Articles

Folding Trekking Pole - a Jagged Globe Review

pole 0020
Article

Written by Neil Battersby, July 2015

The Jagged Globe Shop.

Introduction

When I first ventured out on the hills in the 90�s it was rare to see trekking poles being used. Today, trekking poles are an integral piece of kit for many UK hillwalkers, mountaineers and trekkers.

The newest trekking pole incarnation is the folding trekking pole, also known as tent style poles or Z poles. They are becoming more common with manufacturers bringing out a range of updated designs all the time.

So what�s all the fuss about? How do they differ from the normal telescopic pole and what are the best options out there? As with anything with lots of options, it can get a bit confusing.

You will undoubtedly have heard the many benefits of using trekking poles; reduced impact on legs and knees, better traction on slippery surfaces, better balance on uneven ground. But why use a folding pole over a standard telescopic pole?

Folding poles are generally lighter, pack down smaller and are quicker to deploy than their equivalent telescopic pole. However, they are reportedly not quite as strong or as durable, though in my experience on this test, strength never seemed to be a worry. Long term durability is yet to be ascertained, but I plan to update this review in the future.

A folding pole will not be for everyone, but if you plan on using your poles on technical terrain where the poles will be carried for periods of time, they are a much better option. The ability to stash your poles inside your rucksack and out of the way, combined with their lightness, makes them ideal for Alpine mountaineering.

We tested 3 poles;

  • Leki � Micro Vario Carbon
  • Black Diamond � Alpine FLZ
  • Terra Nova � Trail Elite

Picture:

The criterion for the poles was simple. They had to be folding but also adjustable as the test would involve climbers of varying height. Of the three poles tested, only the Black Diamond poles come in different sizes. Each pole has 20cm of adjustment from 110cm to 130cm. The Black Diamond range covers 95cm to 140cm over three sizes.

The bulk of the testing was carried out over a three-day weekend in Snowdonia (with continued testing over the next few months to gauge durability) by a mixed group of both novices and experienced climbers, on a variety of terrains on ascent and descent, on scree, rocky broken ground, rock slabs, wet slippy ground and easy going paths.

One of the main points that came out of the group review process is how capable all the poles felt. They all took the punishment of steep rock descents and gave the users confidence in putting a lot of weight through the poles with no worry of failure. All the testers clearly said they would be happy to own and use any of the poles. The decision on which poles they would pay for with their hard-earned cash came down to the finer details, rather than any ground-breaking feature.

Black Diamond Alpine FLZ Trekking Poles

  • Price - £110
  • Weight Per Pair � 600g Measured at 522g
  • Usable Length � 105-125cm
  • Folded Length � 40cm Measured at 38cm
  • Also Available in 95-110cm and 120-140cm

Black Diamond are experienced in producing trekking poles and have used the technology developed in their avalanche probes to make their range of folding poles.

Picture:

The Alpine FLZ Trekking Poles are the heaviest on test but they did inspire the most confidence on the descents and felt like they would be very durable in the long term. The innovative speed cone technology makes deploying the poles extremely quick and there is a neat adjustment so that when the inner cord stretches over time, it can be kept tight and avoid annoying rattling. The inner Kevlar cord seems very well protected and well thought out; initial impressions are that it should last a long time.

Picture:

The grip is cork with an EVA Foam extension for 2 handed use. The grip was very comfortable with a padded wrist loop which was easy to adjust, even with thick gloves, and gave good support.

The Alpine FLZ has a very sleek look and easy to use height adjustment (again easy to use with gloves on). It�s a shame it needs a screwdriver to adjust the tension on the flicklock. The interchangeable tip felt very secure, even on wet slate, and the poles come with a spare set of tips, which is a bonus.

These poles have both a standard trekking basket and a large snow basket included, which is unique in the test. Also unique to the test is the three sizes available which cover a massive height range.

Conclusion
A very nice, quality pole that feels good value, especially with spare tips and snow baskets included. It was mainly let down by the weight, as it was the heaviest pole on test, but if it�s strength you�re after, this is a good choice.

Terra nova Trail Elite Trekking Pole

  • Price- £60
  • Weight per Pair � 548g Measured at 512g
  • Usable Length � 110-130cm
  • Folded Length � 33cm Measured at 37cm

Terra Nova, famous for tents, have applied their tent pole technology to create a range of trekking poles that are very reasonably priced.

Picture:

The Trail Elite poles are by far the least expensive on test and their weight really does defy the price. The 7075 aluminium alloy pole sections are very light and seem very strong. The difference in price is reflected in the fittings and tensioning system, which just don�t have the same quality feel as other poles. For the price they are a good option.

The Trail Elite have their tensioning system at the bottom of the pole instead of the top, which is different to the other poles. This works well and is still very quick to deploy. However, there do seem to be vibrations on hard ground coming from the bottom section of the poles and there was a worry about whether the release button might freeze up in winter.

Picture:

The clip lock works well with big gloves and is easily adjustable by hand. The grip is EVA foam and feels comfortable, with a supportive strap that is quick and easy to adjust. There is no grip extension for 2-handed use.

Conclusion
If you�re on a budget then the Trail Elite is a great choice. It doesn�t have quite the same quality feel as the more expensive poles, but they still felt solid and inspired confidence on descents. This pole is very good for the price but I would prefer it to have better quality end fittings on the pole sections.

Leki Micro Vario Carbon

  • Price £150
  • Weight Per Pair � 444g Measured at 456g
  • Usable Length � 110-130cm
  • Folded Length � 38cm

The most expensive pole from the top name in trekking poles, the Micro Vario Carbon is, as the name suggests, full carbon and the lightest pole on test. This pole is very well built and has a quality feel. The fittings are very well thought out, as you might expect at this price.

Picture:

The handle is comfortable with a good extension for 2-handed use. The super light strap sits well and is easy to adjust, though the adjustment does seem a little over-engineered compared to the other poles.

Picture:

The deployment system works well and feels solid and secure; it doesn�t deploy quite as fast as the Black Diamond poles but is not far behind. On descents, this pole felt extremely capable and solid and felt very secure on slippery rock.

The Micro Vario Carbons come with a bag which is a nice touch, but at this price, I would expect some snow baskets as well. The Nordic Walking basket is very small and you would struggle in winter conditions.

Conclusion
The Micro Vario Carbon poles are extremely nice with a fantastic feel to them, the lightest on test but still very strong. They are more orientated towards lightweight summer ascents and less towards mountaineering. If money was no object then these would be the poles to go for.

Summary
All the trekking poles tested performed very well and at no point did we come across an issue that would stop us buying any of the poles we tested. The best on test was the Leki Micro Vario Carbon, but whether it is worth the extra cost over the Black Diamond Alpine FLZ is questionable.

The best value trekking pole is the Terra Nova Trail Elite. This is a very good first foray into trail poles by Terra Nova, using their lightweight aluminium and at a very competitive price. They do need some refinement on the pole end fittings, which I�m sure will come over the next generations. This is the perfect pole if you�re on a budget, or for occasional use.

My personal favourite is the Black Diamond Alpine FLZ; a very sleek looking and confidence-inspiring pole at a competitive price. If you�re not too worried about the slight extra weight but want a better value pole that can stand lots of heavy use, this is a great option.

Picture:

Look at trekking poles in our shop.

10 Pointers for Using Trekking Poles
1, Set the height of your poles; for flat walking, poles should be set so that when the tip is touching the floor, the arm is at right angles as shown. When the poles are set to the right length they should not be at extremes of adjustment. There should be spare adjustment to either lengthen or shorten the poles. Picture:

2, Set the strap length; put your hand up through the bottom of the strap loop and bring the hand down over the strap and handle. Your hand should sit in the middle of the grip with the fingers in place over any features on the handle. Shorten or lengthen the strap to achieve this. When wearing gloves the straps will need to be lengthened. When correctly set you should be able to relax your hand and your wrist should take a lot of the weight. Picture: Picture:

3, Use the strap correctly; it is important to use the strap in the correct manner so that you can drop the poles and have your hands free. This is particularly important in case of a fall as it allows you to put your hands out without the risk of breaking your thumbs on your poles as you land.

4, Use gloves; from personal experience I find it useful to wear gloves all the time, even the nicest of grips will rub over prolonged use. In warm conditions I find the fingerless cycling gloves particularly comfortable.

5, Using poles on the flat; poles should be pointing backwards to propel you forwards, poles out in front waste energy. There are several techniques depending if you want to optimise for efficiency or balance. For optimal balance, each pole goes forwards when the opposite leg does. For optimal efficiency, Each pole goes forwards when the same side leg does, this is the most effective way of saving leg fatigue. Picture:

6, Using poles uphill; on non-technical, gentle ascents, it is not worth shortening the poles as they should still be behind you propelling you forwards, use the same techniques as used on the flat. For more technical, steeper ascents, the poles should be shortened so the poles can be placed in front over steps and rocks. You want to avoid having the hands too high as this wastes energy and are harder to pull up on. Picture:

7, Using poles downhill; for me this is the most important use of trekking pole. They should be extended so that they can be placed in front and used to aid breaking and take the strain off of the legs. On steep descents the hands can be placed on top of the handles and for rock or steep steps, place both poles out in front and use your arms to help take the weight and step down gently. Picture:

8, Practise with your poles; when you first use poles they can feel unwieldy and different people prefer different techniques. So practise with them and work out what suits you.

9, Relax; key to successfully using poles is to relax, let the straps do a lot of the work.

10, Know when to put your poles away; it�s a far too common sight on British scrambles to see people struggling to balance because they are using poles when they should be using their hands. Poles have their limitations, put them away when the ground gets too steep, hands are far more reliable than poles. Picture: Look at trekking poles in our shop.

« | »
Jagged Globe Newsletter

We publish an email newsletter with trip reports and latest availability, plus features, competitions and general news of our climbing, trekking & skiing activities.

Categories
Archives
 
Follow Us:
1