Poles?

[thatguy]

Need to buy some. What's the best all around, all use ski/snowshoe/trek/etc. pole on market today? Something for the wife. What's not good?

tnx

[b-rock]

Whatever is $5 at the ski swap.

[iain]

If you can have two sets (and we're talking skiing here), some real junkers for the resort are a good idea. Break them, let them get stolen, doesn't really matter. Then some nicer BD adjustables are good for the bc. They are pretty strong. Really would be a bummer to break a pole out there. Don't let the adverts sell you on using them for avi probes. They are a poor substitute for the real thing.

[sobo]

thatguy said:

Need to buy some.

 

Sorry, but I'm not for sale.

[Rodchester]

I have used four different brands/models of adjustable poles (besides a few non-adjustable ski poles).

 

About five years ago, maybe six, I purchased REI best poles. I purchased them figuring I'd just reurn them whenever they broke. They did, and I did. So often it started driving me crazy. Finally I asked for store credit and purchased a pair of BD adjustable flicklock poles.

 

The BD poles were the avalanche probe poles, two section with flicklock. I figured since I skied AT too, they'd be great for most anything. I was right. One thing though, because they are a two section, they don't collapse as small as I would like.

 

So I purchased a pair of BD Expedition three section flicklock poles, the ultilmate poles for trekking, backpacking, mountaineering, climbing approaches, etc.

 

The flicklock system is FAR AND AWAY the superior system. The twists suck. They break. Plain and simple, they break. In winter snow melts, gets inside, refreezes and frost heaves, destroying/damaging the mechanism. This is true of ANY company's twist system.

 

I have never seen a flicklock system break. I have rarely seen a twist system that didn't break (At least under hard use and winter conditions). REI, Leki, whatever, if its a twist, I'll break it.

 

The tension on the BD flicklock can also be adjusted and slippage is non-existant.

 

Once in a while you find something so simple it amazes you that anyone would use anything different. The BD poles with flicklock system is one of those things.

 

BD Poles

 

BD Trekking Poles

 

Good Luck

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mattp]

Screw lock poles are OK, and not difficult to maintain.

I've been using twist tightening adjustable poles for twenty years and have only once broken one. Water gets inside and the screw mechanisms get corroded, and the plastic thingy that grips the insides of the poles gets polished so they fail to stick after a while, but you can rehab the mechanisms as follows:

 

1. pull the poles apart

2. clean up the threads on the screw mechanism with a piece of steel wool and lubricate it with bike lube or something

3. run steel wool in and out the barrel of the pole on a stick (like cleaning a gun barrel)

4. rough up the plastic thingy so it will grip the barrel of the pole by "sanding" (gouging it, really) with some 50 grit sandpaper.

 

Good as new.

 

I find the flicklock poles difficult to adjust sometimes. Maybe I'm just weak.

 

Beater poles are good.

I strongly agree with the recommendation to use some beater poles in the ski area. How often do you need to adjust the pole length when downhill skiing anyway? Get a pair of fixed-length poles from the Salvation Army and you won't care if you drop one off the chair lift or break it in a treewell or have it stolen at lunch time.

 

I'm not sure I really need adjustable poles at all.

Even in the backcountry, I am finding that I don't really adjust the pole length very often. I like being able to shrink the poles down for putting them into the car or putting them on my pack for some technical climbing, but on most outings I set the poles at about 135 cm and leave them that way, whether going up or down hill. The most frequent time I adjust the pole length otherwise is when touring out (down) a logging road --- longer poles are much better for trying to get some glide going in this situation. Some times I will adjust the poles to two different lengths when I'm going to do a long traverse or climb an endless set of switchbacks, but usually I don't bother.

 

Probe Poles are questionnable.

As noted above, your ski poles do not work very well as probes even if you have some fancy ones that screw together with the intended purpose being to use them as probes. I've used them this way as a tent pole for a megamid, but I've had them break when using them this way when it got windy because the connection mechnism probably wasn't designed for sheer strength.

[Rodchester]

mattp said:

I find the flicklock poles difficult to adjust sometimes. Maybe I'm just weak.

 

The tension can be adjusted very easily. Simply open the flicklock, and adjust the tension by turning the nut.

 

but you can rehab the mechanisms as follows:

 

1. pull the poles apart

2. clean up the threads on the screw mechanism with a piece of steel wool and lubricate it with bike lube or something

3. run steel wool in and out the barrel of the pole on a stick (like cleaning a gun barrel)

4. rough up the plastic thingy so it will grip the barrel of the pole by "sanding" (gouging it, really) with some 50 grit sandpaper.

 

Good as new.

 

Or you can ignore steps 1-4 by buying flicklock poles for rougly the same price.

 

 

[forrest_m]

Rodchester said:

I have never seen a flicklock system break. I have rarely seen a twist system that didn't break (At least under hard use and winter conditions). REI, Leki, whatever, if its a twist, I'll break it.

 

Maybe this is a once-in-a-lifetime incident, but I broke some flicklocks when I pulled them apart to use as tent stakes. The flick doo-dad fell off one pole. I watched if fall, but the powder was so deep I could not find it. I eventually made a repair by making a tourniquet out of repair wire. It worked, but, of course, the pole was no longer adjustable. It was the only time I had used them – they were borrowed from a friend. OTOH, I have had the same pair of screw-type poles for 14 years and they still work fine. Again, the danger is when you pull them apart to use a tent stakes or whatever, you should unscrew the plastic expander and keep it somethere safe before you jam the pole into the snow. This is the cause of many screw-type pole failures.

 

Many people I know backcountry ski with fixed beater poles – they never slip!

[thatguy]

Thanks all for the discussion. Beaters I have, and I will undoubtably accumulate more this season. I expect that I will eventually (as in later this season) inherit what ever I buy her. Might as well get something that will work for me.

Cheers

[cracked]

Flicklocks RULE! Esp the whippets, but they are too expensive, I haven't bought any yet. I have used my pair for about five years now, and have never had a problem. The grips are durable and comfy, too.

 

Mattp, personally, I like to adjust my poles in the field, long for up, much shorter for down. YMMY. Personal choice.

[rbw1966]

Another vote for the flintlock. Contrary to what others may say, they adjust very easily, are durable and come with the added bonus of BDEL's superior customer service. I've broken three poles (before following Iain's advice and getting a beater set for on-piste) and BD replaced them each time, no questions.

[mattp]

The grips on the flicklock ARE comfortable. I am curently using a pair and I have not found them to be as foolproof as suggested above - if the locks are adjusted so that I can easily undo them they don't grab the pole as well as I'd like, and I have pulled the wrist strap off by catching the pole on a tree and now it won't stay on the pole very well. For me, there are pluses and minuses for both and the next pair of adjustable poles I buy will probably be whatever is cheapest. Meanwhile, I'm thinking I might go back to trying the fixed length again....

 

Cracked is right, of course, longer for up hill and shorter for down hill is generally not a bad thing thought like I said, the time that I REALLY want longer poles is when skiing gently downhill, not up.

[David_Parker]

The problem with adjustable poles is that when you are going up steep switchbacks you have to constantly keep shortening one and making the other one longer when you switchback. Pain in the ass!

[fern]

David the simplest solution to that problem is to alternate between skinning forward and backward. Then the same hand is always uphill

[David_Parker]

But then I have to put my skins on backwards on every other switchback, right? But Fern, you're so flexible you can probably do that without taking your skis off.

Edited October 24, 2003 by David_Parker

[cj001f]

mattp said:the time that I REALLY want longer poles is when skiing gently downhill, not up.

???? For good kicking/gliding/skating you want close to shoulder height poles, for downhill I like poles about waist height. Your mileage may very.

[mattp]

CJF-

Go back and look at my post about 10 entries up. You'll see that I was referring to using the poles for kick and glide touring - which on my ski outings pretty much only happens when going slighttly downhill. Maybe you have enough energy/strength to kick and skate up hill or on the level with your mountaineering setup and a pack on, but I don't -- at least not for very far.

[Figger_Eight]

David_Parker said:

But then I have to put my skins on backwards on every other switchback, right? But Fern, you're so flexible you can probably do that without taking your skis off.

 

You can also just keep spiralling up the mountain. That keeps the uphill on one side till you get to the top.

 

And another vote for BD Flicklocks.

[Crux]

thatguy said:

Need to buy some...tnx

Twist-lock collapsible poles have proven unreliable for me; chose BD Contours because don't want hokey anti-shock; don't want unreliable twistlock; do want flick-lock; do want light weight.

 

FWIW: Found a pair and ordered yesterday from online liquidation retailer at the following link:

 

"Contour Trekking Pole, '03, Black Diamond, pair, cosmetic blem, $99.95, Sale $59.00"

[Toast]

Maybe I just lucked out. I have a pair of REI Ultralight poles made by Komperdell. I've beat the shit out of them, and I've made a habit of servicing them and bending 'em back to straight. They're not pretty anymore, but they still work and I trust them through tallus and steep slopes.

 

I know that Leki makes a wire brush kit that's made to clean out the hollow tubes. I just wish Komperdel did too.

[cj001f]

Toast said:I know that Leki makes a wire brush kit that's made to clean out the hollow tubes. I just wish Komperdel did too.

Stop by GIJoes, buy a gun cleaning kit.

 

Matt -

I don't have enough energy to break trail kicking - but can follow a decent track using kick & glide (having narrower skis helps for this).

 

 

[Mtguide]

David_Parker said:

The problem with adjustable poles is that when you are going up steep switchbacks you have to constantly keep shortening one and making the other one longer when you switchback. Pain in the ass!

 

No,no,no,no----jeez,there,Dave,no need to constantly adjust poles,HAHA; just switch hands as you go,put the short pole on the uphill side,long pole on the downhill,very low tech,very fast,minimal demand of cognitive function--and of course don't drop the poles on steep slopes-but in freshies they won't go far.Spring skiing on firm snow,you might have to go back down and pick up a dropped pole.But we all know the basic caveat of gravity sports,eh?

 

PS: Yet another vote for BD Flicklocks,both 2-and 3 section; well worth the nickel.

Edited October 28, 2003 by Mtguide

[Beck]

I'm a bit confused by this reverse skinning technique, don't I have to have one skin on one way and one the other for good performance on either tack? David, I think we both need some ski lessons

 

whatever you get, you can make some auxiliary "grips" out of duct tape on each pole about 6-8" below grip. Besides being a good place to store duct tape, it works great as grip for the uphill side of the traverse- instant shorter poles!

 

who adjusts their poles on each switchback anyways? is this taught in basic or intermediate classes ?

 

and straps should generally be dispensed with unless you are in full kick and glide mode, I want to be able to drop my poles if there's a slide...

 

I hear Varmint Mountain Works is making some new snafflehound skins that have grip in both directions!

 

[David_Parker]

Mtguide said:

David_Parker said:

The problem with adjustable poles is that when you are going up steep switchbacks you have to constantly keep shortening one and making the other one longer when you switchback. Pain in the ass!

 

No,no,no,no----jeez,there,Dave,no need to constantly adjust poles,HAHA; just switch hands as you go,put the short pole on the uphill side,long pole on the downhill,very low tech,very fast,minimal demand of cognitive function--and of course don't drop the poles on steep slopes-but in freshies they won't go far.Spring skiing on firm snow,you might have to go back down and pick up a dropped pole.But we all know the basic caveat of gravity sports,eh?

 

PS: Yet another vote for BD Flicklocks,both 2-and 3 section; well worth the nickel.

 

That doesn't work for me! If I just switch poles then I end up frigging around with the pole straps to make the right fit the left and the left fit the right. Don't tell me you don't have left and right poles... that would be crazy!