Trekking Poles Opinions

[hague8]

Hello everyone. I have been using old ski poles or a good stick but I am ready to buy up. I am especially interested in hearing from people that have used both regular and anti shock type. Thanks!

[Snow Miser]

For a couple of years now, I have been using a pair of Eddie Bauer anti-shock poles that I bought at Target for $20 or $30. They have held up nicely, and have been up and down many mountains. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't do a moderate to difficult hike without them. They help save the knees, and have prevented falls quite a few times.

[Anna LeBlanc]

Hiking with our dog Nigel and holding on to his leash I can only use one pole,which is of the anti-shock variety but it has definitely been a big help especially on descent.

____________
Anna

[Charlie]

i use the anti shock and would not hike with out them going up and more for going down
the ones i have 3 sections so they close up nice and small to strap to my pack when i dont need them

[KSearl]

Hi there,

My wife and I have been using Leki Thermolite Antishock poles for a year now. They collapse nicely and are very light, which is great. The one thing I love about them is they have a concave, carbide tip, which grips even the smoothest of rocks. They have never slipped on me when I need to brace them. I did have a minor issue with the inner shafts corroding after using them in a rain storm. However, I found this was due to my lack of maintenance of them. They easily disassemble, and I should have pulled them apart to let them dry properly. Leki customer service replaced all the parts at no charge and gave me a lesson on how to maintain them properly. I've heard that they are really good with customer satisfaction. I was certainly satisfied.

Here's exactly what I have: http://www.leki.com/trekking/trekkingPole.php?pID=35

Thanks,
Karl

[BlueDog]

I've tried several different ones and finally settled on a pair of Black Diamond poles that I really like. They are the carbon fiber poles with the flip latches, so they are super light and stay put on the adjustment.

One previous set had the anti-shock feature and I don't really miss it with these. I also had numerous problems with the Leki style twist locks. Enough so that I wouldn't buy another pole like that again. The flip latch on the BD are solid, fewer moving parts and just works. However, I'll admit that there are people that swear by the other style, but they aren't for me.