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Originally Posted by snubbie
Originally Posted by Bear_in_Fairbanks
I don't care what anyone says, I think they're a waste of money. Use a walking stick? For sure. Cut the damn thing in the woods. If necessary, cut it at home & then take it with you.
Bear in Fairbanks


You've mentioned this several times. Why don't you go to Wallyworld, gamble $15 and try them out. If you hate them, give 'em to the local boy scouts, heck you're out $15 and proved your point.

If you REALLY try them out I bet you'll soon be shopping for some "better" ones.



1. I don't shop Wallyworld.
2. Ya gets what ya pays for.
3. I knew I'd snap somebody's undies with that comment.
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Tried some out after reading this post. I had previously figured they were just hippy gear, but after seeing that some whose opinions I trust are using them I thought I'd give them a shot. I had a set of cheap Cabelas poles that came with a set of snowshoes. After having used them for about 5 hours of showshoeing yesterday, I can say that I am a fan. No mountains over here, but steep hillsides were much more easily traversed and overall exertion seemed lower. Now to get a set with adjustment that is more reliable.

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Originally Posted by AB2506
Black Diamond. Can't remember the model. Elliptically shaped. Designed for heavy guys like me. Used them since 2007. Great poles.

AB2506:

I have been considering a set of Black Diamond trekking poles, and I would sure like to know which model you are happy with since there is a wide range in prices.

If you CLICK HERE, you will see that Black Diamond makes 4 different eliptical trekking poles.

Could I trouble you to click the link and see if you can identify the poles that you have, then post back here to let me (and perhaps others) know please?

Thanks in advance,

John

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I see that Black Diamonds are 'elliptical'. Does that help reduce wind resistance for high speed elk chases? grin


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It keeps the different sections from rotating inside another.


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Originally Posted by Bear_in_Fairbanks
Originally Posted by snubbie
Originally Posted by Bear_in_Fairbanks
I don't care what anyone says, I think they're a waste of money. Use a walking stick? For sure. Cut the damn thing in the woods. If necessary, cut it at home & then take it with you.
Bear in Fairbanks


You've mentioned this several times. Why don't you go to Wallyworld, gamble $15 and try them out. If you hate them, give 'em to the local boy scouts, heck you're out $15 and proved your point.

If you REALLY try them out I bet you'll soon be shopping for some "better" ones.



1. I don't shop Wallyworld.
2. Ya gets what ya pays for.
3. I knew I'd snap somebody's undies with that comment.
B.I.F.




yep

Last edited by snubbie; 01/14/13.

Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

Originally Posted by Calvin
As far as gear goes.. The poorer (or cheaper) you are, the tougher you need to be.


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Costco recently had trekkers similar to my Cabela's for about $25 I think. I know the shock absorbers sound like a gimmic or weak link, but I like them. Are poles noisy? Not as noisy as me faling down the damn hill. If you need poles you are making noise anyway. If you don't you can fold them up and pack them.


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Been hunting and "cutting sticks" for 30 years. Didn't buy a pair till this year, and it was money well spent. To each their own. Easy to get around fast in rocky cliffs and a backpack in 4WD, easy to skip across wet rocks and tangled deadfall while crossing a creek with a heavy pack and poles. I spent around 40 days using my poles this year, a relief of a purchase, long overdue. Also saw a guy fold over a [bleep] brand new pair in 4 hrs, first time using them.

I don't care what anybody says.. laugh

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Originally Posted by Talus_in_Arizona
Costco recently had trekkers similar to my Cabela's for about $25 I think. I know the shock absorbers sound like a gimmic or weak link, but I like them. Are poles noisy? Not as noisy as me faling down the damn hill. If you need poles you are making noise anyway. If you don't you can fold them up and pack them.


I have these too and like them.


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Originally Posted by snubbie
Originally Posted by Bear_in_Fairbanks
Originally Posted by snubbie
Originally Posted by Bear_in_Fairbanks
I don't care what anyone says, I think they're a waste of money. Use a walking stick? For sure. Cut the damn thing in the woods. If necessary, cut it at home & then take it with you.
Bear in Fairbanks


You've mentioned this several times. Why don't you go to Wallyworld, gamble $15 and try them out. If you hate them, give 'em to the local boy scouts, heck you're out $15 and proved your point.

If you REALLY try them out I bet you'll soon be shopping for some "better" ones.



1. I don't shop Wallyworld.
2. Ya gets what ya pays for.
3. I knew I'd snap somebody's undies with that comment.
B.I.F.




yep


I mostly agree with BIF. I'm not a big user of poles myself, and really only take them in ski / snow shoe type conditions. I have used them many times for testing purposes, and always found myself trying to convince someone else they would really like some poles to help them along, because for me I'm more than ok without them. Below treeline if I felt I needed something for balance, I'd grab a branch 9 out of 10 times.


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This year was my first using poles, I went with black diamond ellepticals with the shocks. Not sure the shocks do a lot, but I'm very happy with them. Really saw the benefit when I was coming out of some canyons this spring while bear hunting with all my camping gear, when you're tired and in the steep they really helped. Just picked up a set of powder baskets for them to get a little better use out of them while snow shoeing.

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I've never used them, but I do use poles for hunting pheasants on snowshoes and skiing of course.

What does a set of these poles have going for themselves that a good ski pole doesn't?


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If you pick up a stick in the woods, you're getting what you paid for. It's big in the hand and heavy. To get a stick with strength equal to even a cheap pole, it's going to be big. For max strength, it also needs to be fresh so you get pitch on your hands and it's heavier yet.
There's no way you can compare a wood stick to even a cheap pole.


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I hiked with a "stick" for 8 miles one time on a nasty trail. I had a gnarly blister on my hand when I got back to the trailhead. There are a lot of sticks in the woods but I can never find that perfect one. A thick straight chunk of alder works pretty good if you shape it up with your knife but its heavy and does not have a carbide tip. I am just not badass enough to use a stick all day.

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Originally Posted by BrentD
I've never used them, but I do use poles for hunting pheasants on snowshoes and skiing of course.

What does a set of these poles have going for themselves that a good ski pole doesn't?


I'd say adjustability. Going steep downhill you can lengthen the trekkking poles and likewise shorten going uphill. Though not ideal, I believe ski poles are usable. I'd choose them over a stick.
Another plus to a pole over a stick is the wrist strap. It can be used as additional weight bearing support and when glassing the straps allow the pole to simply hang from the wrists. No need to lean your stick against a tree or your leg.


Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

Originally Posted by Calvin
As far as gear goes.. The poorer (or cheaper) you are, the tougher you need to be.


gpopecustomknives.com


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I've used ski poles and they do work. The baskets get in the way, though, as they catch on brush & stuff. As Snubbie said, the adjustability of real poles is worth the money.

When I'm hunting I don't use the wrist strap. If I have a fast shot, I won't want to be messing with getting it off my wrist. I save the straps for when I'm hauling a load.


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I haven't read the entire post so forgive me if I repeat others.
Trips to Alaska proved to be the merit of at least one "stick" as I met a range called the Chugach. Since then one pole has been with me all the time. That has been carried over down in the lower 48 when elk hunting out west.

I just returned from a snowy and cold New Mexico hunt (posted in the Elk Hunting section). There I used two collapsible "sticks" with baskets. We encountered snow depths up to two feet and at various layers of compaction. Two sticks give better balance on snowshoes - at least for me. The collapsible feature is important in whatever weather yo are in cause different terrain, ie. going up or down demand a different stick length.

My AK guide carries a collapsible ice trekking pole. The little pick end has a variety of uses such as digging for a water seep, carving out a foothold and clearing the rocky ground for a smoother tenting spot.

You can buy expensive ultra light sticks if you want. But standard much cheaper sticks are plenty good.


Last edited by bigwhoop; 01/16/13.

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Originally Posted by snubbie
Originally Posted by BrentD
I've never used them, but I do use poles for hunting pheasants on snowshoes and skiing of course.

What does a set of these poles have going for themselves that a good ski pole doesn't?


I'd say adjustability. Going steep downhill you can lengthen the trekkking poles and likewise shorten going uphill. Though not ideal, I believe ski poles are usable. I'd choose them over a stick.
Another plus to a pole over a stick is the wrist strap. It can be used as additional weight bearing support and when glassing the straps allow the pole to simply hang from the wrists. No need to lean your stick against a tree or your leg.


I buy extra tall XC ski poles that I come across at yard sales, usually for less than 5 bucks/pr. Wrapping the pole with paracord below the molded grips allows gripping the pole at whatever height needed for the terrain. No real need for adjustability. The baskets are easily removable when not needed. Tying the two poles together top and bottom with several lengths of skinny bicycle inner tube makes a stiff hiking staff. Removing the lower tie makes a passable set of shooting sticks. Pretty versatile for what it is. I did pay 10 bucks for the last pair of Finnish made, high end XC ski poles. They are constructed of carbon fiber and light as feathers.

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I've got a garage full of regular ski poles. If I'm going to use a trekking pole, it's going to be extra light, stronger and more adjustable. Climbing a verticle rockslide with long poles is retarded, as would be crating out 150lbs with a armload of head/antler. I wouldn't pack an extra lb of poles unless they were the cat's ass. Otherwise, I agree break a stick.
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Those are some great pics GH!

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