Trekking Poles
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Black Diamond Alpine Carbon
Backcountry.com Link for excellent product info and FREE SHIPPING
Price- $229.95
Weight- ~17.1 oz/pair (486 grams)
I bought my pair in 2020 after trashing numerous other poles, and thousands of miles later, they're still going strong. I subject these poles to some serious abuse—I've skied with them, snowshoed with them, and hiked countless rugged, off-trail miles.
Cork is my preferred handle material, it doesn't get slippery or slimy when wet or sweaty, and just has a great feel in your hand, mile after mile after mile...
Theses poles have been used to pitch various shelters, at least 400 times, they are used night and day and the carbon fiber shows zero strain.
Mine have acquired a nice patina of scratches after years of heavy use, and I've had to fill a few missing pieces of cork with epoxy and recently I used tennis grip tape to rewrap one of the handles, but none of it has affected their performance. They are worth every penny of the investment, especially if you plan to use them for years.
The Good- The high-quality carbon fiber construction and aluminum quick locks inspire incredible confidence and are built to last. They pack down small when fully collapsed, offer a great range of adjustment (100–130cm), and feature reliable tungsten tips that hold tight to tiny granite bumps and cracks when scrambling through boulder fields or talus. Additionally, the parts are highly modular; I've easily replaced the tips and lower segments over the years to keep them going.
The Bad- They are a premium piece of gear with a high upfront price tag. While the cork handles feel great, they can pit or lose small chunks over years of intense sweat and trail abuse, requiring a bit of DIY maintenance to smooth back out.
The original "flex-tips" could snap, especially if jammed between two boulders. This happened to me in Arizona in 2023 and I ended up lodging a small rock in the bottom pole segment, eventually causing it to split, but still enduring about another 400 miles of abuse first. Ultimately, I replaced the lower pole segment and the tips have now been upgraded to their "tech tips" and I can't even wear out the tungsten point on these.
(Seen here next to a Pink Teddy Bear Cholla while thru-hiking the Grand Enchantment Trail.)
Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber
Price- ~$64.95
Weight- ~16.0 oz (pair)
These poles are a reliable and budget-friendly choice. Their relatively low price point belies their quality carbon fiber build. They still feature a natural cork grip and three segment construction allowing for a large range of adjustment.
They're the only poles Bugs has ever used, and they hold up incredibly well over time.
The Good- An exceptionally approachable price point for a genuine, lightweight carbon fiber construction. They provide fantastic long-term durability that can handle the rigors of rugged thru-hiking, only requiring routine tip replacements as they wear down over the miles but even this is very dependent on the user and they last a lot longer for Bugs than they did for me.
The Bad- They lack some of the ultra-premium refinements and heavy-duty hardware (like aluminium locks) found on top-tier $200+ poles, but their price-to-performance ratio makes them tough to beat.
(Used by Bugs fording the Little Colorado River in the depths of the Grand Canyon while on the Hayduke.)
