The LT in the name stands for Lightrek, a Gossamer trademark that speaks to what these carbon fiber poles are all about. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. 
How can we improve GearLab? After about 40 hours of testing on trails, streets, beaches, and many places in between (including extensive handling and testing in a physical-therapy office, among therapists, nurses, patients, and doctors in an orthopedic group), weve determined that the Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles are the best for nearly everyone. They perform poorly in activities long-distance hiking, where every ounce counts. With a walking stick in hand, its possible to conquer varying terrain with confidence. To test the poles in our review, we spent several months shouldering heavy loads over mountains and through deserts. The grip is simple yet elegant, and the length adjustment mechanism is strong and reliable. They collapsed sometimes, and required extra fussing to stay locked and pole-like. In snow, especially going uphill, the top of the grips also mattered significantly, and those on the Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles stood out as the most comfortable in this case. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
Thats it. Got feedback? The differences between Nordic walking and a basic hike are subtle but important enough to matter. Jeff guides climbers, trekkers, and backcountry skiers all over the world, from his home in the Tetons to the Wind River Range, Colorado's Front Range, Washington's Cascades, and beyond. As far as sizing a pole correctly goes, you can find a lot of information out there, and a lot of these companies will send detailed instructions on how to make your poles the right length for you. These wood walking sticks have been designed to increase your balance and mobility during your treks. This basic set of poles offers an excellent grip and easy-to-use adjustments. In this case, increasing comfort means increasing weight. At 10.4 ounces, the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z is close behind in the weight metric and can fold down to a small packable size, but when extended, has no length adjustability. Portability: A lot of trekking-pole reviews heavily weigh how quickly and well the poles collapse for packing. And yet, too often, so many people dont have anything. They also feature burly metal lever locks that inspire confidence and perform well. We found one upside to carbon fiber, too, in that it tended to be quieter on the trail. If theres a military veteran in your family, having a medallion inserted into the grip of the wooden walking stick showing the branch of service will send a message.
The Leki Micro Vario Carbon, which is foldable, packs down to 15.5 inches (both the men's and women's) and depending on the size you choose, the Distance Z, Distance Carbon Z, and Distance Carbon FLZ (both men's and women's) packs down to as low as 13 inches. On my treks, even in walks around the city, its amazing how many people Ive seen with poles stowed away, sticking out of their pack, or carried in the crook of their arm, not touching the ground. The good news is that, overall, none of our top picks showed any significant failure in the cold. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. The usability/attractiveness test was especially interesting. Theyre made of aluminuma malleable, sturdy material that is not as brittle as carbon fiberso you can scratch them, ding them, and generally bang them around without worrying theyll break, yet theyre lightweight enough for most people. We weighed and measured each set of poles to compare them to their advertised specifications.
The assumption that trekking poles are only for serious hikers is deeply misguided. These poles dont come with rubber tips and baskets included, as the Montem poles do, but they are compatible with Leki-made rubber tips and baskets. Descending at dusk, dropping thousands of feet via stairstep switchbackswell, Id like to say it brought me to my knees, but I didnt even want to think about my (poor, tired, swelling) knees. But generally these were lighter and stiffer when everything worked. The only real downside to these poles is that they offer slightly less comfort than other models with foam grips. Read on to learn the results of our tests and the performance breakdown in each metric. By the end of the day, the three of us were staggering to our cars in darkness, wishing wed had a stick or a pole or even a decent-size branch to lean on and help us on our pathetic way. The Distance Carbon Z is our favorite ultralight pole. Mary using the women's Black Diamond Distance FLZ poles to transport lots of gear up to the crag in Indian Creek. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. GearLab is reader-supported. The outstanding aspect of the Leki Instructor Lite is the grip strap and handle, which the company calls the Trigger Shark. Choose these if you need your poles to fold up and disappear inside your pack.
A bonus. Afterward, however, set them upthats the best and surest way to make sure you use the poles. If you plan on using your poles in your hands for your entire trip, then packed size might not matter. We liked their basic design, the ease of adjusting them on the trail, and the comfort of their straps. Most folding poles are weaker than their telescoping counterparts, and thus can't be recommended for rugged terrain while carrying a heavy backpack, but the Dynalock somehow does it all. This pole has thick carbon shafts that don't bend at all when weighted and are thick enough to absorb some chips without compromising the pole's integrity. Nerds! I thought. Both of these poles are available in many length options, making them suitable for both men and women. For lightweight trekking poles, they're a solid value. After it's shaped and sanded, the wooden walking stick is ready for the finish. Both the Leki Micro Vario Carbon men's and women's versions have a unique rounded handle that is comfortable to push down upon, but the grip feels overly contoured to some testers. Most of the poles in our test break down to a smaller length for storage, travel, and stowage on a pack, then extend back to a usable length when needed. These poles also ranked among our top picks for their clever, easy-to-use adjustment mechanism, as well as their simple, two-part designthe upper section is aluminum, and the lower section is a carbon composite, giving each stick a nice, slightly top-heavy weight overall. The Gossamer Gear pole uses a twist lock mechanism, which adds to that poles overall simplicity. Trekking poles are worthless if they break, leading to less efficient travel. When pulled tight enough, the cord engages a spring-loaded locking mechanism that prevents the sections from coming apart. Speedlock 2 mechanism is quick, easy, and secure. I tried the poles in small batches for a series of hikes, some short (less than 3 miles) and some long (about 10 miles), over as many different terrains as California in the late summer and early fall could muster: hard dirt, soft dirt, sand, and sandstone; oaky woods and scraggly chaparral; some desert, some beach, a little jaunt in foothills of the Sierras. They are made from carbon fiber, so they are incredibly lightweight, and they come equipped with plenty of attachments in a telescoping design. Poles range dramatically in price, and luckily, there are some great options that won't break the bank. The biggest downside is the price, but if youre an avid hiker and you plan to incorporate poles into that routine, we think the cost for poles like these is worth it. 
A broken trekking pole turns a long trek with a heavy pack into a nightmare. Also, the Alpine FLZ Z-Poles currently cost a lot less than similar competing models (mainly those from Leki). If youre a sucker for the latest and greatest in materials and design, and if you have some slightly off-piste uses in mind for your poles, we recommend going to a store and testing them in person. It is made from aluminum and doesn't include many parts that can break. Leki is a German company that specializes in poles and almost nothing but poles (aside from folding chairs, which really are just a series of poles, when you think about it). Similarly, giving the best hiking sticks as a gift to someone who wants to begin regular exercise has proven to be a popular choice. But for the average day hike, mountain run, or casual backpacking trip, these poles are durable, simple, and affordable. Testing trekking poles on the rugged trails of central Idaho. You have to use the pole. I was, because I crave as much silence as possible when I hike, except in bear country. This change allows them to collapse from 51 inches when fully extended down to 23.5 inches. The best hiking and walking sticks come in various sizes that will fit young children to tall adults. The lever locks and adjustability on the women's Leki Cressida Cor-Tec are user-friendly and easy to adjust. And the biggest challenge of all, when youre messing around with poles, comes when your hands are halfway frozen, shaky, and no good for delicately screwing and flicking lock systems. Our top choice comes with a pair, and so does our upgrade pick, but the othersdont. The cork grip handles were also very comfortable, but they werentas we sort of expected them to bea difference-making step beyond the mock-cork of certain foam grips we ended up liking best. The Black Diamond Trail Sport 3 poles also proved exceptionally durable, with their thick telescoping aluminum shafts, rubber grips, and burly lever locks. The Black Diamond Distance Z are simple, lightweight, and high-performance poles at a lower price than their carbon fiber counterparts. This is the gear that Wirecutter staffers pack for fall-foliage hikes. It looks a bit more like cross-country skiing without skislonger poles, larger arm motion, and a lot of work for your shoulders and tricepsand is known to increase heart rate, blood flow, and oxygen consumption. For side-by-side comparisons, we took multiple poles out at a time to assess the differences between models on the same terrain. While heavy-duty trekkers venturing to remote destinations want to make sure they get the most durable pole, the rest of the poles in our review have adequate construction quality for most users. Plus, the poles come with a one-year warranty that covers a fairly broad range of manufacturing failures and defects. Over the last decade, we've tested more than 50 pairs, with the top 16 featured in our current review. Because of the many customizations offered, its possible to pick out a product that meets your needs and environment. For mountain running and other high-performance activities where weight makes all the difference, the BD Distance Carbon Z is excellent. The BD Alpine Carbon Cork grips are excellent and contour to the user's hand over time. They are appropriate for nearly every use in the backcountry, from short day hikes to longer treks. Aluminum versus carbon fiber: We were skeptical about the difference in feel between a carbon fiber pole and an aluminum polewe thought the effect had more to do with weight and less to do with feel. After we completed our field tests, we rated each pole on a scale from 1-10 across a range of metrics, including comfort, weight, locking and adjustability, packed size, durability, and versatility. Other grips on the market are more comfortable. Furthermore, the grips aren't the most comfortable, but they're not bad either. We like the bomber construction of the Leki Makalu Lite Cor-Tec and the women's Leki Cressida Cor-Tec poles, which, along with the Alpine Carbon Cork, are our top choice for heavy-duty trekking in remote locations or while carrying a heavy pack. They are the REI Co-op Trailbreak Trekking Poles, the Pure Outdoor by Monoprice Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles, the TrailBuddy Lightweight Trekking Poles, and the Foxelli Aluminum Trekking Poles. The grip, too, is a stripped-down compromise that manages to feel just right. He brought the 10 pairs of trekking poles into his office and left most of them upstairs, in a physical-therapy center, where they were assessed over afternoons and taken out into the surrounding mountains on weekends and evenings, tested by assorted doctors, patients, nurses, assistants, therapists, and anyone else who happened to pick up a pair. In this spirit, usability was by far our main concern and the metric we returned to most often in deciding the best set of poles overall. Whereas I was a purist, with nothing but a pack, some running shoes, and a good hat. Pausing to study the map, deep in the High Sierra, in search of Lunker Lake. To make distinctions between products, we often investigate the small details that might make a difference. Boy, were we wrong! Our test team features thru-hikers, mountain runners, alpine climbers, and expedition trekkers. All of them were well-reviewed elsewhere and worked pretty well for us in general. We paid extra attention to how comfortable these poles were day-in-day-out, and whether they withstood the abuse of our rigorous testing. Comfort and versatility: What sort of options does the pole offer? However, after hours or days of walking, the hands and wrists can take a beating from supporting this additional weight. In the past few years, these poles have exploded onto the market, and with good reason. Carbon fiber poles are lighter, of course, but also much stiffer. Nordic walking is slightly more aerobic than typical pole-walking. The best poles should require minimal care, and all our top picks shouldnt need much at alljust give them a quick wipe-down, and if they get especially wet, take them apart at the end of the hike or the day and make sure they dry out. The lightweight FK Carbon's are at home in the hands of runners and fast hikers, but don't expect them to fold down and pack small, or to stand up to rugged terrain. Do you want them? (Yes.) Its also getting a cool grungy trail patina, making it appear more natural than it really is. These poles don't offer any adjustability, so you need to be mindful when selecting your size. So walk, use poles. An assortment of baskets, from super lightweight and small on the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z (left), to the super wide powder baskets on the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork (right). The Distance FLZ is a great women's specific pole for when you don't want something too heavy but also can't sacrifice durability. One complaint with the Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles is how difficult it can be to tighten them enough so that they dont rattle slightly, causing a slight disruption on an otherwise quiet trail. We hope that our work helps you to find the best pole to suit your needs. Thats why hikers and walkers are increasingly seeking out the best walking sticks and the line of products from Brazos always has something thats going to meet their needs. On the other hand, if you'll be using your poles on scrambles, you'll have to stash them in your backpack during technical sections. Other poles come with a ton of baskets and tip attachments to help them perform well across the board. Poles like the Distance Z save weight by avoiding any adjustment mechanisms, but they are not ideal if you happen to be between sizes or want to lend your poles to a friend. (Yes.). Ive written for The New York Times Magazine (The New York Times is the parent company of Wirecutter), MIT Tech Review, Fast Company, and Outsideand before I was writing, I was an editor at Fortune, Popular Science, World Policy Journal, and National Geographic Adventure. If you are Nordic walking: Consider the Leki Instructor Lite, which come with grips and handles especially well suited to that activity. Theres also the unpleasant possibility of a slight rattling, making a little noise and causing a very minor tremor in the stick. We dislike the thin wrist straps on the Distance Z for hikers or trekkers carrying heavy packs. If youll be in such situations, the Black Diamond Alpine FLZ Z-Poles are for you. Poles are incredibly helpful for steep climbs, especially when hiking off-trail in the High Sierra above 11,000 feet. They collapse into a bundle about 13 inches in height, almost half the size of our top pick. But the assumption that trekking poles are only for serious hikers is deeply misguided. A quick word on what a difference a good pole tip can make, especially on city streets or rocky trails: Its a huge difference. Adjusting mechanics: How easy is it to adjust the pole on the trail? The EVA foam grip is less sweaty than cork and wont chafe your hand over time like hard rubber, and the adjustment mechanisms are simple to use and tighten. Each pole section fits together with the next, and an internal pull cord tightens the links together. Okaythat last claim is a tough one to study, but theres research supporting every other claim, like this 2002 study of all the physiological benefits of walking with poles, to say nothing of the studies showing how walking improves mindfulness, promotes creativity, and relieves stress. Some pole come with snow baskets, some are sold separately, and others are not compatible at all. Ultimately, in our experience the easiest-to-use adjustment mechanisms were minimalist.
The most packable poles on the market today are those featuring a foldable design, also known as Z-poles. Before each walking stick is made, the raw wood blank is carefully inspected for hidden flaws that might affect the structural integrity of the shaft. As for Lekis poles, we tested the Micro Vario Carbon, as well as a range of the companys expensive, trail-runner Z-collapsing models. Simple and sturdy, Montems Ultra Strong Trekking Poles are our overall pick. But the poles that were the simplest in every way, from their setup to their overall stripped-down look, the poles that every tester agreed were extraordinarily comfortable, not just by virtue of being so light but by having a great, slightly squishy grip, the poles that everyone eventually fought over, were the Gossamer Gear LT5 Carbon Trekking Poles. We like Lekis rubber tips because they worked on most of the sticks we tested. Baskets: The basket at the bottom of the pole says a lot about what youre using it for: A smaller basket (or none at all) means more general everyday hiking, while a larger basket makes more sense for snow or scrambles or off-trail, muddy scenarios. Lots of serious hikers swear by lengthening poles slightly while on a long downhill, and shortening them slightly for uphill. Not only will this show that much thought was put into the gift, but it will be impossible to get this walking stick mixed up with anyone elses wooden walking sticks. Sign-up for our mailing list and get 10% off of your first order. After the structural inspection, the raw wood blank is shaped on a lathe or a sander depending on the style of the stick. But if youre looking for poles that you can quickly pullapart and put back together, with practice, these are a great choice. Its dead simple, and it simply works. I interviewed Dr. Timothy S. Church, former researcher at the Cooper Institute, co-author of a Nordic-walking study, and chief medical officer of ACAP Health Consulting, as well as Carol Ewing Garber, president of the American College of Sports Medicine and a professor of movement sciences at Columbia University. We are big fans of the metal lever locks on the Alpine Carbon Cork, finding them to be the best locks in our review. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. As an item thats uniquely yours, having a wood walking stick customized with the additions and options listed above makes it personal. If you need poles for a more specialized use, you'll have to do a little more research, which is where this review comes in. The major downside is their weight. Maybe. The strong varieties of wood used in construction will deliver confidence in use -- but its the engravings and medallion inserts that will be the talk of the town. To achieve such a low weight, it has a streamlined foam grip, minimalist wrist strap, and most notably, features ZERO length adjustment or collapsibility.
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