LEKI Makalu Lite COR-TEC Pole Pair

We have been sharing a pair of trekking poles we purchased a couple of decades ago, from Camp Mor. They are the ball locking type that have seemed to disapear from trekking poles. I have had experience in gardening tools that use these friction locks that they use now. I am not a fan of them. I received these Leki poles and adusted them and them weight tested them. Pole slipped. I then used the knurled adjustment knob, turning it just about a quarter turn, no slip. I purchased Leki bacause of my mistrust of friction locks, but I figured if anyone could make a good lock, Leki could. I will be testing these soon as we live in a place where there is abundant wildlands to explore. I purchased a second pair as sometimes I like to use both. The closest we get to hiking trails is when we use wild animal's trails Here is where two sticks are better. You are going down a hard surace with loose gravel on it. You put your stick down directly in from of you to keep from slipping. the tendency is to lean backwards, this is a no no, but a natural inclination. Guess what happen, yes, you fall backward on your derrier. With two, you can put one in front of you and one behind you. It is easy when hiking in wilderness to trip on a rock, so using two is a good idea for safety. You don't want to fall in a remote location needing medical attention. These trekking poles are lighter weight than my old ones, but also not as rigid, as these have a smaller diameter.Took our first hike with these poles. They did not slip and we hike cross country over hills rocks through washes. I think the wrist straps are too thin and the much lauded cork composite handles are over rated. My old poles that were less than half the price of these , had a little larger diameter with more notches for your fingers. I guess in manufacturer's quest to make these things lighter, they have taken shortcuts. Don't get me wrong, these poles held up and I was tempted by the much less expensive versions here on Amazon. But in the end, these won out for me because of all the poor ratings on the others. The purpose of these poles is for you to keep your balance and even catch you if you slip or start to fall. This obsession with weight is ok if you are going on the Pacific Rim Trail with a giant backpack for several days. Those of us that go on arduous hikes cross country we care more about sturdiness for safety's sake.I tip for novices, keep your poles on the low side of your travel. I have loaned a friend one of my poles and they are hiking downhill with the pole to their side, wrong, put it out in front of you. If there is a drop off to your right put it in your right hand, you get it, keep safe.

These trekking poles are superb! At just over a pound (17 oz) they are light enough for all day use! I love the cork handles and how they keep the sweat from gunking up your hands while using them. They have the telescoping shaft they have easy adjustable locks so they won’t move on you while hiking.

The matching bag they advise and sell for these sticks is twice the length of the collapsed sticks.Stick are comfortable to walk with. Gives good Nordic workout on any trail.

Like everything about these. I'm 6'3" and weight 230#.

Love my new trekking poles. They work great.

I bought these for my wife at Mountain Crossings in Georgia several trips ago, and she will be the first to tell you, I have a very abd habit of stealing them from her and leaving our older, also good, pair of Eatons behind. They are just amazing comfortable, and the locking system just works. These are the poles to get and they will never let you down.