The Ultimate Guide to Trekking Poles

General Notes

• We choose what we carry based on extensive research on what's the best value to our customers (e.g., price given performance & durability features) across all the top brands. We specifically do not carry every brand & model; for details on why we do/don't carry certain items in the following What To Use & How To Choose section
• Buy prices are MSRP with tax, i.e., what you see is what you pay. Prices may differ in-store due to change in models or discounts, but this is rare. If we don't sell what we rent, we list MSRP value with tax
• Rent prices are the starting prices; enter trip dates on our Catalog to get exact prices (based on total trip length, not per day!). We also don't charge sales tax, an automatic savings of almost 10%!

	Trekking poles
Model
	Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock (aluminum)
Buy MSRP with tax	$163
Rent	$10+
Weight	1lb 5oz 590g

When you rent online, you can select from available options or we'll pick out something for you. You can also write-in any preferences on the last page of checkout. This section describes the majority of our models & options, but sometimes we carry others.

Key factors

Cool zippers, new waterproofing, etc... sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype (over-spending happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features.

• Price
• Weight & size (for backpacking)

Weight & Size (Compactness) for Backpacking

If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.

With poles there's an important material trade-off

• Carbon fiber is used when weight is important. But it shatters upon severe impact, becoming completly unusable
• Aluminum is used in most other cases. Upon severe impact, it may only bend, depending on the degree of the bend, it may still be usable

For many backpackers, the other major weight savings is that trekking poles can be used to set up an ultralight tarp tent. Another strategy to save weight (but also get less stability & balance benefits) is just to bring 1 pole! (This is often called a walking staff.) This basically is the same product: many trekking poles can be sold individually, at half the cost.

Minor features that may be important

Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about minor features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget.

• What is the grip material? (Cork is the most moisture wicking & ergonomic; Foam is the softest; Rubber is the most insulating & best for winter)
• Do you want fixed length (doesn't collapse down) or adjustable length (does collapse down)?
• If adjustable length, what kind of collapsing mechanism? (Most people don't prefer twist mechanisms, and want a flip lock of some kind)
• Can you add powder baskets to convert these to snowshoe poles (or, in a tight pinch, skiing poles)?
• Does it have shock absorption technology?

The best length is one where, when your hand is at the grip, your elbow is at a 90-degree angle.

There are different ways of using poles, depending on what's comfortable for you. Some people alternate poles & legs (kind of like how your arms naturally swing), some don't. As well, if you're on steep terrain, you may want to plant both poles & use them together to either pull yourself up or brace yourself down.

Repairing

Many modern trekking poles have individually replaceable components (e.g., parts of the shaft, the locking mechanisms, the tips, the baskets, etc.).

Storing

Be sure to store the trekking poles dry, this can mean taking it apart (if adjustable) to let the water run out of the insides.Otherwise the metal may corrode, leaving it less adjustable for your next trip.

We have a general protip on how to store & maintain gear that we highly recommend reviewing as well. If you send us video or a good photo series, we may be able to help you evaluate your repair needs.