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A reliable pair of trekking poles is a beautiful thing. They make uphill hikes seem less strenuous, ease pressure on your knees on the downhill, and are a beautifully multi-functional piece of gear. What’s more, a good pair from a sustainably-minded brand will also be repairable. That means you can invest in a quality pair, fix them if small parts or pieces like clips or sections break, and keep using them for years to come (compared to cheap poles that break and you’ll probably have to replace in a few seasons if you’re an avid hiker).
So if you’re in the market for an ultralight pair of trekking poles you’re ready to love for the foreseeable future, try one of these on for size and hike happy.
Fixed Length vs Adjustable Trekking Poles
But first things first: When searching for the perfect pair of ultralight trekking poles, you’ll likely come across four main kinds (five if you count fixed trail running poles, which we don’t): fixed length and adjustable, both of which may come in folding or telescoping varieties.
Adjustable poles may fold or telescope and have at least one locking mechanism that allows you to adjust the length of the pole to suit your needs. Here’s why that’s important:
- Allows greater adjustment when you’re hiking uphill vs downhill (poles should be shortened when hiking up and lengthened when going down)
- Let’s you share poles with friends or family who may be taller or shorter (Josh and I regularly split up a pair and use one each or lend them to hiking buddies)
- Makes them more versatile when it comes to using ultralight tents that pitch via trekking poles (fixed poles are often too short)
Fixed Length poles sometimes have a few centimeters of adjustment built in, but not enough to make up for height disparities between users. What’s more, many don’t extend enough to use with trekking-pole pitched UL tents, which means you may have a floppy tent. But here’s where they excel:
- They are often a bit lighter (there’s no additional adjustment hardware to weigh them down)
- They can sometimes be slightly more compact
- They’re fast and easy to deploy (no locking mechanisms or telescoping pole measurements to fiddle with)
Telescoping trekking poles are often easy to deploy and offer a wide range of adjustability, which is nice if you and a friend or partner may be sharing a pair of poles and are radically different heights. Or if you like to use your poles to prop up extra tall ultralight tents or tarps on a rainy day.
Folding trekking poles tend to deploy even faster and fold up smaller (which is nice if you’re trying to fit them in your luggage when flying). They are sometimes lighter, too, since they don’t have as many latches or locking mechanisms. But they don’t tend to be as adjustable as they usually only have one adjustable section instead of two like on telescoping poles. That means you may have to pay close attention to their size range when buying and whether the poles are available in multiple sizes.
Which you choose is up to you, but if you need trekking poles to pitch your tent, the choice is clear: get adjustable poles or suffer the consequences. And that, friends, is why all of the poles we tested and included below are adjustable and ultralight tent compatible.
How to Use Trekking Pole Wrist Straps
If you’ve ever wondered which way you’re supposed to put your hands through trekking pole wrist straps, you’re not alone. The good news is that if you’ve been doing it “wrong” until now, there’s no harm done. But the most comfortable and effective way to use a trekking pole wrist strap is to slide your hand upward through the bottom of the loop (not downward through the top). When the strap is secure around the heel of your hand, but not tight, this allows you to increase the power and stability with which you push down on the pole because the strap is supporting your hand better.
That said, plenty of folks, us included, often hike without using the wrist strap. Some site safety issues if they were to fall as a concern, but on the flip side, you’re more likely to drop them down a cliff if you don’t use a strap. Either approach is valid, so do what makes you feel most comfortable.
Diorite Gear Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles
Weight (per pole): 9.8 oz / 277 g (cork), 7.4 oz / 210 g (foam)
Price: $190 (cork), $180 (foam)
While these poles may not be quite as light as other options, they do have the dreamiest locking mechanisms of any poles we’ve ever tried. They’re buttery-smooth, stupendously easy to flip open and closed, and are easily adjustable with the turn of a nut (which you can do with just your fingers). Plus they’re sturdy, made of carbon fiber, and are available in two handle options: natural cork and foam (the latter is slightly lighter). Parts and pieces are replaceable, meaning you can replace a whole section, a broken lock or lever, or the whole handle. That makes them supremely repairable, which is what Diorite wants: for these to be the last poles you’ll ever buy. Indeed, after several season of use, the only signs of wear are some marmot teeth marks on the cork handle (and that’s our fault for leaving them outside the tent in marmot country…). We’ll trade a few extra grams for more extreme repairability any day.
Gossamer Gear LT5 Trekking Poles
Weight (per pole): 4.9 oz / 139 g
Price: $195
These are some of our favorite trekking poles for one reason: they’re some of the most ultralight trekking poles on the market. Plus they’re still super functional thanks to three-section construction that helps them collapse tolerably small. They feature twist locks, which we found easy to use, but not the most durable. After two season of use we found we needed to replace one on each pole. But since the locking mechanism is permanently attached to its corresponding pole section, you can’t just replace a small locking mechanism; you have to purchase a whole replacement section, which means more material going to landfills when the plastic cracks and the locks no longer hold sections tight. So we love these for how ultralight they are, but know that repairs will be costlier than with some other models (and the poles already aren’t a budget item at $200 for the pair).
Leki Skyterra FX Carbon SL Trekking Poles
Weight (per pole): 6.3 oz / 180 g
Price: $209
The Leki Skyterra trekking poles might be our new favorites because they’re a lovely marriage of light weight and easy functionality. They’re adjustable (110-130cm regular, 100-120cm compact) so you can dial in the perfect length for a range of hikers and adjust them for uphill and downhill hikes. The wrist grips aren’t padded, but they’re wide and breathable. The foam grips are ergonomic for max comfort on long hikes and a bit narrower than other options, making them a good choice for those with smaller hands. Plus the compact 40cm collapsed length fits easily in your pack or side water bottle pocket.
The poles use a green anodization process to reduce chemical use and water, but they’re also repairable. If something breaks, you can order pretty much every individual part from Leki to keep your poles in play (and some money in your wallet since you won’t have to buy a whole new pair). If you don’t see the part on the website, just send an email to customer service and they’ll get you the part you need. On the downside, they don’t come with any accessories like baskets or rubber feet, so if you want those, like when snowshoeing, you’ll have to buy them separately.
TSL Carbon Connect 5
Weight (per pole): 8 oz / 227 g
Price: $180
We love a folding adjustable pole that offers quick deployment and still lets us dial in the perfect fit. It offers a decent range of sizing, but extra short or tall testers may want to double-check the poles will suit. These poles do just that. Plus, you can choose from several available features, including the handle style and how accessories attach to the tip. We tested the long foam handle, which is just a few grams heavier than the light version of the grip and very comfy and soft in-hand. We also recommend the Push & Pull tips instead of the swing tips because they’re easier to use when swapping out baskets and such. That said, one of the locking mechanisms broke after about two years of use, so they may not be as durable. That said, TSL does offer replacement parts so you can swap damaged components quickly and easily.
They also come with a hand wrap instead of traditional wrist strap that magnetically fastens to the handle and releases with the push of a button. We mostly found that feature helpful when frequently lifting our cameras to take photos, but that’s about it. That said, we tested a version with a traditional wrist strap, not the more secure hand wrap, which would be harder to slide your hand in and out of.
Bottom Line
A solid pair of ultralight trekking poles is a good investment if you hike or backpack often. They can help you hike more efficiently, take some pressure off your knees on the downhill, prevent the dreaded sausage fingers by keeping your hands partially elevated, and serve double-duty as tent poles. Of course, you don’t need an expensive pair–read our article comparing cheap vs expensive trekking poles–but I will say the more I hike with a high quality, ultralight pair, the less I want to use anything else.
So decide what style you like (folding or telescoping), how adjustable you need them to be, how compact they need to collapse, then invest in a repairable pair that will be with you for many, many hikes to come. Wander on.
