My brother Jim is hiking north on the CDT. He called me yesterday from Cuba asking me to purchase a Black Diamond Whippet self-arrest ski pole and ship it to him in Chama or South Fork. Unfortunately they don’t seem to be currently available in the US. I see them in Germany, but I doubt it would arrive in time. Does anyone have a used one they’d be willing to sell, or have any idea where I could get hold of one? I have no way to contact him to ask if he has a second choice.
doug hill
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/ski-poles/carbon-whippet-ski-pole-BD1115350000ALL1.html
bearcreek
Thanks for the suggestion. Would it also work as a hiking pole? Do you know of any other device that serves these two functions?
doug hill
My particular Camp Corsa is too short for that. They have longer sizes, I think, but they will weigh more. I think that they are light enough that carrying both a Corsa + trekking poles wouldn’t be a big issue. A single Whippet weighs 15 ounces and a pair of Leki carbon trekking poles weighs 14.3 ounces.
bearcreek
bearcreek – Thanks! I’m sending him the Camp Corsa ice axe. I appreciate you taking the time to help me on this. I’m not a hiker myself, so don’t have personal experience to draw on.
doug hill
This has been rather educational for me. I knew that you could buy trekking poles and I knew you could buy a piolet, but I wasn’t aware that some clever fellow had created an integrated device like the Whippet.
Loup