[pct-l] Trekking Poles

[Scott Williams]

Hey Andrea,

I've used Leki's for nearly 20 years now and do so because of the
incredible customer service I encountered many years ago when I had a
failure of a strap on the JMT in the early '90s.  So I'm a loyal customer,
but many people rave about Black Diamond just as highly, and I've given
several of the Costco poles that Dan mentions as gifts and never heard a
negative comment about their performance.  Dan, how light are they?  I
should probably just get myself a pair at that cost and see how I like
them.

As for woman versus man poles, I'm not sure there's any real difference.
Maybe the weight of the pole you're comfortable with, but for me the
lighter the better, man or woman.

At this stage, what is important to me is to get the lightest, good quality
pole available because you lift these things millions of times on a thru
hike and light makes a big difference to me.  My old poles are heavy and I
don't like them nearly as much as the UL models I've used since.  I like a
fairly large top to the hand grip so you really have something to grab onto
when you are going down hill and have them more in the palm of your hand
and are relying less on the strap.  The little tops of the early models end
up not spreading the weight and can hurt over the miles.  Then it's to get
a three piece pole so as to be adjustable.  And I prefer cam locks and not
the old twist connections which can go bad on you and be a real
frustration.  I like the handle to be in line with the pole and not canted
off into the "ergonomic" bend that many high price models have.  But
everyone is different and my wife loves her "ergonomic" poles and hates my
straight ones.  Lastly, for me I've found the spring mechanism in some with
the shock absorber to be annoying.  They are loud on trail and I like the
sure feeling of a solid pole when I need to really rely on it.  But I know
and hike with great hikers who like one or all of what I don't like, a
heavier and sturdier pole, one that is solid and not adjustable, some
prefer the twist locks, love the ergonomic handles and others like the
spring shocks.  Go figure.

So for me these are the criteria:

      1.  Light weight
      2.  Large top to the handle
      3.  Three piece adjustable
      4.  Cam locks not twist between sections
      5.  Straight shaft and handle, not ergonomic
      6.  No spring shocks

Get a pair and knock out some miles!

Shroomer




On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 1:27 PM, Dan Jacobs <youroldpaldan at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 1:11 PM, Andrea Imholte <pteroflight at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> >
> > My first question is about trekking poles. Might anybody have a
> > recommendation for a set of poles that work well on the pct over the
> miles
> > for women? (I'm about 5' 7" if that matters). Thanks and also thank you
> for
> > this wonderful listserv!
> >
> > Andrea
> >
>
> First, please trim out the entire digest from your replies and/or posts.
> This takes up quite a bit of bandwidth for some folks.
>
> Many folks will steer you towards Leki poles, but I have been very happy
> with the sub $30 carbon fiber poles I bought at Costco for my hikes near my
> home. I do know that Costco has a "No questions asked" return policy, all
> you have to say is that you are unhappy with the product, and ask for a
> replacement. If you are already a Costco member, or know someone that is,
> give them a try. For the price you probably can't go wrong, and can buy a
> dozen for what some big names want for one pair.
>
> Dan Jacobs
> Washougal
> --
> "Loud motorcycle stereos save lives."
> Motorcycle to hike, hike to motorcycle.
> Make a friend of pain and you'll never be alone.
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