Trekking Poles

I've got a hurt right knee in the process of healing/strengthening and a hurt left foot from a hard impact... basically i need to take some weight off my feet while wearing a heavy pack for distance hiking and mountaineering. Anyone experieinced with trekking poles, have some good suggestions? looking into BD but theres a bunch of types, want light and collapsible.

I like a most of BD poles and the Leki variety too. I havent used the new Z poles from BD but they look pretty slick. I find the Flip-Lock system to work best and easiest to use. The spring loaded variety are a nice way to absorb more energy and impact. The BD Traverse is a nice 3 section pole that is very collapsible but are heavier too. Hope this helps..

I have an older Leki spring loaded pole I am trying to get rid of. I think it is the Makalu model. Check it out here:

mountainproject.com/v/fs-up…

bd alpine carbon cork for a burly pair, or ultra distance z pole for a lighter but a little flimsier feeling set

seriously, spend the money, you will be happy you did

the bd z-poles are great for ultra running/fast packing, etc. super light, super collapsible. probably wouldn't recommend for mountaineering though. not sure they'd be sturdy enough. also, i don't think you have an option to switch to a larger basket, which would be helpful in snow. other brands/models mentioned are probably just fine. maybe the biggest issue is personal preference. i use z-poles for runing/fast hiking, and some old leki's for all else.

Agree with S Denny above, the BD Alpine Carbon Cork's are great tools. I have put them through some serious off trail abuse (I rarely, if ever, use poles on a trail) and they have surprised me with how tough they are. I put a single wrap of reflective tape around them just to aid visibility, sprayed the wrist straps with ScotchGard, other than that they are pretty much ready to go once you adjust them.

I have tried other poles and find the twist-lock poles uniformly awful. The lock just seems to fail repeatedly under pressure. Just my impression.
-Tom

you can get cheap one at walmart with flick locks for like $40 ... BD ones go on sale often as well

whichever one you get make sure it has flick, not twist locks ... flicklocks are more easily fixed and has less to go wrong ...

My knees are jacked from too many "rodeos" - I couldn't pack anything anywhere without a pole or two. I agree that the flip-lock type are solid, and I've had too many slippage issues with the twist-type.

+1 for the flip-lock. My pair of Lekis are the twist type and they suck in cold weather.

Check out REI's Powerlock Traverse poles. They're cheaper, use flick-lock, have cork grips, are just as sturdy, albeit they're a little heavier. They also come with snow baskets. Anti-shock is not all that great, especially if you're going uphill and can't switch it off, and it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of difference as long as you're using your poles for balance and not vaulting.

Otherwise, get the BD Alpine Carbon or Leki Corklite Aergon poles.

+4 on the BD alpine carbon cork.

Whats the advantage of cork, is it lighter, because it seems like that would be prone to wear and tear or animal chewage

I love BD poles. I have a pair of Trail trekking poles and Compactor Z-Pole ski poles. I would definitely get a 3 section pole if you are looking mostly for stability for your knee. With that being said i think the Trail would be the best option, from BD. It's priced well, durable, 3 section, foam grip and choke, etc. Leki and Komperdell also have some great options. The key features you want are Flicklock adjustment, durable grips and chokes if you want that, and a durable tip (carbide). Other than that it is brand preference and personal preference.

By the way. The Traverse is two section, not 3. Great pole, but only 2 sections and not as supportive as other poles. Perfect for the money though.

Trekking poles...
sierratradingpost.com/s/tre…

Good luck and heal up fast.

bv
www.whiteknuckled.com

My recommendation: the BD Trail Back - they're light, easy to adjust, accept BD snow baskets, and telescope down to a handily stashable size.

In general, I prefer flick-locks over twist-locks for any snow/cold-weather travel.

BryanV wrote:By the way. The Traverse is two section, not 3. Great pole, but only 2 sections and not as supportive as other poles. Perfect for the money though.

No. It's 3-section. Check it.

Cork absorbs sweat and molds to your hands. Never had an animal eat my cork. Most importantly though, you're less likely to get blisters. At the university outdoor program I worked at, we gave out BD Trail Back poles to our participants, and on week-long backpacking trips, people would regularly get blisters from the rubber (not foam) grips. It's more of an annoyance than anything else, really...

Also, check the specs at REI. The Traverse Powerlock poles are made by Komperdell, collapse to nearly the same size as BD Trail Back poles, and weigh only 2.5 oz's more than the Alpine Carbon poles.

Finally, aluminum can withstand bending and denting. Carbon poles are f'ed if they take any such abuse.

Whoops, definitely thought you were still talking about the BD Traverse, my bad.

Nice pair of Komperdell Vibrastop Titanal Somo Poles just went up on SAC.
steepandcheap.com/?avad=165…

these may have been mentioned above. either way, worth consideration.

blackdiamondequipment.com/e…

thanks everyone for all the advice, i will keep SAC open hopefully those poles get put back up!