My savior on the trail

By Steve Masters Ranked #36 - Snowshoes August 29, 2009

Just finished 25+ days on the Long Trail in Vermont with this poles. I purchased these poles for BD flicklock system and for the extended hand grips for steep climbs.

These poles were amazing on the trail. Aside from the standard advantages of trekking poles (better balance and stability on tough terrain, probing the depth of a mud pit), these BD poles were great. First, the flicklock system worked without a single slip, despite some heavy abuse to avoid muddy terrain and steep descents. Second, on steeper uphill climbs, I could slide my hands down to the lower grip positions to keep truckin' uphill without having to adjust my poles. The poles held up well over 270+ miles, and only developing one small bend as I slipped and slid down a rock slab (was caught in a tree root). The bend is VERY MINIMAL, the pole still works well, is a slight bit sticky to collapse, but still does fully function. Not really a defect of the pole, user error. But even in difficult conditions, these poles held up well.

The only problem I ran into is with the wrist strap. I used them on and off for about 100 miles, then rarely used them afterwards. After about 200 miles, I noticed that the stitching on one of the wrist straps started unraveling. I stopped using the wrist straps for the last 70 miles, and the stitching continued to deteriorate. I'm going to call BD to see what they can do, and I'll let you know how it goes.

View Details: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Pole

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