telescoping trekking poles reviews

The Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles.

Review: Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles

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Trekking Poles
Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles
$75, 1 lb. 3 oz./538.6g (per pair, with trekking baskets
One size, adjustable 105-135cm/41.3-53 ins.
montemlife.com

Despite how useful they are at reducing impact on leg and back muscles and joints, letting you hike farther with noticeably less fatigue, trekking poles are often one of the last pieces of gear that hikers and backpackers acquire. I suspect that has to do with cost almost as much as the time lag between becoming a hiker and discovering the utility of poles. But what if poles were cheaper? Seeing the Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles priced one-third to one-quarter the cost of many leading, popular pole models, I had try them out.

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Gear Review: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles

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Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles.
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles.

Trekking & Snow Poles
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
$170, 1 lb. 2 oz. (with trekking baskets)
One size, adjustable
moosejaw.com

If you make the mountains your playground in all seasons and find your budget tapped by a variety of boots, packs, and other gear for your sports, the notion of purchasing more than one pair of poles may create some financial hardship (and it cuts into your beer budget). You need one pair of sticks that do it all. From six mid-October days of hiking in the western North Carolina mountains, including a 34-mile backpacking trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, to days of backcountry skiing in the Idaho mountains, I leaned on BD’s Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles and they stood up to every task.

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Gear Review: Helinox Passport FL120 Trekking Poles

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Helinox Passport FL 120 trekking poles.
Helinox Passport FL 120 trekking poles.

Trekking Poles
Helinox Passport FL120
$140, 11 oz. (120cm)
Sizes: 115-130cm
moosejaw.com

Yes, you read the weight listed above correctly: A pair of these adjustable trekking poles weighs just 11 ounces, which is several ounces below the weight of most hiking poles and the lightest model I’ve reviewed at this blog. With that tantalizing statistic in mind, I put them through the ringer on several hikes, including a 20-mile, 4,500-vertical-foot, trail run-hike in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains that included several hundred feet of third-class scrambling up 10,651-foot Snowyside Peak. I found several reasons to like them a lot, despite some shortcomings. Read on.

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