Best all around Trekking poles ?

[Shrek]

I loved my BD Ultra Distance poles but they should be labeled Ultra Weak poles. Snapped when I needed them and I fell hard ! I bought some aluminum BD's at Cabelas but they suck ! Spongy , heavy , and long when collapsed. BD's also only carry a one year guarantee so I'm looking for a better guarantee. What is the best combination of strength , stiffness , collapsed length , weight , and guarantee ?

 

[milunchbox]

Shrek where in Jax are you at? i grew up at the beach.

 

[adventure907]

I'd go with a Black Diamond Whippet for an all around trekking pole, but for most of my mountain hunting I roll with an ice axe...

 

[AK Troutbum]

I hear you about the warranty. I've been running BD Alpine Carbon Cork poles now for about four years and broke a middle section on one of them this last season. After shipping, it cost me almost $30 just to get that one section replaced. By way of comparison, I had a pair of Kahtoola microspikes for about five years and just recently tore out one of the grommets. I sent them both back to Kahtoola, and they replaced the pair with their latest greatest improved model and ship them back to me free of charge.
I wish I had an answer for you Shrek, regarding the poles, but I don't. I will say that the poles that I currently own are pretty darn stout and me breaking that center section was no fault of Black Diamond. I really do like these trekking poles, I just wish they had a little better warranty.

 

[Shrek]

Shrek where in Jax are you at? i grew up at the beach.

As Jake says , " the westside is the best side" . I'm in the hood off Cassat.

 

[milunchbox]

My sister lives in Riverside. Go down a couple time a year.

 

[CoHiCntry]

I've had the same pair of Leki trekking poles for probably 10 or 15 years now. First and last ones I've ever bought. Expensive at the time at around $150. They are the super makalu or something like that, with ergonomic cork handles, 3 position shock absorbers and twist style locks. They have never failed me on a lot of backpacking, snow shoeing, hiking and climbing trips over the years. I'm sure you can't find the ones I have anymore since they are so old but if I were looking for some new ones I would definitely be looking at what Leki has to offer.

 

[Mike7]

Shrek, I have had excellent luck with the cork handled aluminum Komperdell flick-lock type poles (REI used to repackage Komperdell as their brand and maybe they still do?). These poles are really stout and bend/flex some before breaking. I am on my second set of replaceable tips on them. I am a bigger guy and they have been used hard for several years. I did put Locktite on the little pins in the flick-lock mechanism preventatively when I first got them though after reading reviews on REI, and have had absolutely no problems with them.

 

[Shrek]

I'm looking at the Leki Carbonlite XL's. The Leki aluminum poles are listed with a lifetime warranty but I haven't seen that with the CF poles.

 

[Mike7]

My wife has Leki poles which seem well built, but the grips are smaller and less comfortable to my hands compared to the Komperdell.

 

[belly-deep]

Black Diamond carbon fiber

 

[Weekender]

Leki Carbon are only 1 year warranty and the aluminum are lifetime. Broke my old carbon off brand pole this year and went to Leki Micro Vario Ti Cor-Tec. Compact down great, very sturdy poles with lifetime warranty makes me not worry about beating them up.

 

[jm1607]

I learned the hard way that carbon poles as tent poles in severe weather is not a good idea! Snapped a BD carbon cork.. Customer service was good though..

I also learned that I really like cork handles..

So I run the Leki Aluminum Corks! Pretty much the best of both worlds...

 

[COSA]

I've abused my Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork for over 3 years and they are still going strong. Only beef I have with them is the handle seems to slip or loosen up.

 

[Violent Hippie]

I have used black diamond poles for hiking and skiing for 15 years and have used their warranty / customer service multiple times after bending and breaking several poles with hard use. I think they make a great pole for the price BUT they DO NOT have the customer service they used too and the last time I needed a replacement pole they pretty much only gave me a slight discount off a brand new pair when the pole I had failed (bent about 15 degrees ). I only had this pole about 3 months. I still use their poles as I have 2 pair still going BUT will probably buy another brand after my last experience with their new policies.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Recently I read a blog post by Andrew Skurka and he really liked the offering from, believe it or not, Costco. He uses Black Diamonds, but offered some compelling insight on the inexpensive alternative.

 

[Weekender]

Recently I read a blog post by Andrew Skurka and he really liked the offering from, believe it or not, Costco. He uses Black Diamonds, but offered some compelling insight on the inexpensive alternative.

I broke one this year not gonna do that twice it sucks to have a broken pole

 

[AK Troutbum]

Recently I read a blog post by Andrew Skurka and he really liked the offering from, believe it or not, Costco. He uses Black Diamonds, but offered some compelling insight on the inexpensive alternative.

I bought my son a pair of the CF poles that Costco sells, and although he only has one season on them, they seem to be very well-built, and a little lighter then my BD's. Definitely worth the $28 that I invested in 'em.

 

[badkneesbro]

Ive been using the leki aluminum flicklocks with the lifetime warrenty for about 4 years. I don't know the model but theyre awesome. They work great as tent poles & a couple times when I went to take a fall, I could feel them bend, [I didn't want to look] but they held all of my 240 lbs. from falling off the mountain. About $120 well spent.

 

[2ski]

Didn't Aron use the Easton polls a few years ago? I wonder if he still does and how he liked them. They came out right after I got my BD's which I have not used much so I can't give an opinion on them.

K2 needs to make trekking poles. If I remember correctly they bought the patent or something from Ugly Stik and started making really nice ski poles. That's what I use. They have not broke in the 7 or so years I've used them. And every pole I've ever had prior to that I've needed to bend back into semi straight after falling on them. These are still going strong.