Description
Lighter and stronger, ready to go the distance.
When weight is a major concern because the lighter your gear the more mashed potato flakes you can pack, then you’ll want the Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Poles in your hands. These carbon fiber poles are wicked light and, with Black Diamond’s Z-Pole technology, they fold up small to stow in your ultralight, ultra-small pack. In fact, the incredible light weight and toughness of the Ultra Distance pole earned it 2011 'Editor's Choice' honors from Backpacker Magazine.
- Foldable Z-Pole packs down to store in your pack when you don’t need it
- Non-slip lightweight foam grips with a mini extension for quick choke-ups
- Moisture-wicking straps are comfortable against your skin
- Z-pole rubber and carbide tips are interchangeable and replaceable
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Share your thoughts
What do you think of the
Black Diamond Ultra Distance Trekking Pole
? Share a...
what size of those would You recommend for...
Pesten
Member since
what size of those would You recommend for me? I'm 177 cm / 5'10"?
Pat Palmer
Member since
I'd get the 130cm. I'm 6'0", and I set my poles between 105cm and 115cm, depending on terrain and load.
Pesten
Member since
But these are without length adjustment option. I've found the sizing chart on BD site and they suggest 120 cm for those between 172 and 182 cm
Scott Jasper
Member since
Pesten, I went through the Z-Pole sizing exercise last year. I'm 5'-11" and went with the 120cm Ultra Distance Trekking Pole. After several trips with these poles, the 120cm length feels great on ups, downs and levels. The "pole length" - in my example, 120cm - is from the pole tip to the top of your hand at the top of the grip (just below the "knob" at the top of the grip) (see pic). The goal is to have your forearm level when holding the pole in this position. Hope this helps.
Super light, fast to set up
Patrick McMurtry
Member since
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
These poles are great on steep ascents. They are incredibly light - almost like you have nothing in your hands. They pretty much extend into place with the flick of the wrist and a quick tug. They break down quickly too, and are small enough to put in a day pack or running pack when broken down. I don't like using poles going downhill so the lack of adjustability is not an issue for me.
Very light hiking pole
WS from Mesa, AZ
Member since
- Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions
Pros: Amazingly light and sturdy. Arms never got tired after hiking over 9 miles. Easy to open and close. Small enough to fit in a backpack.
Cons: Hand strap were a little tight for an average person.
Awesome Trekking Poles and Super Lightwe
jusp107712
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
I use these poles for both day hiking and full on backpacking. These are some of the best trekking poles I've ever come across. Solid with just enough give to be useful in any situation. They are also amazingly light and fold up to be tiny when not in use. They have greatly helped reduce the stress and strain on my knees hiking over numerous mountains.
Decent poles, limited variety
Ian Newcomb
Member since
- Gender: Male
- Familiarity: I've used it several times
They are solid poles, relatively robust and strong considering the weight of the poles. My one gripe with the poles made by black diamond is that there is no adjust in the length, you can buy between 100 and 130cm length poles. This is perfect if you are hiking in the midwest where everything is perfectly flat. Its nice to take some weight of the legs and gain stability. However, the lack of adjustability defeats the purpose of trekking poles as you are meant to shorter them for climbs and lengthen them for descents. one length for everything means you have to lift your hands higher on climbs and bend over further on descents. I understand theres got the editors choice award but the inability to change length is too much of a sacrifice for me to enjoy them Ill go back to my flick locks. The price is also just not right for a set of poles that are so light its easy to forget about the,.
Bent easily
J Cook
Member since
I had hoped that these very expensive poles which received an "Editor's Choice" award would be more durable. After less than 2 months of use, one of the poles has bent at the metal join in the lower section. I am a 60kg woman, was carrying a 5 kg daypack, doing a very gentle hike down a grass slope. I slid onto my backside and the pole caught in the grass. I discovered the lower section had bent at the join with the middle pole. This means that to fold and assemble the pole it has to be really forced apart/together and still has a visible bend. I am not sure if it is possible to straighten the metal as it is adherent to the blue plastic inner material. I am very disappointed and won't be purchasing Black Diamond poles again.
I reckon I done broke these poles
the outdoors are fun and stuff
Member since
3rd time using, hit some patches of spring snow. Pole broke w/o much pressure applied when putting in snow (they are light, I was gentle). Had used 2 times before this. I know they aren't for snow, but this was pretty mild. I wasn't a matter of torquing against the pole either.
Anyway - some people are luckier. If they broke that easily for me I know it was just a matter of time in regular hiking/climbing conditions. If you baby them I could see them lasting longer.
Pretty Nice
Scott Allred
Member since
I am not a huge trekking pole guy, but these were pretty nice. They are very light and don't wear your arms out after a long day of hiking. The handles did not give me any problems, but the wrist band felt a little cumbersome to me. They fold up pretty small so they are easy to carry when you are not using them, which is what I did. I mostly used them for downhill trips.
Write your question here...How easy is it...
vaughan snowdon
Member since
Write your question here...How easy is it to remove the basket off this pole and put on a ski basket?
Dave Marcus
Member since
BD pole tips are generally easy to work with. These, however, have permanent baskets. You can't remove the basket without taking the entire tip off. Take a look at some of their ski poles, like the Pure Carbon. (http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-pure-carbon-ski-pole) You get a similar, lightweight pole that can be used in snow but has a removable basket as well.
Black Diamond Ultra Distance Pole Review
Mark Parrett
Member since
These are the best
Chris
Member since
I stumbled upon this site and found these poles cost nearly $40 dollars less here. You will not find them cheaper anyware else. I guarantee you will not be dissapointed when you use them. Especially for ultra running which is my case. They are worth it.
Small wrist straps
Yung Lee
Member since
These poles only come with small/medium wrist straps. Great poles, but may not work for people with large hands.
Great poles but may need extra work for large hands
Yung Lee
Member since
I was really really looking forward to these poles. I won't waste your time talking about how light, how short when folded (my 110cm folds down to ~14.75" and the included mesh stow bag is about 18" although the slack can be folded over) and how easy it is to fold (and unfold them) these poles. It's everything I was looking for on a ultralight backpacking trip. Well, too bad the wrist straps were way too small for my hands. I have large hands (I wear mostly XL gloves - Hestra size 10s I wear), and the straps attached to my 110cm poles were small/medium! I could not get the strap to fold over enough to velcro it down. I chatted with Backcountry's online help, and found out all pole sizes come with small/medium wrist straps. What sadness.... Update: He (from Backcountry's online chat) suggested I contact BD directly, and they sent me a medium/large strap for free, which arrived in just couple of days! Upon closer inspection, it was pretty easy to swap out the straps. What gladness....!
great poles but a bit flimsy
sim2624229
Member since
Bought the poles. Love the weight and the Z-pole folding technology. Very easy to use. I've used them in some long ultras and found that they can bend easily (trade-off for weight so be careful) and I've nearly worn through the straps. Otherwise, I like them.
recommend
Jody Chase
Member since
I Have had the poles for a few months now. I love that they are sized to fit the height of the person. there are no clips or twisting to adjust the height. extremely light weight and an ease to strap onto my pack when I don't need them. i recommend them for trail running and fastpacking. excellent poles.
Best poles for traveling light and fast
Chris Boyack
Member since
If you want the lightest and fastest poles, these are the ones. If you want the most durable, the most adjustable, the most whatever - then look elsewhere. These poles are meant to be the lightest and most compact things around. There will be tradeoffs. I am very happy with mine, but I don't have unrealistic expectations of their durability, either. They are expensive, but I am very happy with the investment and have been very impressed with their design and versatility.
Light, but lacks durability
Waring82851478193
Member since
On my second short trip with these poles, I lost the carbide tip. On my fourth trip with these poles I snapped one in half at the aluminum sleeve between the second and third section. I will stick to my alpine carbon corks.
great poles, but...
James Harris
Member since
I have really liked these poles. I was weary when I bought these (carbon fiber) over the aluminum, fearing they would break; but, they have stood up to the abuse (I've broken 2 aluminum poles in the last 12 months but these guys have been studly). I totally dig how compact these are. I use Arc'teryx backpacks (tall) and I clip these suckers on the side compression straps when I don't need them. They NEVER stab me in the back of the knee or hit me in the back of the head. In fact, these fold up so small that all my backpacks are at least an inch longer. If I'm pushing it, or running, I will simply fold these up and keep them in my hands until I do need them: very effective. These poles are very light and have a generous grip length for hoofing it up steeps.
BUT... My one beef with this product is the lack of durability of the baskets; they are notched so they can attach to one of the other pole sections when folded. These notches worked great for a little while but after some exposure to scree they bent open a bit and consequently could no longer attach to another pole section. If these poles were $20-30 less I could forgive this, but since I shelled out $150 for the pair it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.
I want to use the poles for 100 mile runs...
Jay Greenfield
Member since
I want to use the poles for 100 mile runs with alot of elevation. I am 5'8"-5'9" so should I get the 110cm or the 120cm. Seems that that shorter ones would be better for uphill sections?
Pesten
Member since
Jay what length did You choose?
BD Ultra Distance Trekking Poles
Big Papa
Member since
Folded up in their storage sack next to a CamelBak 18x for scale.
View all contributions... Be patient, it might take a while.

Yung Lee
Member since