Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles – Carbon Fiber Strolling or Mountaineering Sticks with Fast Adjustable Locks

Great price, great poles, definitely worth the purchase!
For the price, I don’t know that you could do any better. I have buddies who spent 4 times what these cost on poles that are the same weight or even a little heavier. These poles are a little thicker than the Black Diamonds or Leki poles, but comparable in weight and feature set. The flip locks work great and are easy to adjust. The housings are a little bulky compared to more expensive poles, but at $40 I’m not complaining. The end section tends to slide out a little when the poles are fully compacted, because it tapers to the tip. It’s something I’ve noticed, but not something that has presented any kind of issue. When the poles are extended and locked in place, I have not had any slippage. I saw the cork handled version at Costco a couple years ago and wasn’t real impressed by the juctions between the cork and rubber (kind of rough and uneven), but the all rubber handles are great. They are very comfortable, and the extended grips are a great feature.I took the straps off mine as soon as I received them (I hate straps on my trekking poles, always have). I keep the mud baskets on the poles and leave the other accessories at home unless I think I’ll need them for the area/weather we’re heading into. You get a lot with this set: snow and mud baskets, feet for hard surfaces, knob feet, and even a clip to connect the poles together for storage (I don’t use it). The snow baskets have cutouts in them so the clip will work even with those baskets on.The total offering with these poles is great and the price point is unbelievable. To get poles this light at REI or any other brand retailers, you would pay $150 or more. This is a great value for great poles. They have held up well for me so far. Like any carbon fiber poles, you can’t be too rough with them. No matter how much you spend, carbon fiber is less durable than aluminum … and you have to treat them well. They have held up well for regular trail use and as supports for tents and tarps. If you find yourself sword fighting with each other or the wildlife, these poles will not hold up.

Good value. One odd flaw.
Test Case: I just hiked 4 days in Michigan’s Porcupine Mt.s, covering 32 miles and varying up and down 1800 ft of elevation. The terrain was very, very muddy, boggy, soggy, with some nice forest paths, some rocky trails up and down the escarpments and a fair number of streams and run offs to cross. But mostly boggy.Prior to this I used an older, heavier aluminum pole with a rubber foot. I like it a lot but it is heavy and I wanted to test a pole for two pole hiking. On this trip I used one pole, which is my preference for anything but off trail mountain hiking. Pro’s: They are indeed light, the locking mechanism stayed tight, the pole did not bend or break (I weigh 200, carry a 35 lb pack and I do lean on the thing). The pole is quiet, adds no noise. I really like the rubber extension of the hand grip. It provides a quick way to shift your use of the pole as terrain shifts or angles. I like the rubber grip better than the foam on my current pole, but I think good quality cork is best for cleanliness and lack of friction, though maybe not durability. The strap was easy to adjust and stayed as set. Cons: The locking mechanism is a little bulky; be careful how you line it up or it can rub as you walk. I was curious and a little worried about the angled rectangular rubber footer. However, it was fine. I am still not sure if it was a benefit, but it wasn’t a problem…until it came off. The mud, or a hidden root sucked it off the pole. I do not like hiking with the spike tip. It goes into the soil (bad for the environment and bad for balance) and it’s a little dangerous. It may be good for ice and snow, but not for uncovered ground. That was the major flaw and it is significant to me. I guess that I will have to order more footers and I can carry spares, but I count ounces when I backpack.Overall, I will always hike with a pole, it’s a lifesaver in many situations. This one is light, seems sturdy adjusts fine, but the footer is a weakness. Make it a screw on. Also, add a camera mount to one pole in the set. It’s worth the weight.

Tienen buena calidad, lo malo es que las extensiones se bajan si te apoyas mucho sobre ellos, aun así aguantan súper bien para salidas de hike avanzadas … sigo sin encontrarle un uso a los accesorios adicionales.

Bought for my wife and she is quite happy. They are indeed a combination of light weight and sturdiness. Easy to adjust the height and tighten the locks (there is a third party online table of recommended height). Nice looking too – slick “carbon” profile.Cork grips – huge positive (she is not a big fan of synthetic vs skin, to say the least). Price tag is much lower than that of the “big names”, but she tried one of those and didn’t find any difference in terms of performance or overall quality. Will see how they perform in the long run, but so far so good. I would strongly recommend this product.