WHAT TREKKING POLES DO YOU RECOMMEND?
I recently got the Unbound 2p Tent and realized my fixed-length Leki trekking poles of 130cm weren't going to work for my tent poles. What variable length poles do you recommend? I really like the idea of the Leki Cross Shark System but I'm open to any brands and designs. Curious to what you all recommend.
Thanks!
Answers
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@tonywodarck They ain't all that exciting, but they'll get you your 125cm. I've used these standard-issue Black Diamond Trail Corks for a cuppla years now and treated them with reckless abandon, but they've been super reliable and comfortable, with the cork picking up a nice patina and just the faintest hint of welcome ergo wear to match my grip. If I spent more on poles, I'd pay too much attention to them. These just do trekking pole stuff.
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I am a Leki fanboy... they are the only poles I have ever used. I find them well made, backed by a great company, and if you are at Trail Days, they will fix them for free. With that said, I currently have the Leki Makalu Lite Cork. 100-135 cm. The cork handles are excellent, too.
https://www.rei.com/product/217720/leki-makalu-lite-cork-trekking-poles-pair
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I've loved these and used them for years; light, but not the lightest. They cost about a third as much as the BD Carbon Corks, which I used for years before these. I love the combo of tri-fold/z-fold structure and adjustability - and the price point is solid too. I've had a couple of small components on these fail/break through the years but those failures are infrequent and the company has replaced the failed pieces for me free of charge (so far). Anyway - they're my favorite poles, including much more expensive varieties I've used in the past. I'm in the western U.S. and primarily hike/backpack/climb in very rugged high mountain areas (a lot of off-trail work) along with occasional forays into the wild parts of the desert southwest, so that's where these poles get most of their use for me. Happy to answer any other detailed questions you have about these if needed. These also work great for rigging up a center pole for my Ultamid 2 (though I am thinking about adding a dedicated center pole to my set-up for certain applications).
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Recently, one thing I've been paying attention to a lot more in addition to weight is size. Most telescoping poles like the ones that @MARK SIREK and @Josh_Sheets recommend will absolutely get the job done on the trail and supporting your shelter in camp, but they don't pack down as small as the the folding kind that @PeakWalker recommends. I've got a pair BD poles that are very light and and fold down nice and small, but they are a fixed length and there are definitely cheaper options out there.
If you're in the market for new poles, Leki makes some that have a "harness" that you strap onto your hand like a cross country ski-pole, and then it clips into the handle. It sounds kind of gimmicky, but my friend who has them loves them.
Lastly, I know it's a tiny market, but I'm still hoping that a manufacturer comes up with a trekking pole that converts to a packraft paddle.
I hope this helps!
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Thanks everyone for the recs @bugglife @PeakWalker @Josh_Sheets @MARK SIREK. I ended up getting the Leki poles (https://lekiusa.com/collections/cross-trail/products/cross-trail-fx-superlite_leki-usa_cross-trail-poles_all-season?variant=45316628676902). I love the idea of the glove system. I'm excited to give that a try. The biggest reason for spending the extra money and getting such a high end pole was I'm gonna use these a lot trail running for the goals I have this year (https://community.hyperlitemountaingear.com/discussion/559/new-year-new-goals-5-tips-to-get-after-2024#latest). I'll let you know what I think after I put a few hundred miles on them.
Tried them out for the first time this week in J Tree. Loved the adjustability for setting up my tent.
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Glad you found something that looks like it'll work for you. Go wear them out in awesome places! :)
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Agreed - glad you found an option that you think will work for you. Will be particularly interested to hear your thoughts on using them trail running when you are able. Tally ho!
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