Trekking poles - what do you recommend?

unkel

Finally broke one of my cheap poles today. Looking for new ones. Must be extremely strong (I'm a bit under 100kg and rely heavily on them) , must be durable. Lightweight + foldable is a bonus, but not necessary. Don't want a cork handle. I'm willing to pay good money for excellent poles.

Someone in the know recommended the Leki Makalu, which seems a decent choice and reasonable money at £72

Linky

Anything else / better than those you recommend?

unkel

Would the Leki Carbon Titanium (£115) be a big step up? A quick google comes up with a lot of very good reviews. Their quick adjustment setting is quite good apparently. Something I never bothered with "in hike" with my cheapies but it would be useful alright: short for steep climbing and long for descending.

Linky

Fiskar

I'd go with these summit Pro, sign up for the newsletter first, get 5£ off and it will cover shipping which is only free over 50£.
https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/s/Leki--poles/recommended-use--hiking/

Found these guys put up stuff at very nice prices if you keep your eye out. Got a pair of Scarpas Gortex reduced to £93 and with the 5£ sign-up for 87£.

I have Leki poles and they are the best IMO

Alun

Leki Sherpa XL. Very strong and they have the Leki speedlock system rather than the twist locking system. Much less to go wrong.

Advantage over the Makalu is the grip which allows you you to grip the pole lower down when on steep ground without having to adjust them.

unkel

Apologies, my link to the Leki Carbon Titanium wasn't working, fixed now.

@Alun - these have the speedlock system too. And also the big grip like the Sherpa XL. Seems to be a newer model with many good reviews.

Alun

Yeah, they keep chopping and changing the models and the designs slightly, I bought mine probably 1.5-2 yrs ago.

I think apart from just strength, rigidity is an issue as well, and with some experience of carbon fibre ski poles, these tend to be a bit "bendier" than the conventional ones. They're also lighter but the ones you linked to are only 50g lighter per pole, but a significant difference in price, so I don't really see the advantage to be honest.

One thing to watch out for with all trekking poles with regard to them potentially breaking is to make sure you don't over extend the lower, thinner section. I keep mine at equal lengths, using the length guide on the pole sections as a guide, but you can also extend the upper section a bit and reduce the lower one by an equal amount if you're putting a lot of weight on them to be extra sure.

BTW One more thing, and this applies to all trekking poles, but especially the twist-lock variety, and that's to separate the sections and let them dry out after every outing, especially if it's been raining. The number of people in our group who have poles that are permanently stuck fully extended after internal corrosion has locked them solid is unbelievable!

EndaHonesty

I have Black Diamond Trail Back walking poles.

Great quality, great reviews and great value.

Leki poles are overpriced IMO.

hmmm

Carbon fibre poles snap when bent, whereas aluminium poles will bend. Carbon fibre might work fine in nice trails in the US & Europe, but I don't like them over here where you could easily get them jabbed in between some rocks.

I definitely recommend the speedlock over the twist lock, more user friendly and more robust in my experience.

Sherpa mentioned above is a great solid pole, but relatively heavy FYI.

unkel

Sherpa XL with speedlock 2 system bought from the place in Fiskar's link. Price was £87 (after the £5 off) which seems competitive after a google search, free shipping to Ireland too.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Fiskar

unkel wrote: »

Sherpa XL with speedlock 2 system bought from the place in Fiskar's link. Price was £87 (after the £5 off) which seems competitive after a google search, free shipping to Ireland too.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Good stuff, have fun on the slopes

BeachMusic

If you plan on doing any walking in Snow conditions where you need to alternate use of poles and ice axe, I would avoid poles with a Twist Lock system as I found it very difficult and time consuming to open/close as system seemed to "freeze".

Alun

unkel wrote: »

Sherpa XL with speedlock 2 system bought from the place in Fiskar's link. Price was £87 (after the £5 off) which seems competitive after a google search, free shipping to Ireland too.

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

Good choice, you won't regret it!

unkel

First use today to go up Lug. Had to stop to adjust the speed lock system and my hands nearly froze off, but apart from that they were great

Couldn't believe how much more grip the tips had and I'd say they are more than strong enough for me (I'm the guts of 100kg plus clothes plus pack)

Alun

Glad you like them. I'd gone through 3 pairs of cheap poles before getting mine, I wish I'd just gone for them in the first place and be done with it.

unkel

Yeah sure but that's with hindsight. I like the idea of buying cheap if you're not certain you are going to get the use out of it. Then later once you have established that you are, it's time for a bit of an investment in good gear

All my gear is cheap, but once I need something new now, I tend to replace it with quality. Just bought a North Face gore-tex jacket in the sale for €206 (RRP €450), a worthy replacement for my Mountain Warehouse jacket I bought a few years ago for €90

I see you're back in one piece from dog duty then Was it lovely and cold today sitting still where you were?

Wanderer78

unkel wrote:

All my gear is cheap, but once I need something new now, I tend to replace it with quality. Just bought a North Face gore-tex jacket in the sale for €206 (RRP €450), a worthy replacement for my Mountain Warehouse jacket I bought a few years ago for €90

Where did you get the jacket?

Alun

unkel wrote: »

I see you're back in one piece from dog duty then Was it lovely and cold today sitting still where you were?

It wasn't too bad actually, I was about half way up the side of the hill on the Brockaghs side of the Lead Mines car park tucked in by a large boulder. The wind was pretty strong up there and it was snowing heavily most of the time I was up there (about 4 hrs in total) but I had some shelter from the boulder and was well wrapped up. Temperature up there was about 1 deg C as opposed to 4 down at the car park.

I must say doing this stuff makes me very aware of how vulnerable I'd be if I sustained an injury while out walking in these kind of conditions. Today I had pretty much every layer I own on, plus a fleece lined bivvy bag, but I wouldn't have that with me on a normal hike. As a result I now carry a 2 man shelter with me at all times, but don't really know how effective it'd be to be honest.

unkel

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Where did you get the jacket?

North Face outlet in Kildare village about 3 weeks ago. I believe it is last years model. For the money I paid, it's a steal.

unkel

Alun wrote: »

I must say doing this stuff makes me very aware of how vulnerable I'd be if I sustained an injury while out walking in these kind of conditions. Today I had pretty much every layer I own on, plus a fleece lined bivvy bag, but I wouldn't have that with me on a normal hike.

Good point. I always have one extra fleece with me and a bivvy bag (just plastic) and that would normally be enough to survive overnight if you're injured and immobilised, but not today

First time in my life I was wearing 5 layers on top - wool t-shirt, cheap polyester base layer, 2 fleeces and hardshell jacket (without lining). Fine for hiking, but stand still for maybe 15 minutes and you'd get too cold.

Esel

unkel wrote: »

Good point. I always have one extra fleece with me and a bivvy bag (just plastic) and that would normally be enough to survive overnight if you're injured and immobilised, but not today

First time in my life I was wearing 5 layers on top - wool t-shirt, cheap polyester base layer, 2 fleeces and hardshell jacket (without lining). Fine for hiking, but stand still for maybe 15 minutes and you'd get too cold.

Bring a good sleeping bag and spare gloves. Spare socks too (can be used as gloves in an emergency).

Agent_47

unkel wrote: »

Good point. I always have one extra fleece with me and a bivvy bag (just plastic) and that would normally be enough to survive overnight if you're injured and immobilised, but not today

First time in my life I was wearing 5 layers on top - wool t-shirt, cheap polyester base layer, 2 fleeces and hardshell jacket (without lining). Fine for hiking, but stand still for maybe 15 minutes and you'd get too cold.

Out on Djouce last Sunday which was snow capped but got by easily on 3 layers.
1 x Nike pro heat gear compression base layer
1 x Berghaus long sleeve base layer
1 x Northface Wind proof jacket.

No need for anything else and had a 100 weight fleece in the bag.

Tomorrow will wear a Ronhill 200 base layer, Berghaus 200 weight fleece and the Northface Windproof for the Mourne Mountains. I find 3 layers best.

unkel

Depends on the day

Went op to Djouce on the January 2nd last year, all the way to the top in just a t-shirt...

unkel

Esel wrote: »

Bring a good sleeping bag and spare gloves. Spare socks too (can be used as gloves in an emergency).

Aye, I always bring spare socks with me too. Not too sure what else would be best to bring on an extremely cold day like today. Maybe it is a good sleeping back that can go into my emergency bivvy bag (basically a large thick plastic bin bag)

hmmm

Agent_47 wrote: »

Out on Djouce last Sunday which was snow capped but got by easily on 3 layers.
1 x Nike pro heat gear compression base layer
1 x Berghaus long sleeve base layer
1 x Northface Wind proof jacket.

No need for anything else and had a 100 weight fleece in the bag..

The Windproof jacket is the key in this system I think. This country is never cold enough that you really need much insulation while active, our "cold" comes from wind and rain. My layering is similar with a hardshell on top if extra wind resistance is needed, and I've swapped the fleece for a packable down jacket (only to be used for stops and emergencies).

Enduro

Esel wrote: »

Bring a good sleeping bag and spare gloves. Spare socks too (can be used as gloves in an emergency).

Personally I'd go for a good down jacket rather than a sleeping bag. Much more versatile, and allows you too keep moving (of get into it if you've smashed bones below your torso).

unkel

hmmm wrote: »

The Windproof jacket is the key in this system I think. This country is never cold enough that you really need much insulation while active, our "cold" comes from wind and rain. My layering is similar with a hardshell on top if extra wind resistance is needed

Seriously, with a hardshell jacket and two other layers on top, you would have been very cold on the mountain summits yesterday. And that's coming from me. I can take the cold better than most people.

Esel

Enduro wrote: »

Personally I'd go for a good down jacket rather than a sleeping bag. Much more versatile, and allows you too keep moving (of get into it if you've smashed bones below your torso).

Synthetic bag and jacket, unless you are certain you can keep the down ones dry.

Fiskar

I was on Beara in the Mournes on Sunday with plenty snow and wind, I started with a 200 base layer , 100 weight Fleece top and a Nortface wind stopper, did not add any layers nor did I need them and it was mighty cold. needed better gloves!

Esel

Also, wristloops on gloves. Still being a spare pair. Dachstein mitts are great in winter.

Roen

I haven't used my old exped poles since I got a pair of Pacer poles. Got the carbon ones. Really like them.

Elvisjuice

unkel wrote: »

Yeah sure but that's with hindsight. I like the idea of buying cheap if you're not certain you are going to get the use out of it. Then later once you have established that you are, it's time for a bit of an investment in good gear

All my gear is cheap, but once I need something new now, I tend to replace it with quality. Just bought a North Face gore-tex jacket in the sale for €206 (RRP €450), a worthy replacement for my Mountain Warehouse jacket I bought a few years ago for €90

I see you're back in one piece from dog duty then Was it lovely and cold today sitting still where you were?

hi just wondering if you are happy with poles still , have an older pair of leki twist lock style poles which are great , but locking system is flakey as hell now , can take 5 mins to get them to lock properly looked at the diamond poles , but don't like the handles , and couldn't fault the lekis bar the locking system which is half my fault for not cleaning them .