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Along those same lines: We really believe the three-piece telescoping mechanism is more prone to come a bit loose on the trail, requiring further adjustment.
And fundamentally, we think that more parts often mean more potential problems. It's great to see newer poles moving away from that standard, into fewer pieces with simpler mechanics. Still, the Montem brand is tough to beat. But the poles that were the simplest in every way, from their setup to their overall stripped-down look, the poles that every tester agreed were extraordinarily comfortable, not just by virtue of being so light but by having a great, slightly squishy grip, the poles that everyone eventually fought over, were the Gossamer Gear LT5 Carbon Trekking Poles.
In addition to being sturdy and feeling great, they ranked as our top-rated set in the usability category. The new LT5 poles now have two adjustment points, whereas previously there were none.
This change allows them to collapse from 51 inches when fully extended down to Overall, Gossamer Gear seems to be providing a better value than previously, without sacrificing the quality of the pole. But a stripped-down approach turns out to be exactly right for making a trekking pole. The biggest complaint and mark against every other model we tested was that they had too much going on—too many adjustment locks or an excessively complicated strap, a weird handle shape, or a tip or basket system that was overly tricky.
Instead of flick locks, those poles have a twist mechanism to adjust their height. The LT5 design has exactly two parts: the tip section that hits the ground, and the grip section that sits in your hand. The tip section screws into the grip section.
The grip, too, is a stripped-down compromise that manages to feel just right. Gossamer calls the material, a cork-like foam, Kork-o-lon. In our tests, it soaked up palm sweat better than cork, and it has begun to age and warp into my specific grip with time.
The poles also float, and you can extend them up to centimeters, not for hiking but to pop up a tarp for shelter another feature for ultralight hikers. It does not cover failure due to the durability of its carbon fiber, and carbon fiber can break more easily than aluminum. Gossamer is very up front with the limitations of carbon fiber.
The company has excellent customer service and is clearly dedicated to getting things right. Maybe you need to fit one in a small summit pack. Unlike our other picks, this model is a tent-style pole. It has one flick lock adjustment near the handle, and the rest of the pole, nearer the ground, breaks apart into two pieces, held together by an internal cord, like—yes—tentpoles.
In our tests it was off-putting to a lot of the trekking-pole newbies, this system, but after a few setups and takedowns, it was a snap.
The poles themselves are made of aluminum, and the grips are made of cork, which we liked. Even if you already have a pair of poles and are happy with them, we recommend trying some tips, both to improve grip and to lengthen the life of your poles. If you are Nordic walking: Consider the Leki Instructor Lite , which come with grips and handles especially well suited to that activity. The differences between Nordic walking and a basic hike are subtle but important enough to matter.
Nordic walking is slightly more aerobic than typical pole-walking. It looks a bit more like cross-country skiing without skis—longer poles, larger arm motion, and a lot of work for your shoulders and triceps—and is known to increase heart rate, blood flow, and oxygen consumption. As a result, it tends to burn more calories and helps strengthen your upper body while lessening the impact on your lower joints.
Leki is a German company that specializes in poles and almost nothing but poles aside from folding chairs, which really are just a series of poles, when you think about it. The outstanding aspect of the Leki Instructor Lite is the grip strap and handle, which the company calls the Trigger Shark. These poles also ranked among our top picks for their clever, easy-to-use adjustment mechanism, as well as their simple, two-part design—the upper section is aluminum, and the lower section is a carbon composite, giving each stick a nice, slightly top-heavy weight overall.
We tested a huge range of poles from the two biggest manufacturers, Black Diamond and Leki, as well as a very cheap and best-selling model on Amazon from Bearios.
All of them were well-reviewed elsewhere and worked pretty well for us in general. Still, following are the reasons why we ultimately dismissed some of the models we tested.
They collapsed sometimes, and required extra fussing to stay locked and pole-like. But generally these were lighter and stiffer when everything worked.
And Daniel Burka brought firsthand expertise as an entrepreneur to ensure every step made sense in the real world. The Design Sprint The sprint gives teams a shortcut to learning without building and launching. Basic sprint resources The book is a complete hour-by-hour guide to running your sprint. Tuesday After a full day of understanding the problem and choosing a target for your sprint, on Tuesday, you get to focus on solutions.
Wednesday By Wednesday morning, you and your team will have a stack of solutions. Thursday On Wednesday, you and your team created a storyboard. Friday Your sprint began with a big challenge, an excellent team—and not much else.
Your sprint story If you run a sprint, let us know!
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