Gear review: walking poles

[stomper]

i recently bought a pair of LEKI KHUMBU poles priced at £89.99. The beauty with these poles is that you don't have the twist locking device as i found them working loose all the time. Instead they have levers where you just turn to lock to me a far better idea

[masopa]

Also worth bearing in mind that Sports Direct / Field & Trek have Karrimor carbon poles in store for £29 a pair (and £25 online). They aren't the best carbon poles, but at the same price as (or cheaper than) own-brand aluminium ones, they're a cracking deal.

I took my pair up Ime & Nairnain yesterday and they performed brilliantly, apart from me losing one of the baskets in the bogs! They're flicklock type rather than twistlock and the mechanism seems ok.

[Gythral]

Cheap carbon poles sounds like a recipe for a major disaster to me, cheap aluminium will bend or break, cheap carbon fibre will splinter... Not a product I'd take a risk on!!!

[masopa]

Cheap carbon poles sounds like a recipe for a major disaster to me, cheap aluminium will bend or break, cheap carbon fibre will splinter... Not a product I'd take a risk on!!!

I'll let you know... I don't use poles for tarp support etc so it's not the end of the world if it cracks during use. Well, as long as it doesn't injure me!

[Gythral]

Cheap carbon poles sounds like a recipe for a major disaster to me, cheap aluminium will bend or break, cheap carbon fibre will splinter... Not a product I'd take a risk on!!!

I'll let you know... I don't use poles for tarp support etc so it's not the end of the world if it cracks during use. Well, as long as it doesn't injure me!

I'll be interested in hearing how they have faired in a year or two

[Paul Everett]

I only started using poles after my knees started weakening. I try to dispense with them but agree that they are useful in propelling oneself up hill. Great for crossing but as a result I am now losing my sense of bravado when crossing a stream was a challenge. If you are still young and fit, do not use them. Running down a scree slope - poles will slow you down. Two weeks ago I slipped on a completely flat but wet path and bruised my shoulder (still very painful) because I tried to arrest my fall with the pole.
Contrary to what is stated one pole is useful on a flat glacier (up 15 degrees) just for the balance (pole in one hand, ice axe in other) and I find two poles essential for snowshoeing but in both cases they should be ski poles. Simple walking poles will just sink in the snow - useful if you want to crawl up the mountain

[dgrainge]

As I get older my knees suffer, especially on downhills, and I find poles a real help. I've had a few cheap twistlock poles over the years and they's all ended up un the bin eventually - either because they jam and are difficult to sort, or they slip at precisely the wrong time.

A properly lockable mechanism seems a far better alternative to me. But like lots of people I'm too mean to buy a Ferrari ... £100 seems quite a lot when cheap boots and really cheap tents can cost that little.

[mynydd1]

I will certainly go along with Phil. Knees that were getting a "bit tired" after 50 years of hill and mountain going have been given a new lease of life after learning to use them. Also, they make an excellent steady for a camera.
Rob C

[Holly]

I would go with the Black Diamond flick lock poles. I have had mine for over 3 years now and they have done me a treat. OK, I have had, and do have issues with more than one injury that has affected my walking and these poles have been brilliant. They were expensive but they are light and the flick lock is really easy to use even with thick gloves on. They have been thrown, been caught in rocks and taken some beating in their time and still they have done their job,,,,,, oh but,, One thing,, I did feel like I was walking a bit off kilter and a bit wonky not too long ago and found that one of the poles was sliding down ever so slowly as I was walking! A tighten when I got home with a screwdriver and it was fine!

[kfrweaving]

Will look more closely at Black Diamonds i think. Yesterday i had difficulty (again) collapsing the poles i got from Mountain Warehouse (not exactly top of the range!) But they did help when out. The problem is collapsing them. So when i got on the bus going back home i had one pole collapsed and the other one partially collapsed! Just was careful getting on and off the bus incase i took someones eye out! Managed to get it collapsed down again on the second leg of the journey home. But will look at something other than a twist mechanism.

[Geordie.1]

Iv'e used pacer poles for three years now as Iv' e got Arthritis in my right ankle, and would not be able to do any hill walking at all without them, as was said in the review it's like having another limb.

[alexheadrick]

I started using poles a couple of years ago. A real benefit when traversing slippy hillsides.

[The Rodmiester]

Black Diamond poles for me , come in three sections easily put away when not needed, light, good shaped handles and secure broad strap, aluminium with scales on the shaft to easily adjust to suit personal requirements, never jamm, excellent for river crossings, boggy ground crossings and gives added security at boulderfields. Saves the knees and assists in both climbing and descending, and are essential when carrying a heavy pack for any distance .No problem running with them either, just get used to them.

[Romaway]

I have Fizan 3 section lightweight compact, which are very very light (they reckon the lightest available in the world) they have good reviews and I am happy with them. They are especially good for packing for overseas trekking because they weigh only 158 grams.

Here is a review:http://www.gearweare.com/review/fizan-ultra-lite-compact-trekking-poles/

However there are many excellent poles on the market but if lightweight coupled with strength and ease of cleaning is important then these are good.

[ScottishLeaf]

After my cheapo pair of poles from Go Outdoors finally gave up the ghost coming off Sgor Gaibhre several weeks ago. I tried walking without poles and with just the one, as I used to do, but I was finding the stress on my knees too much, particularly on descents. I guess am too much of a convert to the pole-ish club!

So I read the WH reviews, looking for a decent set of poles on a relatively small budget. So I plumped for the UK made Mountain King Super Trekkers. After one rigorous and one straight forward outing they have lived up to the challenge so far and I am very happy with them, I even like their bright orange colour! (My only complaint would be the strap is a bit fiddly to adjust, but I don't really use the strap anyway.)
So double satisfaction of a good pair of poles and of helping a small UK company in these tough economic times.

PS. I made sure to leave feedback that I had found Mountain King through WH.