Essentials Guide Trekking poles everything you always wanted to know.
Trekking poles have become more complicated than the single-piece hiking staffs they've largely replaced. With the wide variety of styles, features, and brands available, deciding which trekking poles are the “right ones for you can be a bit tricky.
Grip
Grips come in different sizes, shapes, and materials. Since this is where your body meets the pole, it’s important to find a grip that works for you.
The grip of your trekking pole should be comfortable immediately, without causing any pressure or pinching. Ergonomic grips have a slightly forward lean for a more natural hand position.
Some grips have raised ridges. Hikers with smaller hands should use small grips.
Avoid cheap poles with smooth plastic handles which can cause sweaty or gloved hands to slip off the pole. Rubbers, foams, and cork compositions are better choices because they retain more grip when wet.
Strap
Trekking poles typically are adjustable with wrist straps at the top of the grip. Properly adjusted straps offer support, so you don't have to grip the pole too tightly and fatigue your hand. Many hikers feel that straps should always be worn as they offer support, are useful in maintaining a good cadence, and make the trekking poles harder to drop.
Some hikers don’t like the straps and either cut them off or just don’t use them. If the consequences of falling on a pole would be worse than the consequences of falling without their stabilizing assistance, they provide.
In order to give straps a fair chance , you need to adjust them properly. Put your hand through the appropriate strap so it rests snugly around your wrist. Then grasp the grip and top of the strap with your hand. Too loose straps are a common mistake. A properly adjusted strap is tight enough to help support the weight of your hand on the pole, but not so tight that it’s difficult to remove or restricts circulation to the hand.
Strap preferences develops over time, so ensure that the straps on your trekking poles are comfortable. so Look for straps that have a soft chamois or fleece liner or padding on the inside to reduce friction. Test them and the length and tension of the strap around the wrist to ensure that it’s easy to adjust, even with gloves on, yet stays secure while hiking.
Shaft Segments
Segments adjust for height and collapse for travel and storage.
The shaft segments of a trekking pole are made from a variety of materials, including aluminium and carbon fibre if you want light go with carbon.
Carbon fibre absorbs vibration, and has a nice feel. Keep in mind, though, that carbon fibre saves only several grams per pole, costs more, and tends to be fragile.
Most telescoping trekking poles, aluminium and carbon alike, have three segment. The segments slide into each other and are held together by a variety of locking mechanisms. A few models available, often specifically designed for snowshoeing, have only two shaft segments. Two-segment poles don’t collapse as well as three-segment poles, making them harder to travel with or stuff into a pack during a rock scramble. Compact and junior length poles are available for those who don't need as much pole length. Tall individuals will want the longest poles available.
Locking Internal vs. External
A crucial and differentiating feature between trekking poles is the locking mechanism, which allows hikers to adjust the length of the trekking pole and holds the segments of the pole together. Until recently, internal locking mechanisms were the most common. Internal locks rely on friction to stay secure. A common internal locking mechanism is an “expansion joint,” essentially a plastic widget that expands inside the trekking pole when the shaft is twisted, keeping the pole at the desired length and preventing it from collapsing.
Where internal locking mechanisms are hidden inside, external locking mechanisms are clearly visible outside of the pole, where the segments join.
External locking mechanisms are indeed easier to operate with gloves, and can be easier to tighten than their internal counterparts. Many hikers believe that they are more reliable and less prone to collapsing.
Both internal and external types of locking mechanism allow poles to be easily disassembled, and both have their passionate adherents and detractors. The choice between mechanisms is likely a matter of personal preference. Regardless of your choice, it is very important to verify that the pole is securely locked. A loose lock can cause the pole to collapse when you need it most.
Shock Absorbers for Poles
Shock absorbers are springs or pieces of elastic material that soften the initial impact of the pole striking the ground, and provide more comfort.
Shock absorbers are not standard on most trekking poles, so you can expect to pay more.
Baskets the little plastic pieces on the end
Slots on the body of tips allow hikers to add baskets, discs of plastic like those commonly found on ski poles. Baskets come in various sizes and shapes from low profile circles or cones to wide snow baskets for powder and prevent the tips of the poles from digging too deeply.
Larger baskets are best for snow, smaller baskets are best for muddy conditions and can prevent pole tips from getting wedged between roots and rocks.
Tip Attachments
The tip is where the pole interacts with the ground, and is typically made with a body and a point. The body is usually plastic and the point is often hardened steel. Hardened steel is harder than rock, so it bites into rock or ice to offer additionally stability.
Most trekking poles have tips that are easy to remove and replace. Hikers should avoid poles with non-replaceable tips, as tips are more susceptible to breakage than the rest of the pole and all tips wear out eventually. The body portions of some tips are cleverly sacrificial, made of a plastic weaker than the shafts of the pole. So, if the tip becomes stuck in a crack, the body of the tip breaks before the pole shaft. With replaceable tips, it’s simple to knock off the broken one and replace it with new ones from the manufacturer.
A variety of rubber tips, are designed for use on pavement or indoors, are available to fit over the typical sharp steel tip. Some hikers use rubber tips to reduce the noise the poles make on the trail and to prevent them from scarring rocks and terrain.
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