For the 1st time, after having used hundreds of pieces of outdoor equipment for backpacking, climbing, fly fishing, biking, skiing, etc., this old mountain goat feels inspired enough to submit a glowing review! First off, I stubbornly shunned the advice of backpacking friends over the last 5 years to give trekking poles a whirl!. Stubborn goat! Heading into my 52nd year, I've proudly humped 70-lb. pack on annual (29 and counting) 9-day backpacking trips into Wind River Range of Wyoming that typically cover 50-70 miles.

This year I capitulated, did some research and purchased Black Diamond Contour Elliptic Shock Poles (BDCESTPs from here on out!) from Backcountry.com. Wow, did they perform!! In particular, their locking mechanism and swing weight. I've seen other models of trekking poles fail friends, with not good results!! BDCESTPs were far superior to what I've observed and briefly demo'd in the past! Stout and lightweight and, again, the swing weight made for fingertip control. I estimate 20% energy savings over the long haul! Well, I felt 10-years younger after 70-miles of trekking anyway!

So, to all the other stubborn mountain goats out there, pick up a pair of BDCESTPs and experience backpacking stress relief nirvana! I particularly felt confident on downhill rocky paths, stream crossings and much easier way to pull weight on steep uphills (easier than grabbing rocks, vegetation, pressing hands on thighs). I never felt like BDCESTPs were going to fail. Finally, very fast and convenient to change length to longer on steep downhills and to shorter on steep uphills. An extra pair of legs that you can depend on!!!