Thread: Recommendations for hiking poles

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-poles-102495/

I remember reading a study years ago that said the weight of walking poles had a negligible effect on energy consumption compared to the savings in having them to start with.
Having used both fancy poles and big sticks I can't say I really noticed a difference, so I'd just get a cheap set.

Originally Posted by 16Tontovarish

I remember reading a study years ago that said the weight of walking poles had a negligible effect on energy consumption compared to the savings in having them to start with.
Having used both fancy poles and big sticks I can't say I really noticed a difference, so I'd just get a cheap set.

Yes, but it's noticeable how much wear and tear you save on your knees and feet with the extra support even a single trekking pole will provide. I use carbon trekking poles, most recently find just one fine. If walking under weight, so good to have. And if they prop your tipi tent up, even more so!

I've had a few cheap sets - the twist adjustment has crapped out on more than one. Whatever you get, make sure it has the lever-type adjustment.

Get lever clamp or Z pole folding type. The twist lock types fail, either getting stuck or slipping.
Alloy pole slightly heavier, but there's a chance you can bend them back if you ever take a big tumble onto top of them and bend them.
Carbon less chance they'll fail in that situation, and lighter, but if they do fail then they're buggered.
I use carbon pole from Aliexpress. About $100.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3295...Cquery_from%3A

One reason to go for the telescopic over folding style is if you ever use them as shooting sticks. The telescopic ones give you a much greater range of functional length - when shooting across the slope you may need one at full length and the other fully compressed to get the best points of contact

Avoid the folding ones, I've seen many get stuck in muddy ground and pull apart upon the next step

Originally Posted by No good names left

Avoid the folding ones, I've seen many get stuck in muddy ground and pull apart upon the next step

I've never experienced that. Must be crappy quality if able to do that. With the push pin locked there's no more than 5mm stretch possible with my AliExpress and previous Black Diamond z poles.

Originally Posted by No good names left

Avoid the folding ones, I've seen many get stuck in muddy ground and pull apart upon the next step

I have some Leki micro vario poles and you cannot pull the joints apart when they are locked to the desired length. I still prefer cam locks when hunting though as you can easily vary the height when using them as shooting sticks.

Leki makhulu. Haven had my pair for 2 years now and never missed a beat. Pack up small, light as, comfy in the hand

I've had these for two years now. Not missed a beat. screen shot from bivouac, I got them for around 160$

The amount of times I've had a heavy pack and slipped and put crazy weight onto them or had the tip stuck and pulled/pushed them - without ever bending them is insane. Just keep on goin!

This happened in front of me 5-6 times with a few different people in a local tramping club in 1 day. Don't know if tramping poles use a different locking system.

I'm with Nimrod, Manuka rakau has served many years with multiple uses.

Was looking at the leki poles. But I've avoided my usual buy the best mantra and gone with some toggle lock ones off temu.... Ha we shall see what 40 bucks gets ya from the Chinamen eh. After looking round some of my local merchants half.of them look like they're rebranding the temu/Ali ones and.putting a.massive mark up.on them. So I'll go try these cheap poles, hope they save my knees, thrash the shit.out of them and when I'm a born believer in poles and they're thrashed out I'll buy some good ones.

The first 20 minutes you will feel naked, they take a little getting used to. But the nice you settle into a rythm with them you’ll come to love em. A couple pointers, shorten the poles down when climbing up hill, use them to pull you up, lengthen them out on the down hill, especially with heavy weight, beware looping the straps over your wrists on slippery or steep ground, if you slip you won’t be able to put a hand down to catch yourself, look up Nordic walking on YouTube and utilise this technique on flat ground to get the most out of your poles. Also, on soft/er ground use the snow basket as the tips like to drive in deep and get snagged on roots from time to time, the rotation as you walk puts leverage on the tips and will start ti give them a curve which in turn softens them and ultimately causes early failure and the need to replace the tips.