carbon trekking poles

[squeezebox]

I'm a newbie and need to learn everything.
Mainly I'm a cyclist and have a nice full carbon bicycle. So aesthetically I'm leaning to carbon trekking poles rather than aluminum.
Would love to hear your opinion.

[everydayhiker]

Truthfully, I have aluminum and have had no problems with mine. I guess if you want to pay the extra money it would be cool. I guess the weight would be a little different to. But mine have held up pretty good. I paid 90 bucks for them and wouldnt tradeum for anthing.

[squeezebox]

I just read the thread about poles
Again I'm inexperienced.
i think the black diamond flick lock sounds easier to use' but what about the lock getting knocked or pulled on something and getting unlocked?

[everydayhiker]

Not sure about that, Mine are slip and turn locking. I havent had problems on them yet. But do keep good care of them such as cleaning and trying to keep them dry.

[Franco]

Hi
First several of the CF poles are only that in name or only parts of it are made with CF ( for example my BD Contour CF)
Others are a one piece pole, light but not that practical when travelling.

Recently I had the opportunity to test the GG Lightreck 4 poles (under 7oz for the pair) . They are a two piece pole.
http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek4_Trekking_Poles_Matte_Black.html
Mine had a strap attached. Most users of the really light poles don't want the strap, but I do...
The poles performed very well and are a delight to use. The only bit I did not like is that they can jam when adjusting the length , something that I do often with my BD.
In the same trip I also tested a mate's BPL Stix (one piece poles ), I did not like those as much. They are stronger but somehow the vibration from them bothered me. (they were crashed on the return journey inside the luggage compartment of the bus).
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stix_carbon_fiber_trekking_poles_08.html
Franco

[garlic08]

I used Komperdell carbon poles last year for the first time and they held up fine to a tough hike. I met some people who broke carbon poles, but it sounds like a metal pole would have bent or broken, too, under the circumstances. Those people replaced the carbon poles under warrantee and were still using them.

I have Black Diamond flick locks on my back country ski poles and I think they're the best joint, but for me hiking doesn't put that much force on a joint and I've never had a problem with twist-lock trekking pole joints.

[Egads]

I use Gossamer Gear 1 piece CF trekking poles. Great poles.

[Wise Old Owl]

Just switched to LL Bean without the shocks a dumped more than half a pound. Life is good. I hear flip locks are the buzz.

[BrianLe]

I agree that CF poles are worth it, and agree with W.O. Owl about passing on shock absorbers. IMO pole weight --- for a person who regularly uses poles --- is similar to shoe/boot weight in the old adage that I would expand to say "A pound on an appendage is like 5 pounds on your back". I.e., similar to how you're constantly lifting your feet, you're also moving your arms in a back and forth and somewhat up-and-down. When I've temporarily swapped poles with others, they've always been reluctant to give mine back afterwards --- trying is believing.

Assuming you're not hard on your gear, CF poles should last a long time; I've got 3000 or so miles on mine. I replaced the tips once (simple wear), but the poles are doing fine. I have the REI branded Komperdell's. I agree that the locking mechanism isn't ideal, but the few times I've had issues with the twist lock I've always managed to get it working again.

[Stir Fry]

You can make your own for about $35-$40. I just finished my second set 5.1 oz each. First set still good just made some improvements. This sit will help.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...ght/00162.html

[TimeSnake]

Both are great! Make sure they are Leki though, for they have excellent costomer service and will replace your tips, shafts etc. no hassle.

[Blue Jay]

Inviso Poles are lighter, cheaper, adjust automaticaly to up hill and down hill positions. They never break and are replaced immediately when lost. The biggest advantage is that they are nonhabit forming.

[Jonnycat]

You can make your own for about $35-$40. I just finished my second set 5.1 oz each. First set still good just made some improvements. This sit will help.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...ght/00162.html

lol, yeah, I'm gonna buy a subscription to read an article.

[Frick Frack]

I just read the thread about poles
Again I'm inexperienced.
i think the black diamond flick lock sounds easier to use' but what about the lock getting knocked or pulled on something and getting unlocked?

I also used the BD Contour CF's on my thru and they worked excellent! I had no problems with the flick locks and they were much easier to use than the twist locks. I like the way the carbon dampen's the shock and they are much more quiet. I also agree that "shock absorbers" are completely unnecessary. TimeSnake has a good point though....almost ALL outfitters on the trail carry Leki and they have excellent customer support if you need it.

Best of luck!

[tuswm]

i have also found that AL poles with shocks can make alot of noise on rockey surfaces.

[Summit]

My experience: first poles I bought were Komperdell carbon fiber. Broke one on my first hike, slipped on a log and the pole broke trying to break my fall. REI gave me full refund. Bought REI's (made by Komperdell) Summit aluminum twist lock poles. Was very satisfied with them, still use them for daily walking at home. Last couple of hikes (120 miles total) with my new Black Diamond flick-lock poles have proven to be the best experience yet. The flick-lock mechanism allows easy adjustment in cold/wet conditions, with gloves on if necessary. Absolutely no slip. I did have loosening/slipping issues with the first two until I established a groove by extreme tightening. Personally, I feel carbon fiber poles are too fragile and too expensive. Avoid anti-shock. You need/want a firm pole plant . . . not a squishy one!

[Tinker]

I haven't had any problem with my twist and lock Leki aluminum poles. I'm reluctant to try carbon fiber poles because I've seen so many broken fiberglass cross country ski poles. Granted, cf is stronger than 'glass, but the tubular cross section is more likely to crush under bending stresses than aluminum, and once they bend (the bonding agent breaks away from the fibers) there's no way to straighten them. You can hope that a duct tape splint works well enough to get you to a resupply point.
I will probably make a set next year just as an experiment. Carbon fiber fishing rod blanks should work. I have grips from broken X-C ski poles to use .

[brooklynkayak]

I have the Ti-Goat carbon poles. They are all carbon fiber, two piece. They are heaven to hike with, very light, quite and they seem to absorb shock a little better than my aluminum poles.

BUT, I am very hard on poles and broke the bottom of one within the first hundred miles. Costs $37(with shipping) per section. It broke when I fell with the pole wedged between two rocks so I suspect that a heavier pole would have broke as well.
To show you how hard I use them:
I've also ripped the straps out of one aluminum pole within two hundred miles:-) I ended up going on a couple hikes without the straps and ended up with two wrecked thumbs that are taking a very long time to heal. I will always use straps from now on.

I would never consider single piece poles as they would be too hard to travel with and would have a tendency to get broken in travel. Now if I could just walk to the trail, I wouldn't have to baby the poles so much.

[garlic08]

I haven't had any problem with my twist and lock Leki aluminum poles. I'm reluctant to try carbon fiber poles because I've seen so many broken fiberglass cross country ski poles. Granted, cf is stronger than 'glass, but the tubular cross section is more likely to crush under bending stresses than aluminum, and once they bend (the bonding agent breaks away from the fibers) there's no way to straighten them. You can hope that a duct tape splint works well enough to get you to a resupply point.
I will probably make a set next year just as an experiment. Carbon fiber fishing rod blanks should work. I have grips from broken X-C ski poles to use .

This is exactly how I felt before my AT hike in '08. So I found a pair of carbon poles on sale (REI-Komperdell), and figured I'd try them out as an experiment and have my Leki aluminum poles ready to ship as a back-up.

The carbon poles, to my great surprise, made it the whole way and are still going strong after two more long hikes. I took one spill on the AT, landing on a pole full force, that probably would have at least bent if not broken an aluminum pole and the carbon survived. I'm also hard on poles and these carbon poles have more miles on them than any other poles I've ever tried.

I don't use the poles all the time, like when road walking or when on a long easy stretch of trail, so I often stick them in my pack. The almost negligible weight of the carbon poles is a real plus for my style of hiking.

I also believe that reducing pole weight is similar to reducing shoe weight in overall fatigue. I don't even wrap my duct tape around the poles anymore, to avoid lifting it that many times a day. Kinda anal, I know.

I also found that the Komperdell tips, while harder to find than Leki, have lasted longer than any Leki tips I've ever tried. 1600 miles a set so far, with no failures--just worn down. I'm hard-pressed to get more than 1000 miles on Leki tips before the metal tip breaks off.

[Rockhound]

overpriced sticks. all that needs to be said. why not find a couple of good sticks in the woods and take the $100 + you'll save and donate it to a good charity. Might I suggest Rockhounds home for wayward teenage girls.