Lightweight Trekking Poles

For those of you who haven’t tried them, trekking poles may make a huge different in your hiking style and comfort. For me, a diabetic easily beaten down by endless internal factors and someone with degenerative discs in my lower back, the addition of trekking poles to my gear allowed me to go further, faster, and with far greater safety. It also allowed me to lighten my shelter load as I no longer needed tent or tarp poles because my trekking poles turned out to be plenty sufficient for shelter supports.

Since this blog is dedicated to lightweight backpacking, I figured I’d mention the latest and greatest poles on the market which might work for you.

· Titanium Goat - $150 – 3.2 oz per pole (http://www.titaniumgoat.com/poles.html)

· Gossamer Gear Lighttrek 4 - $150 – 3.4 oz per pole (http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek4_Trekking_Poles.html)

· Backpacking Light STIX Carbon Fiber - $100 – 4.1 oz per pole (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stix_carbon_fiber_trekking_poles_08.html)

· Komperdell C3 Powelock Carbon – $ Unknown - 5.1 oz per pole – (http://www.komperdell.com/de/stock/touring/snap_lock/175_3601_10.php)

There are a ton of manufacturers who make different kinds of trekking poles which include LEKI (http://www.leki.com/), KOMPERDELL (http://www.komperdell.com/), BLACK DIAMOND (http://www.bdel.com/), and even REI (http://www.rei.com/) if you want something with different options or at a lower price. To be fair to other countries and not get lost in the American bubble, Europe has a ton of vendors which manufacturer some great trekking poles as well as other backpacking equipment. Unfortunately, I haven't seen them and know of them only by reputation.

If you’ve ever wondered whether trekking poles are for you, borrow a pair from a friend or go to your local Thrift Store and pick up a pair of ski poles to try out. Attempting to purchase them at different times of the year may also be a smart decision. For example, REI had a sale in January which had a very nice set of REI Carbon UL Shock trekking poles for 50% off. You can also find them at a discount on websites devoted to gear swaps.

Trekking poles come in many different sizes, materials, and with different frills. Earlier posts in this blog addressed the different options, but finding what works best for you is the most important.

Lightweight Trekking Poles

Yes, those silly poles you likely think are totally unnecessary. Well, hike long distances or in poor footing for a short while and you’ll quickly see that these guys are worth their weight in gold. They also do double-duty as support for a tent or tarp, which allow you to leave tent poles at home, and also help clear debris out of the path or check the stability of the ground. In anything other than a flat easy footing trail, I bring my trekking poles.

Trekking poles are consistently manufactured out of a couple of things: aluminum, carbon fiber, and metal alloy. Durability is limited with either choice depending on the environment and care of the user.

Some trekking poles are fixed (one length) or are adjustable in one or two sections. Fixed poles tend to ensure there is no potential for joint lock slippage, but adjustable poles are easier to pack and also can be more easily used as support for a tent or tarp without needing a fancy knot or duct tape.

Trekking poles tend to range from around $100-$150 depending on frills (adjustability, shock absorbers, baskets, tips, wrist straps, etc.).

At present, my personal favorite is the Gossamer Gear Lightrek 4 (http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek4_Trekking_Poles.html) which at 6.8 oz per pair. I’m a huge fan of how Glenn VanPeski runs his business and Grant has always been great to deal with. The poles represent a huge innovation and are literally the lightest adjustable poles on the market.

A good option for a fixed set of poles is the Backpacking Light Stix Carbon Fiber (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stix_carbon_fiber_trekking_poles_08.html) weighing in at 8.2 oz per pair.

An option for those who want spring or shocks in the poles is the REI Peak UL Carbon Shocklight (http://www.rei.com/product/750835) which weigh in at 13.5oz per pair. Please with bad knees will appreciate the extra cushion of these poles.

After very good manufacturers include Leki, Komperdell, and Black Diamond also are viable options