some poles have an angled handle, such as the Leki super makalu version, and some have just a straight handle, is one better than the other?
Eustace
Angled poles - Appalachian Trail
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#2
make a fist and swing your hands and you will see that an angled pole is natural compared with straight. But if you been using straight poles for long time, those poles will feel natural to you. thank you.
CAPTAIN CAVEMAN!
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#3
good day to all.
if you are using the wrist straps properly, then it really doesnt matter if the handle is angled or not because your weight is going to be mainly supported by the wrist strap. if you find yourself gripping the handle tightly then you arent using the wrist strap properly. only if you are actually gripping the handle without the strap does the angled handle have an advantage over the straight handle because as captain caveman said it does give the natural postition of your hand. try both out in a store and see wich one is more comfortable to you.
plus the angled handle just looks cooler. but you have to pay extra just to look cool you know.
hope this helps, have a wonderful day!
TYVEK
TYVEK
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#4
If you think you might buy a tarp or tent that uses poles for support the straight ones will be what you need.
Cece
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#6
I agree, over time whichever style handle you use - you will become used to. I used to not use the straps on the poles - I’d cut them off. But then I read that the straps help offload both the weight applied to your poles and offload the weight on your legs. So now I use the straps and believe they do indeed help.
I’m curious if anyone has used the newer carbon fiber poles - they weigh something like 4 ounces! But I wonder about their rigidness with day-to-day hiking. Also, most of them seem to be a fixed length (vs. 2 or 3 adjustable lengths). That would seem to make the carbon poles less useful for tent poles, etc. ??
jaws
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#7
about the carbon fiber poles, it is a fabulous IDEA but in the real world of hiking it doesnt work well. while hiking the pct this last summer i talked to 2 different people that started using the carbon fiber poles but just in the first two weeks of the hike the poles snapped in half. if there is much sideways stress on the pole it doesnt hold up, the aluminum poles have a greater stress resistance in every way compared to carbon fiber poles.
there is my 2 cents worth.
TYVEK
TYVEK
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#9
I think it’s terrible to talk about Poles so blatantly. I know some very nice Polish people who would be very offended if they read about how you people grip, cut off their straps, and snap Poles in half. You people should be ashamed of yourselves!!!
Julie
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#10
Reading what Julie wrote reminded me of a thread that was on TrailPlace recently. It was titled “What kind of pot?”
That kinda caught my interest so I read all the posts and all they were talking about were different kinds/sizes of titanium cooking pots. I just couldn’t leave it alone, and posted a reply something like: “about 4 ounces should be plenty large enough”.
I think it took all of 30 seconds before WF deleted my post. I guess sometimes its better not to play with words.
jaws