are stronger, and I assume they probably done the testing to back that up

I have had a pair of Leki Micro Vario TA trekking poles for years and they are bomb proof, made of aluminium, have the speed lock height adjustment and are Z fold, unfortunately they don’t seem to make them anymore but if I lost them (because I think id struggle to break them) I would buy another pair of Leki’s. They are a bit prices but the quality of Lekis in my opinion is outstanding.

Cheers 

Ryan

black diamond distance z were great but clearfell in the dark eats poles and so I'm now trying out the Grivel Trail Three. These are a little weird as the handle isn't shaped but they're amazingly small when collapsed and have great snow baskets. I'm unsure about no shaping on the handle but they've coped with winter climbing approaches OK so far. 

Bd poles have served me well I used mine a lot for winter and at over 20 years old they are still going strong.

Pacer poles for me again. Have the carbon ones about ten years and going strong. 

If you want durable:  Alpenstock (half serious...)

Replace the ferrule occasionally, might get 20+ years out of one

Swapping ferrule between summer cap and winter spike, unless you have dedicated summer and winter alpenstocks (maybe even a third one with pick and adze).

https://www.lindenleisure.com/product-page/staghorn-top-hiking-stave but suspicious of this one, the antler handle seems a bad idea, the joint a point of weakness, a single piece of wood is surely more robust and lighter?

Mine lasted 6 months.

Non collapsible but I find this is sturdy and commands much respect from fellow mountaineers. 

https://www.theknightshop.com/gandalf-s-illuminating-staff-full-size-prop-r...

Well, as it happens, I tend to require particularly durable trekking poles for work (survey in mountain and wetland terrain, nearly always pathless and usually extremely rough ground, deep heather, scree, gloop, crags, hags, you name it).

I think it's fair to say any poles that are unfortunate enough to get into my ham-fisted paws tend to end up enduring extreme and prolonged use (even compared with expeditionary mountaineering abuse).

Over the past 30 years I've used lots of different types - both alloy and carbon - from a range of manufacturers - and bust most of them after a few seasons.

The only ones that I found are/were utterly bombproof were BD Contour Elliptic. The design was exceptional; it seems to be impossible to make them flex no matter how much weight you put on them in extremis - even when extended to maximum. Very reassuring on very steep sketchy descents.

Sadly they stopped making these about a decade ago - never discovered why (possibly because if you weren't assiduous in extending them completely when not in use they could become stuck together and then completely impossible to extend - in a far worse way than happens with conventional round profiled poles).

But if you looked after them - they were pretty much indestructible (I'm still using a pair after a decade of extreme battering - they look like they've been in a war zone with tons of scratches and scars, have had the tips and baskets replaced numerous times - but still going strong).

So if you ever see any second hand - you better grab 'em before I do!

The only other poles I've found that compare in burliness are Leki Makalu (the full-fat version) which is still available. But they are relatively heavy (the old BD Contour Elliptic wasn't that much heavier than a 'normal' pole) and Leki's version of the 'Flicklock' mechanism isn't as good.

However, of the current crop if (to paraphrase a old girl band), what you really really want is durability and reliability, I suspect it's the best that's going at the minute.

(As you say, arguably the most boring subject in the outdoor world!)

Which Alpkit model do you mean?