TL;DR - Hiking poles are really helpful and make hiking easier.
I've never thought I needed hiking poles because I know how to walk and I don't have any trouble doing it.
Still, when I was out with Matt @theesotericone on our attempt at the summit of Mt. Tom, he had a set of poles and ended up lending me one to make some hiking on the unforgiving terrain just a little bit easier. And boy, I was shocked at how much easier it was to hike - even with a single pole!
So, as soon as I got home - hoping it'd make hiking twice as easy - I ordered myself a pair. I went with the poles he recommended - Black Diamond Distance Z Carbon Fiber - because:
- I wanted something lightweight and durable.
- Matt mentioned that the slightly less expensive aluminum version bent easily.
- I knew that I didn't want telescoping poles, because I didn't want the clamps to get caught on rocks, bushes, or my clothing as I was hiking.
First Impressions
I've only used the poles on two hikes so far, but they've been great.
Pros
- By transferring just a little weight to my arms over the course of a multi-hour hike, I'm significantly less tired when I return.
- More importantly, they significantly reduce the importance of being completely balanced on my feet, providing a lot of stability, and allowing me to focus on moving with my feet and balancing with the poles. Not that I felt like I would fall over before I had poles, but it's a nice perk!
- The tips have great grip on nearly every surface. I can place the tip on a reasonably smooth, slanted rock surface and confidently put many pounds of force onto the pole. The first time I did this, I wondered if it would hold, and I was surprised when it did. Now, I do it all the time.
- They're light. They're also - and I want it on the record that this is a real bullet point in a real gear review - pretty. Don't judge me, I judge myself plenty.
Cons
- My hands aren't free when I'm hiking. I don't know if this will be an issue long term, but I'm so used to having my hands free that it's a little weird to have to figure out what to do with the pole if I need to use a hand for something else.
- Taking photos is harder - again, this gets back to the free hands issue.
- The wrist straps are too small. I'm a small(er) guy, and I can barely get the straps over my hands and onto my wrists. When I do, I don't feel like I can position my hands in all the ways I'd want to on the poles, so I just don't use the wrist straps.
More to come once I've had the chance to attempt snapping one in half on a boulder like the graceful, coordinated hiking machine I am. Stay tuned.
