A couple of questions: Are the anti shock poles worth the extra cost? Do the carbon fiber poles hold up and are they work the extra cost for the weight savings. If I am planning to use my treking poles as tent poles for a Shires tent. Are there any there considerations as to what poles I choose? I am 6’3".
winloon
I think most people buy their poles according to what they can afford. I have a pair of anti-shocks but could not tell you that they are superior to other types. I bought REI poles because they were a little less than the bigger brands and REI has the good return policy. I’m 5’7" and would think that they will expand as I grow towards 6’3". I know not much help, do a search on hiking poles on TF. The subject has been covered several times.
Bilko
Outside of shoes, I don’t think there is anything that gets beat up more on a thru-hike than trekking poles. I started out with carbon fiber poles and they lasted until just before Dalton, MA. I fell on one and it shattered in three spots. After that I got a much cheaper and heavier pair (Leki Makalu) from Dicks that lasted the rest of the trip. Personally, if I had it to do all over again I would go with the heavy duties to begin with because there are many times you are literally depending on your trekking poles to perform and save yourself from injury when going up and down (especially downhill) the rocks in the northeast.
Another consideration is you can get warranty replacements for Leki’s almost anywhere along the trail.
gforce
Simplicity would be the best thing, I’d avoid anti-shock poles because after a short amount of time they start to squeak like madness. The simpler the design the less chances for failure, not to mention the lower the cost
Andrew Richard
I’ve been using a pair of Leki Carbon Fiber poles for about a year, but haven’t yet put them to the test of a good fall. If I were to replace them, I’d be conflicted between the light weight of the carbon vs the bendablility of the aluminum poles. All my previous poles were the Leki aluminums and I’ve had times where the ability to bend instead of break has saved me. But the weight savings on the carbon poles is really nice. They work very well as tent poles.
I don’t feel the internal springs do anything useful. When new, they’re too stiff. It took two years of use on my last pair of Leki’s before they did anything. I don’t miss them on my carbon poles. But, I’m not sure you can buy Leki aluminum poles without them.
Bear Bag Hanger
Lekis are the thing for a thru, both for durability and ease of repair for those inevitable small problems. Leki is well know for their customer service (usually through outfitters) and their poles are really tough. I use their Makalu Ultralight Ti Cor-Tec poles, which are three-sectioned with the titanium shafts and composite cork grips (that’s the cor-tec part.) They’re really comfortable on the hands (and I have rheumatoid arthritis, so I pay attention to these things), incredibly durable (I’m also a section hiker and abuse my poles shamelessly) and pack nice and small, all for 14oz the pair. I’ll also mention that these are not shock-absorbing poles (thus the relatively low weight) but do have a good flex to them (the titanium is more flexible than aluminum) and feel pretty good but very solid in use.
Strategic
I have hiked with both expensive and inexpensive. Light not so light. The only difference I noticed was the handles. I like a bit bigger handle to hang on to. Wally World has poles for 16 bucks. They are spring loaded and seem to be as good as any other. not that spring loaded is any better?? I just haven’t noticed. (I forgot my poles so I bought these) Just buy what you can afford or what you like. I prefer a bit heavier so I can use them for poles for a tarp. Or protection. IMHO It doesn’t matter that much. If you are on a budget as I am stay away from all the high end hype. There is good useful gear at bargain prices. Put your money in a good sleeping bag and good boots.
I didn’t know there were titanium poles.
TR
I’m another Leki fan. Their warranty is fabulous, and they (usually) have a booth at Trail Days for any touch-up, expanders, etc. you might need. I personally don’t care for the anti-shock feature, but I do love the Cortec grips. I’m on my second grip replacements as they don’t last forever, but I think it only cost $8 to replace them. I have noticed that mine extend longer than many of the newer ones. Since I use mine for poles with my Nomad 2-4-2 I need them nice and long.
Please remember NOT to squirt any WD40 or oil into the shafts!
:tongue
Lady Di
Check out Pacer Poles - not the lightest or cheapest, but by-far the most effective. I’ve had them for several years and LOVE them. Very unique design.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!:happy
Lyle
On a through-hike, the longer you go, the more you feel the weight of everything in a pack (and what you are carrying). Someone once told me if they didnt use it everyday, then they shipped it back home. Im not saying trekking poles are a bad idea, but there are many times, especially on rocky surfaces or steep inclines, that trekking poles clog up your hands and leave you vulnerable for falls and injury. So during these instances, you either have to keep em in hand, shorten em and put both in one hand (leaving only one free), or pack em on ur pack. Either way, i found it annoying to do any of the three on a given day, so i packed em up! Just trying to give you some perspective on the other side of the coin.
Aphex
Wouldn’t attempt a thru without them. Last year they were my brakes downhill, my braces uphill and I’m told greatly reduce the stress on your knees. Did attach them to my pack on a very few occasions - mostly on road walks to resupply. If you “wear” them correctly - they do not really get in the way if you have to place your hand to the ground quickly.
I used Leki’s (Super Makalu cortec) - mainly due to warranty and service availability near trail. Snapped one & had section replaced @ Fontana Village outfitter. No other issues - made it all the way & they look like it now.
Evil Eye
I have a set of REI poles that went the distance (GAME '02)without a problem. I’m a big guy 6’2" 240 and they now have about 3,000 miles on them. I’ve replaced the tips 4 times (I use the leki tips). However, I’ve retired them and bought a pair from Wal Mart and now have several hundred miles on them. The only problem I have is the handle and the strap are not as comfortable. I would not go on the trail without my poles. Period.
Papa Smurf