Hiking Poles....
| Author | Date | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Malone | Feb 1 2016, 9:40pm | Any tips/advice for hiking poles? Looking at a pair of: leki micro vario carbon. But mainly because they were the lightest set in the shop... never used a set running before so if any of you have any help/suggestions that would be sound! Cheers. |
| Pól Ó Murchú | Feb 1 2016, 10:09pm | Yes...from someone who has been through about 6 sets of poles...the lightest/most expensive pair are also the easiest to break...Depending on what you are doing and what other gear you have to carry there may not really be a need to spend twice the price for a set the are marginally lighter that said there are obvious benefits to lighter poles but I've found having a slightly sturdier/heavier set largely out ways the benefits of having an extremely light broken set... |
| Caroline Bidet | Feb 1 2016, 11:57pm | I have two pairs of Leki poles including the Leki Vario. I have used them for years for both hiking/trekking/backpacking and also for long distance/ultra running. I can only say good things about them in terms of quality and after-sale customer service too. The Leki Vario are relatively light but way on the heavier side in their category - there are much ligther carbon poles around! The advantage of the Vario is that they are adjustable through a quick lock and, to a lesser extent, more rugged than some of the lighter carbon models. Their main downside - aside for the slightly heavier weight - is pretty much their price! Just like most gear they do go on sale though and can be found at price much lower than the RRP. IMO, very good poles if you want something that work well for both running and hiking in terrains with steep inclines. That said, if I had to buy poles only for hiking I'd go for a pair of aluminum poles: they are heavier but generally cheaper and can take a lot more beating than the carbon ones - some models can be used for snow-showing - or even XC skiing - if you replace the basket! Another factor that weighs on the price, aside from the quality of the design and materials, is the locking mechanism. Long story short: quick lock types are generally more expensive. They are great because they allow you to adjust the poles on the fly and tend to require less maintenance (at least in terms of cleaning) but they probably loosen up more easily and can make the pole collapse unexpectedly from time to time. The "screw locking" types tend to sell cheaper but can be a pain to adjust, especially if you need to adjust them quickly. There are hybrid models which use a quick lock and a screw lock on two separate pole sections respectively. I could be wrong but IIRC there are running poles that cannot be adjusted and sell in different sizes. As for running with them, I started using poles for hiking so when I tried to use them for running it wasn't completely unnatural but it did take some getting used to. There are pros and cons, many of which are subjective. I probably owe my poles for saving a few lower leg or knee injuries over the years and they have also helped me avoid or at least delay the onset of of knee pain over medium and long distances. I tend not to use them over short and medium distances, especially if on trail, unless my legs are very tired to begin with. Over long distances or off trail in uneven terrain with holes, I make sure to bring them along as IMHO they are just great to have! Hope that helps! |
| Mark Malone | Feb 2 2016, 12:11pm | Thanks Pol and Caroline. That's some great advice. You seem to have quite an expensive hobby there with breaking poles Pol... if you were from where i'm from people might question if you're using them for running with or beating lads with... :P I hope to use them for the CCC injuries permitting. Seems like it could be a trail and error to find my fit. Carbon / aluminum. Any recommendations on brands apart from Leki? |
| Paolo Girolami | Feb 2 2016, 1:32pm | Hi Mark, if you plan to use them for long distance running. There are many brands. Aside from LEKI, you have an Austrian brand called http://www.komperdell.com that make high-quality poles - not sure if anything suitable for ultrarunning. Black Diamond also make several types of poles and they had a couple of models used for ultrarunning or at least by ultrarunners. There are several other brands but I'm not familiar with them. While aluminum is more rugged or durable than carbon and it may bend but it is less likely to break, from my experience carbon poles don't break easily. I've practically fallen on my Leki Micro Vario while stuck into the ground and to this day they still look new or at least definitely newer than me after taking a fall... : ) If you plan in using them for the CCC, I would check what people use for this type of races. I'm kind of curious too to see what other brands people use for running aside from Leki and BD. PS: the answer from Caroline is actually from me. Yesterday she used my laptop to sign up for a race and when I replied to your question I didn't realized she was still logged in. |
| Diarmuid O'Colmain | Feb 3 2016, 9:28am | I'd recommend poles with a clip to lock them at the right length rather than the type you screw loose to adjust. And I have bent a number of aluminium poles but not damaged carbon poles yet. |
| Douglas Barry | Feb 3 2016, 2:50pm | Hiking poles can be very dangerous to self, and other, when running down steep descents, and don't always help in certain situations. Check this link... http://i.imgur.com/2SvpTAA.gifv |
