I never had the chance to use trekking poles before. The closest thing I had was my ski poles during my ill-fated foray in to telemark skiing. The old poles I had were a pain, the 3 sections of the poles constantly slipping down and changing the length of the poles.
These trekking poles are nothing like that, in all of the hiking I have done with them, they have not slipped at all. They are easily adjustable with a “Speed Lock”.
They are 3 section poles, and the two adjusting lengths are marked in centimeters. This lets you easily get your exact fit each time you extend them.
The handles are made of cork. The shape is really comfortable and the texture of the cork handle is very nice.
The grips have holes in them to keep your hands cool and let moisture escape.
The straps are made of webbing with a brushed soft interior.
The tips are sharp and tough made of carbide mounted on a flexible shaft.
I have never owned hiking poles before. But call me a believer. When hiking up and down really rocky or steep terrain these are just so helpful. I would have never believed how much of a difference these make. You are much more stable on the descents, and you are more efficient on the uphills.
The poles collapse to 26″ with a maximum length of 53″. When collapsed they easily fit on my Jandd Tozi Kletter back pack.
And because of the lightweight aluminum construction they are light to carry and light to use.
Bottom Line:
These are really nice, count me in as a believer of Leki Trekking poles. The easy opening/closing, marked length sections and comfortable handles are great. The only problem is I now need to buy my wife a set before our next backpacking trip.
Leki Says:
- AERGON COR-TEC Grip
- SpeedLock Locking System
- Interchangeable Basket System
- Carbide Flextip
- Weight: 16.6 oz/pair, Length: 67-135 cm
Hey Rob.
I have been following your blog for a few months since I do biking and hiking (weather permitting) on my spare time. I'm in the market for good backpacking shoes because my old ones (montrail blue ridge) are discontinued. I have yet to find anything retail at my local outdoor store (rei, adventure 16) that is comparable. You have any suggestions?
Kristen
Hey Kristen – Thanks for reading the blog! I am in the same boat, I have Montrail Moraine AT boots that I need to replace now. I have been checking out the Mammut boots, but no one carries them locally. Check these out: http://www.mammut.ch/en/productOverview/products_footwear_damen_usa/Women%27s+Footwear.html
My wife just got a set of Asolo Stynger GTX and really likes those too.
Cheers,
-Joe
The Mammuts look solid. I really like leather boots. I believe my blue ridge's were nubuck leather.
My frustration is that it doesn't appear that there are any local brick & mortar retailers who carry them. I've run into the situation where I might have to mail order boots, just to try them out. Kind of frustrating. I also have narrow, low-volume feet. Fun!
Kristen