Contributors to this thread:
Looking to purchase and was curious if there is any particular brand you would recommend
Thanks Mike TN
I like Easton and black diamond..
Costco $29 use them for a year then decide if you want an upgrade.
I agree with Easton and Black Diamond. I don't like the brands that you have to twist to lock in place.
I'm partial to Black Diamond. Leki are good as well. Go with "flick"/cam type locks, not twisters.
Don't get heavy cheap ones, you will hate them. I like Leki, Black Diamond is highly rated also. If you have an REI nearby, go there to check out a variety of quality brands.
Gossamer Gear are the lightest and one of the very best. http://gossamergear.com/lt4-trekking-poles-all.html
I personally use Leki Super Makalus that I've had for many years. I've backpacked several thousand miles with them, and now use trekking poles for almost all hiking and backpacking. They've saved my ankles many times, and increase my speed by a considerable percentage. Trekking poles take getting used to. After a few hundred miles you will be a pro with them. Don't make the mistake of extending them too much.
Love them. Like others, have thousands of miles on them. I still have a basic pair of Leki's from the 90's. I love them, even though they are heavy. Certainly have saved me from some falls, wet feet and likely some injuries. I use them whenever I can. I wrap hockey tape down about 8" below the handle for a secondary grip when I am on short steep sections, so I can just choke up (or down) on the pole with out having to adjust the length. My next pair will be light and probably Black Diamond flick-lock type.
I have used Black Diamond for quite a few years. They work well for me.
Black diamond for me also!
Black Diamond. I don't like the brands that you have to twist to lock in place.
Get some that are shock corded and break down into three pieces minimum. Easton makes some like this. They will fit in or on your pack better.
I have used, and broken, MSR carbon poles, Leki and Black DIamond aluminum ones when I was hiking the NYS Adirondack High Peaks. The MSR carbon one was a friend of mines, MSR replaced the broken pole with a new set!
A hiking shop will do warranty work for Leki, meaning, they took a pole off the shelf anc gave it to me to replace the broken one and it cost me $3.00. They told me that Black Diamond are not heavy duty enough and there is no such warranty.
I still use the Leki poles and carried/used them elk hunting in CO this year for the heavy pack in and out. Unfortunately, we had no heavy meat packs to use them with. :(
>>>>-------->
I have only used Leki, and I have beat the hell out of them with no issues. Friend uses black diamond and would say the same.
Black Diamond 3 section Aluminum w/Flip Locks are tough! Never damaged mine packing elk, moose, deer, bears or sheep.
Note that If you ever thought about using them as poles to pitch a Siltarp. get the longer 145 mm units instead of the 125 mm.
My cheap set of "Outbound" loaner aluminum poles from Canadian Tire are junky with ill-fitting poor straps that failed on one trip. Wouldn't recommend them to anyone.
I went to the thrift store and got a pair of old ski poles for a buck. Worked fine on an AK sheep hunt.
Agree with the hatred for twist locks and if your are backpacking, I love my 3 piece poles for storage while hunting. the two piece can be a little long in your pack and stick on trees overhead...
Leki Corklite Poles for me. Aluminum that carries a lifetime warranty. You can't get that warranty with carbon poles.
Black Diamond aluminum (only way to go) with flick locks.
When my carbon Leki broke on a shale slide on a northern BC mountain, it was almost a sh$t show of epic portion (with me being the dung)...
And you only need one (IMO)..
Mark
Leki Corklight for me as well. Brand isn't important as long as you buy a quality set. Regardless of what you do buy, I also recommend camlock vs twistlock.
I don't use mine when I'm hunting, but for the packout they are a Godsend!
Big fan of the black diamond as well
I've been using a set of REI carbon 3-piece poles for a few years now. These are by far the best poles I've every owned. With over 35 years of ski touring, using poles to access bowhunting terrain and packing out critters, these have been a life saver.
I have had to adjust the locks a couple times as they loosen up with use for the first few trips and will slide down in when you put your full weight on them. After the first month and I think I remember tightening the locks twice, they have been perfect for over two years now. I probably use them close to 50 days a year with all our late season hunts we have here on the Wasatch Front in Salt Lake.
BD makes an "ergo" or something like that model that angles the grips forward. I've broken my wrists in a couple different accidents and they don't move like they should. The angled grips are much more comfortable, they just seem to swing and fall into position when I'm hiking.
They have cork grips too, which I much prefer over the foam.
Alpine Carbon Cork Poles is what I have and find them to be nice unit. Twist up units are a bad deal.
Black Diamond Ergo for me.
I've used and abused my Leki's on a gob of Alaska sheep and mtn goat hunts as well as Colo/Wyo mtn goat and elk. Never had a problem and they worked incredible. They area super compact and light for pack or airline baggage. I picked mine up at Sierra Trading with a 20% off coupon at a steal of a price.
Just bought my son some Black Diamond Trail Backs as they won several reviewers BEST VALUE for 2016 award
i have black diamonds, happy with them. whatever you do make sure you get the flick lock model and not a twist lock model.
Just found some at Wally World. $17 bucks for the pair. So I picked them up just to see what all the fuss about trekking poles is all about.
Outside of being collapsible for attaching to your pack, I see no advantage over a walking stick I can cut in the woods. Sure as heck they aren't worth the $$$$ of the hi priced ones.
The WalMart hiking poles with the flick lock are a little hit and miss. Two out of the five that I have owned would not tighten enough to support full weight without sliding. As an aside the aluminum is different as well, may not be a problem if you are not a heavier person.
Sierra Trading Post Usually has good deals on them.
Black diamond flick locks.
