Hope to be on the AT in '09 but will also be hiking some of UK’s Coast to Coast next Spring. I’ve been told some of the route is boggy and tussocks etc so plan to invest in my poles shortly.
Am looking for feedback on poles - which did you use - were they good - would you buy same brand again - lightest & strongest…etc
Muchas Thanks!
Emm
That’s the poles I’ve been using for quite a while now, and I’m rough on them. As a section hiker these things spend a lot of time getting thrown around attached to my pack as well as hiking wear (and I day hike with them all the time, too.) They barely have a scratch on them after better than two years of abuse, so I’d call them tough.
They’re also pretty good on the trail. No anti-shock to break but a good flexible titanium fore-shaft, great shaft locks, and those wonderful cor-tek grips add up to a really comfortable but no frills (and thus no extra weight) set of poles.
They come in at only 8oz each, which is pretty good compared even to the lightest fixed-length carbon poles (at about 3 or 4oz each) without their drawbacks (inability to pack easily, fragile, etc.) and well withion the range of lightweight poles otherwise (at about 6 to 8oz.)
I’m fond of the cor-tec grips for two reasons: first, they’re made of mostly natural materials (cork) and second, because they have a great feel in the hand and mold to your grip very nicely.
Strategic
Emm, I happen to be reading Wainwright’s book, a gift from some UK frineds, will you be posting a journal?
Bushwhack
I used to have a pair of Leki Makalus and loved them. I let my brother borrow them once and never got them back. I then bought a pair of cheap pole and they broke within a year and the company would not replace them. My third pair was a set of EMS poles made by Koperdell (I not sure on spelling) wich are good poles, much less expensive then the Lekis and when I broke one EMS cheerfully fixed them no questions asked. The next time I buy poles I will most likely spend the extra money for the Lekis. And I agree with Strategis the cork cor-tec handles that were on my Lekis kicked ass.
Big B
I should have thrown this in earlier, but I’ll add it on now: the Backpacking Light gear guides for
Trekking poles (only the “Trekking Poles - Adjustable” and “Trekking Poles - Fixed Length” categories have stuff in them.) You need to register for full access there, but it is free and they do have useful articles (and they don’t spam, either.) It’s a good comparison tool, but be sure you get any set of poles in your hands (or have a way to return them), because feel is critical. Remember that this is probably your most used piece of gear (along with your pack) and, as Big B points out, don’t skimp on them but spend the extra money for good poles.
Strategic
Lekis, EMS, fixed length, carbon, etc, etc, etc. What ever happened to good old fixed length, cellulose base, strong, surprisingly light, wood? After spending years hiking with wood, I broke down in '99 and purchased Leki poles for a Vermont Long Trail thruhike. I broke three poles in the first two weeks and kept the fourth one as a memorial to ‘must have technology’. I carry a 35 pound pack to go with my 210 pound frame, so the poles got a workout but come on, three poles? I have gone back to Mother Nature for two maple poles, and they only get stronger as time goes on. They have traveled on airplanes and in autos, been banged around, driven over, soaked, and more. They cost nothing, come with no paperwork, are guaranteed for my life (if one breaks, Mother Nature has a replacement nearby). Emm, try wood.
Ankle Express
Try out a bunch of different ones, hiking around the store, upstairs and downstairs, etc. Also check the adjustment mechanism. Some prefer the twisting kind; some prefer the flicklock kind–there is often a love-hate relationship here. After using the Leki Makalu Ti anti-shock poles for three years, I’ve decided that the anti-shock feature is not really necessary unless you have arm/shoulder joint problems. It’s noisy. But I love the poles and wouldn’t go out without them. If there is a next time, those cork handlegrips sound tempting.
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm has everything you ever wanted to know about trekking poles and how to use them. Be sure to read page 2 carefully on how to use the straps. If you use the straps properly, you don’t need to grip the poles hard. This is especially important if you are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome or are in an occupation (like high computer use) where carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational hazard.
Yes, you can use wooden sticks, but they don’t collapse to tie onto your pack when you need your hands for scrambling or going up/down a ladder, nor do the sticks adjust if you’re using them to support your tent or tarp. If you don’t expect to need either use, wood is sure a lot cheaper!
After reading all the horror stories about carbon fiber tent poles breaking, I personally wouldn’t trust carbon fiber trekking poles. Lighter is not always better.
Your Mileage May Vary!
grannyhiker
Ankle,
Sorry man, but I used to be a professional carpenter (in my well-spent youth) and I still do a fair bit of woodworking. I’d be the first to use wood if it was best for the job, but that’s just not the case if you want good poles at low weight. I measured a stick of maple, just to be sure of my facts, and it just comes out too heavy compared to other materials: a 45" stick, 3/4x3/4 weighs in at 16.4oz, and that’s without any kind of hand grip, strap or tip, just the wood. Twice what one of my Lekis weighs and no stronger for the job.
Even really light hardwoods aren’t up to the job. I have an old paulownia walking staff that weighs in at 18.5oz at 56" long, and a tough old thing it is too (I once ran over it with my car.) But that still means about 13oz for a 45" pole, which is what I use (and I’m short.) Add to that wood’s tendency to soak up water (and swell) no matter what you put on it short of spar varnish (and we all know how light that is as a finish.) I just can’t see it. Wood’s only real advantage for this application is that it could be free (i.e., you could pick up a couple of sticks and make do.) That seems to be about where it ends though. I’ll stick with aluminum and titanium and get function for low weight.
Strategic
You also might want to check out Pacer Poles, they’re sold in the US by ULA. The grips are entirely different, the feeling you have using them is that they’re underneath you, not in front of you. People have hiked the AT and the PCT with them.
Brian Osborne
Thanks for the feedback all and for tips on where to get more info. Much appreciated!!
Bushwack - I may post a journal next Spring for Coast to Coast in the UK. If you are considering doing this I can recommend a book for you which has the most current info. Let me know.
Currently I’m trying to get organized enough to post on my portion of the Camino El Santiago in Spain. A friend and I did 215km early October - awesome & fun. (First I have to transcribe my scrawl)- there’s a fountain at Bodega Irrache where on one side you can fill up with water and on the other side with wine - hard to beat that!
For the C to C we will be doing the Lake District and then the last part and due to time restraints skipping the middle section.
–)
Emm