Best Trekking Poles 2018 | Trekking Pole Reviews
| Rank | Brand | Model | Price | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montem Outdoor Gear | Ultra Strong | $$ | Review |
| 2 | Montem Outdoor Gear | Carbon Fiber | $$$ | Review |
| 3 | Hiking Hunger | Carbon Fiber | $$$ | In Progress... |
| 4 | Cascade Mountain Tech | Carbon Fiber | $$ | Review |
| 5 | Mountaintop | 3-Section Retractable | $ | Review |
| 6 | BAFX Products | Anti Shock | $ | Review |
| 7 | Denazo Outdoors | Anti Shock | $$ | In Progress... |
| 8 | WildHorn Outfitters | Taalo | $$ | In Progress... |
| 9 | Park Ridge Outfitters | TREK PRO | $ | In Progress... |
My friends and I (Michael) do all of the work for you by testing, reviewing, and rating the best trekking poles out there so you can quickly decide which ones to get.
After spending a combined 398 days on 37 different sets of trekking poles with a half-dozen hikers, trekkers, outdoors enthusiasts, and friendly strangers, we’ve concluded that the best trekking poles for most people are Montem Outdoor Gear Ultra Strong Trekking Poles (Tall or short, a little extra weight like a bear, or thin like a twig, these poles worked incredibly well across the board.) The Montem Trekking Poles are the only poles in our tests that suited a variety of heights, weights, both genders, ages, and terrains. Everyone loved how supportive they were without being too stiff or firm, and its grip made it more comfortable than you’d imagine for a pole. These hiking poles are budget-friendly, costing 1/2 the price of the more expensive brands with equal, if not greater quality and durability.
There are many reasons why the use of trekking poles by hikers, backpackers, and snowshoers has increased dramatically in the past decade. By transferring some of the weight into your arms, they make uphill climbs and trekking easier. By offering stability on downhills, they make uphill climbs and trekking easier. By offering stability on down-hills, they reduce stress on your joints, especially your knees and ankles. So what are the best trekking poles?
If you are looking for the best trekking poles on the market, then you’ve come to the right place. On our site we present consumer opinions and trekking pole reviews of the top products in 2016. There are trekking poles available of all grips and materials, so we compiled this guide to help you narrow down the field and find that perfect trekking pole for your next hike. Below you can view a comparison of the trekking poles and reviews for each of them.
TOP PICK - Montem Outdoor Gear Ultra Strong Trekking Poles
At last, a trekking pole that is whole round is here for you to explore. Designed to suit the different needs and tastes of different customers, these trekking poles have what most of the other poles in the market lack. It is a pole that all those who have bought it before highly approve of making it most likely that you will like it. Montem Ultra Strong Trekking Poles are the poles to own.
I like hiking and mountaineering. I have therefore had numerous experiences with a number of trekking poles that I have owned before. Most of them would serve me well but this one is outstanding. No other trekking pole in the market integrates lightweight, durability and sturdiness. This Montem product does.
#2 - Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles
The Cascade trekking poles are an excellent construction and design. They seem to be so durable. They’re definitely a bargain for the price,providing high performance, as good or better than several better-known,expensive priced poles.
#3 - Mountaintop 3-Section Retractable Lightweight Trekking Poles
If you love trekking on mountains but your existing trekking sticks have failed to accompany you in your next expedition then you will feel convenient and confident after buying the Mountaintop [2-Pack] 3-Section Retractable Lightweight Trekking Poles. These trekking poles will prove to be your perfect partner while hiking, travelling, backpacking, walking or climbing on mountains due to their comfortable handle made of EVA foam and other features.
#4 - BAFX - Anti Shock Trekking Poles
Trekking trail poles are used by the trekkers, hikers, and backpackers to go from one location to another. It can be an ideal option for those who like hiking and walking on various terrains. In addition to the hiking, it can also help to reduce the strain on joint that you might have experienced while enjoying the hiking. If you want to improve your hiking performance and enjoy it more, then you need a developed trekking pole that comes with many modern technologies and ultimately that makes the hiking easy and fun. Do you want the best trekking pole for you, if yes then consider buying BAFX Products - 2 Pack - Anti ShockHiking trekking pole. To know more about this trekking pole, go through the following review.
Why Use Trekking Poles?
A few years ago, mountaineering and hiking enthusiasts hardly used trekking poles. However, as the world changes, people are finding easier ways of doing things. Trekking poles have become essential tools in hiking and trekking.
Even the markets are recording a significant rise in the sale of trekking poles. In the USA, for example, the sales increased by about 75% between 2014 and 2015 and a further increase is expected between 2016 and 2017.
Trekking poles ensure that you have the best hiking adventure by reducing the stress and strain the joints. Trekking poles are designed to improve your postures stability and balance. They act as additional legs increasing contact with the ground thus you are less likely to slip or fall. They also come with aerobics and muscle building benefits to users. Trekking poles utilize muscles such as pectorals and biceps while swinging thus making you stronger.
It is also important to note that trekking poles play a significant role in reducing the body calories. A report indicates that trekking poles reduce calories by up to 20%.
Trekking poles come with a lot of benefits to the user. However, with many brands flooding the market, choosing the ideal tool for your adventure becomes an upward task. Fortunately, with us in the research world, you need not fret. We have gone an extra mile to do a thorough research on the different brands to ensure you get the best product that suits you best. Your job is to just relax, go through our selection and get the product that will give a proper account for your coins.
So, what are the major factors you need to consider before deciding to go for a given brand of trekking poles?
Material
Trekking poles are majorly developed from aluminum or carbon. It is common sense that the better the material of a product comes from heavier the duty and the more durable materials, especially for items that are going to take a beating on a trail.
Carbon fiber is known to be stiffer, lighter and stronger. However, upon a hard impact, it breaks easily. Aluminum trekking poles a little heavier but can take more than two digs and remain unaltered. It is, therefore, advisable to go for aluminum products if you intend to keep hiking for long.
Shock Absorbers
A recent study indicates that people are not comfortable with shocking poles. The shock makes the poles a little unstable while crossing rivers, trekking on rocks or other delicate surfaces where the pole is crucial for more balance. It is important that you reason whether you want a pole with shock absorber ahead of focusing on getting a given pole.
It is important that you understand the following about shock absorbers:
- It is useful while going down than when going uphill. When dropping, shock absorbers take up most of the impact.
- Some poles fitted with shock absorbers allow you to turn it on or off. Isn't that nice?
- It allows you to maintain the balance on your way up and when crossing a strenuous field by turning it off.
Pole Adjustment Features
Poles come with two locking mechanisms: lever lock and the twist lock actions. The lever lock mechanism is known to be durable, easier to use and faster to make adjustments. They are also less troublesome compared to lever lock action, especially on dusty surfaces. However, this is less of a challenge as most developers are adopting the lever lock style.
However, it is important to be keen on selecting the products. You never know!
The Number of Segments and Their Design
Different brands of trekking poles come with three different designs, with each design having their own pros and cons:
- The folding versions.
- Two segment telescoping.
- Three-section telescoping.
Folding Versions
This is the latest pole design having been on the market for only three seasons. The design makes poles very light and very durable. They are ideal for hikers and climbers out for backpacking trips of medium duty. They easily fold to a small size, make them suitable for climbers. However, they are less durable compared to the two and three segment telescoping models. Poles with this design are 6-9 inches smaller than the telescoping models. Again, the can be 9-13 times lighter depending on the activity you want to undertake.
Three Segment Telescoping
This is the most popular trekking pole style. They are more compact compared to the two segment poles. They are also easily strapped to the backpack or carried in small suitcases. They are of equal or lighter weight to that of the two segment poles but are of lesser strength for heavy duty mountaineering or backpacking. They are ideal for trekking, hiking, climbing, and mountaineering.
Two Segment Telescoping
This is the stiffest and strongest trekking pole design and ideal for snowshoeing, skiing or for people who must use poles. However, two segment poles are not easily compressed and are a little difficult to carry on your pack even when shrunk to the maximum. Manufacturers try to concentrate on making these poles adamant. Therefore, they are a little heavier compared to other designs.
Having understood these different designs, it is necessary to consider your activity before deciding on going for a given design.
Basket Size
Poles come with a wide variety of basket sizes. The size you pick depends on the activity you are planning to undertake.
Large baskets are ideal for snow but are known to get stuck in bushes and roots when trekking through the forests. When purchasing a basket, it is important to check whether it is compatible with your pole. You can use your pole on your camping tents as well. Most poles come in varying size of holes. Always ensure it fits your pole.
Having understood all the factors to consider when purchasing a trekking pole, We have gone ahead to research on the top best brands in the market that are going to suits you best.
Guide On Trekking Poles
There was a time when trekking poles were not that common. However, these have increased in popularity over the past decade and these days; almost everyone carries a trekking pole on a hike. There are some advantages of trekking poles as these help in improving balance on the uneven ground and also save a lot of energy when you go up and down steep trails. In fact, some research studies have suggested that using proper trekking poles can help in reducing the impact force on your knees by up to 40%. In other words, there are a lot of benefits of using trekking poles, and this is the reason that some companies have jumped into this market and released some different models with a wide variety of features.
However, it is not easy for an amateur to choose the right one as they are not aware of the various options available in the market today and the factors they need to consider to choose the right trekking pole for their needs. In this article, you will discover various factors you need to consider to choose the right trekking pole for your needs. Before delving into the factors that should be considered for selecting a trekking pole, here is a list of some of the major benefits of using trekking poles.
One of the biggest advantages of trekking poles is that this help propels you forward and upward which means these can help in increasing your average speed when you are waling on flat ground or going up steep hills. On the other hand, when you walk on steep hills without the use of trekking poles, you not only expend a lot of energy, but your speed also goes down. Another big advantage of using these poles is that these help in reducing the impact on ankles, feet, legs and knees. Some research studies have confirmed that proper trekking poles can help in reducing compressive force on the knees by a significant amount.
You can also use these trekking poles for deflecting various backcountry nuisances as these can be used to push away blackberries as well as spider webs and other such things. When you walk with trekking poles, these help you in establishing and maintaining consistent rhythm which in turn help in increasing your speed. Proper trekking pole also provides you extra points of contact which help in increasing traction on slippery surfaces such as loose rock, mud, and snow. Many hikers find it difficult to maintain balance in difficult terrains during river crossings and these trekking poles help in maintaining proper balance which keeps you safe.
Trekking poles can also be used for defending against attacks from wildlife such as bears and dogs. In simple terms, there are some advantages of trekking poles, and therefore, you should carry good quality trekking poles with you when you are going on a hike.
Type of Trekking Poles
There are three major types of trekking poles available on the market today. Namely, standard, staff, and shock absorbing. As far as choosing the right type of trekking pole is concerned, it depends on your budget as well as usage.
As far as the standard trekking poles are concerned, these are lightweight, telescoping and typically strong. Telescoping feature is great for hiking when you want to go hands-free. There are different types of poll adjustment locking mechanisms available in various models. There are twist locks as well as lever locks. It is not recommended to go for twist lock as it 's hard to adjust these with gloves on. On the other hand, you can use lever locks for all purposes.
The standard poles can be bought in two as well as three sections. It has been observed that poles with single section are sturdier and whereas multiple sections are better for hiking or backpacking.
Another type of trekking pole is shock absorbing trekking pole that comes with internal air pistons. There are some advantages of these trekking poles as these help in absorbing the shocks, but these extra components add to the weight and cost. You can also easily convert these traditional rigid poles by locking the shock absorbers. However, these are good only in certain situations and not in all the situations. Your poles can also be used to hang your dry bags when you are boating or fishing.
The last type of trekking pole is a hiking staff which is a single pole. It is typically taller than most of the other trekking poles available in the market today, and these are great for stability. You can use these poles for casual walking as these are great when you are walking down steep terrain.
Choosing the Right Trekking Poles
As mentioned in the beginning, there are some factors you need to consider to choose the right trekking poles for your needs. One of the factors you need to consider is the type of hiking you plan to do as well as the place where you plan to go hiking. Another important thing you need to keep in mind is the time of the year when you plan to do the hiking. In addition to these two main factors, some of the other factors you need to consider are the frequency of use of these trekking poles as well as how hard you are going to use these trekking poles. Needless to say, you also need to consider the budget to choose the right trekking poles.
The trekking poles are available in two main materials including carbon fiber as well as aluminum. There are some advantages of aluminum as it is stronger, heavier as well as more resistant to impact. You can treat trekking poles made of aluminum roughly, and they will still continue to function well which means that these are an excellent choice for individuals who like to go hard on their trekking poles. On the other hand, there are trekking poles made of carbon fiber.
The biggest advantages of trekking poles made of carbon fiber are that these are easier to carry, easier to pack as well as lightweight. Some of the other benefits of trekking poles made of carbon fiber include extreme strength but these do not offer as much impact resistance as provided by the trekking poles made of aluminum. There are trekking poles made of wood as well as various other materials, but most of the individuals prefer trekking poles made of aluminum or carbon fiber. The choice of material will also depend on the expected use of the trekking poles.
Another important factor that you need to consider is the adjustment mechanism. As mentioned above, you can adjust the trekking poles when you walk allowing you to adjust for changes in incline. There is twist lock and lever lock. Both mechanisms have their pros and cons, and your choice should depend on the kind of usage expected of the trekking pole.
As mentioned above, trekking poles are available in two sections as well as three sections as well as a single piece. The single piece trekking poles are sturdier and stronger as compared to some of the other options in the long run. On the other hand, trekking poles available in two or three sections have their advantages as these are easier to pack and carry, but these might have weaknesses in the joints. These are great options for individuals who may need to travel by air for reaching their hiking destinations. You can easily fold these trekking poles to fit in your backpack which means you don't need to carry them in your hands at all times.
Some different sizes of baskets are available. Baskets are at the base of the poles and can be changed for a variety of uses. While you may use bigger baskets for using your trekking pole in snow but larger baskets are not ideal for hiking on dry ground as these are likely to get entangled in tree roots. Therefore, it is recommended to find trekking poles that can use interchangeable baskets if you plan to hike in different seasons and climates.
One of the most important factors is the budget of the individual. It is important to keep in mind that trekking poles can get quite expensive but bear in mind that it is a significant investment regarding comfort as well as safety. If you are planning to use these trekking poles frequently, it is better to invest in high-quality trekking poles as you won't need to replace them regularly.
Similar to all the other products, there are some companies making various kinds of trekking poles, but it is important that you buy only an established brand. There are some established brands making these poles from high-quality materials even when you are looking to buy on a budget. Make sure that the brand you are planning to buy has a strong reputation for quality.
In most cases, it is better to buy lighter trekking poles as compared to heavier ones, but you need to find the right combination of strength and weight. There are some trekking poles that are easier to carry but may not be as strong as needed.
As far as buying the right trekking poles is concerned, it is important for you to check various review websites as well as discussion forums related to hiking to choose the right brand and equipment. As mentioned above, there are some different brands with a variety of models at various price points which mean it is not easy for you to choose the right one for your needs. Therefore, it is important that you take help of the rating and review websites and go through the reviews of each model within your budget range to figure out the right one for you.
In addition to the budget, you should also pay attention to the customer service as well as warranty offered by the manufacturer. There are some companies that offer good warranty period for the hiking gear sold by them. You shouldn't buy hiking gear where no guarantee or warranty is provided by the manufacturer.
While there are some online as well as off-line shops selling trekking poles, you can also buy second-hand trekking poles or get some from your buddies in case you want to see whether you are going to like to use them when you are hiking.
Overall, there are some advantages of using trekking poles. These help in reducing stress on your legs and your knees. In fact, these are a great help for people who have a previous knee injury as these can save them from discomfort by reducing the impact and weight on the knees when they are on a backpacking or hiking trip. These are of great help during inclines as well as declines.
Another advantage of using high-quality trekking poles is that these help in establishing balance when you are on a hiking or backpacking trip. It is not easy to maintain balance on rough terrain, and these trekking poles can help you maintain proper balance when you are traversing slick surfaces. For instance, these trekking poles help you in walking safely across the water when you are hiking the trail with water crosswinds. Similarly, these trekking poles can be used by you for testing the stability of the rocks before stepping onto them.
In addition to these specific uses, there are also a number of miscellaneous uses of trekking poles. For instance, you can use these for protecting yourself from animals as well as for hanging clothes and for erecting a temporary shelter among other things. In other words, there are a lot of uses of trekking poles, but it is important that you buy only a high-quality pair of trekking poles from a well-known brand.
Do not try to cut corners by purchasing some cheap trekking poles made of cheap material as you are likely to replace them shortly. Also, using low-quality trekking poles can be dangerous as they may give up when you put a little weight on them. Therefore, only buy high-quality trekking poles from a well-known brand to ensure safety and balance. Keep the above-mentioned factors in mind to choose the right trekking pole for your needs.
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