I need some new ones. What do you use?
Lost in the right direction.
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The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().
jimmyjam wrote:
After a hike I wipe mine down before closing them up, that way the dirt doesn't get up inside the poles. Also with fliplocks there is a little screw that holds them on and controls how tight they latch. Once or twice a year mine will loosen up and need to be re-tightened. The flat screw driver blade on a miniswiss works just fine to tighten them. You'll know when they need tightening as they will shorten up on you while your hiking.
Rasty wrote:
I've had the Black Diamond Distance FL Z-poles and the Black Diamond Trail poles. In my opinion the z-poles are better because the strap doesn't loosen while your walking. It's essentially pointless to use poles if the straps are loose.
I'm looking at the Black Diamond Alpine FL Z-poles. If they made an adjustable Alpine Carbon Z-pole I would probably splurge on them.
blackdiamondequipment.com/en/t…BD112175_cfg.html#start=2
jimmyjam wrote:
...but at home my puppy took a little bite out of one of my handles. But now I always know which is the left stick and which is the right.
Cork is a personal preference. Some people like it and some don't. Flip locks seem to be popular with almost everyone.TrafficJam wrote:
Thanks, sounds like I should look for flip locking and cork. My old ones were twist lock and I had a lot of trouble with them, probably because I didn't do maintenance and cleaning.
jimmyjam wrote:
After a hike I wipe mine down before closing them up, that way the dirt doesn't get up inside the poles....
odd man out wrote:
The reason I like Skurka's book is that he doesn't preach about what equipment I should use. Instead he works through his process of decoding what HE should use. He points out that optimal gear will be different for each hike and each person. What is important is the process of working it out for yourself.
I got my current poles just after reading Skurka's book and intended to remove the straps for the reasons he cites. But I decided to wait until after my first hike. I hiked the first day without using the straps and the second day with. On day three I went back to not using the straps but quickly decided they were right for me and have used them ever since.
Mountain-Mike wrote:
IOn PCt I usually had an ice axe that I would us now & then. NStill like the ice axe for digging cat holes & being multi-purpose!
sheepdog wrote:
I use bamboo snow shoe poles. They are about $2 a pair here at Goodwill. I've got about 700 miles on my latest pair. Light, durable, cheap, and I like real wood. The only downside is that they don't collapse.
rafe wrote:
Collapsin' is important, isn't it? There are times when you can't really use the poles and they're in the way. Eg. up or down South Arm. or maybe when hitching into town.sheepdog wrote:
I use bamboo snow shoe poles. They are about $2 a pair here at Goodwill. I've got about 700 miles on my latest pair. Light, durable, cheap, and I like real wood. The only downside is that they don't collapse.
max.patch wrote:
.. it struck me that if poles were sold by size - rather than one size fits all with a mechanical adjustment feature - that the main complaint about poles (the adjustment feature breaking) would be resolved. i still only use one pole. and i've got my eyes open for another bamboo stick.
rafe wrote:
Well, not quite exactly. If you're on a long ascent or long descent, you can set your poles a bit short or a bit long, respectively, to make them more useful and manageable.max.patch wrote:
.. it struck me that if poles were sold by size - rather than one size fits all with a mechanical adjustment feature - that the main complaint about poles (the adjustment feature breaking) would be resolved. i still only use one pole. and i've got my eyes open for another bamboo stick.
This summer up in the Mahoosucs and on the Presidential range, I did a lot of walking with one pole, since I'd often need one hand to grab onto the terrain or trees or whatever. Mahoosuc Notch is a no-pole zone for me.
odd man out wrote:
I was about half way down the scramble from Dragon's Tooth before I realized the poles were more problematic than helpful.rafe wrote:
Well, not quite exactly. If you're on a long ascent or long descent, you can set your poles a bit short or a bit long, respectively, to make them more useful and manageable.max.patch wrote:
.. it struck me that if poles were sold by size - rather than one size fits all with a mechanical adjustment feature - that the main complaint about poles (the adjustment feature breaking) would be resolved. i still only use one pole. and i've got my eyes open for another bamboo stick.
This summer up in the Mahoosucs and on the Presidential range, I did a lot of walking with one pole, since I'd often need one hand to grab onto the terrain or trees or whatever. Mahoosuc Notch is a no-pole zone for me.
odd man out wrote:
one of the funniest things I heard on the trail was coming down from Dragon's Tooth. I had finished the scramble and was on the easy approach trail. It was a weekend so there were loads of day hikers going up. I stop to let a couple go by. They were both quite overweight and struggling to climb over a rock that was about the size of a carry on suitcase. The woman says to her partner "I see now why they rated this hike as strenuous". I just started to laugh. She looked at me and asked "does it get try much worse?"
rafe wrote:
The slope on the north side of Dragon's tooth, just before you reach the top, is one of the steepest you'll find on the AT. It doesn't last long. But this is one place where, if you have poles, you'll need to stash them.
As I recall there's a short section where you're basically working your way up (or down) a cliff, using rebar anchored into the cliffside.
rafe wrote:
The blazes go right up the side of the cliff. The person in the photo still has poles in their hands. Hmm.
[IMG:http://www.trailgallery.com/photos/14317/tj14317_052013_121310_737991.jpg]
socks wrote:
That's looks rock hard