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Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair

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The Black Diamond Trail Shock trekking poles combine a new shock system, double FlickLock adjustability and narrow diameter in an ultralight design for year-round versatility.

Shock technology absorbs light strikes and hard hits and controls rebound
3-section poles provide patented FlickLock adjustability with zero-slip security
Ultralight, narrow aluminum shafts reduce swing weight without reducing strength
Simply flick the lock open, set the length and flick the lock closed—a quick, tight and easily accomplished task, even with gloved hands
Soft foam grips and extensions have 360° padded wrist straps for security
The Black Diamond Trail Shock poles come with baskets and long flex tips for enhanced traction in scree and mud

Imported.

Item 798296

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Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair

4.9

(based on 22 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Easy to adjust (21)
Good grips (20)
Well built / quality (19)
Lightweight (16)
Flexible (5)

Cons

Best Uses

Hiking (20)
Backpacking (17)
Day trip (12)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (10), Casual/ recreational (10)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Comfort driven (12), Survivalist / minimalist (6)

Reviewed by 22 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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May

2011

(34 of 34 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

The Best, Jerry! The Best!

By Enjoy Every Sandwich

from Breckenridge, Colorado

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Good grips
Lightweight
Quality
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking
Snowshoeing

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

I have used many different types of trekking poles and these are by far my favorite. They are literally flawless.The best part might be the FlickLocks. They are so much faster and easier to use than any alternative out there. Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to get the locking mechanism to catch on a twist-lock. Those things are unreliable and slip like crazy – my old poles would be at least 3 centimeters shorter each time I returned from the hike than they were when I started the hike. The FlickLocks hold in place perfectly, and it literally takes less than 5 seconds to set the length for each pole. These poles are very lightweight (although for ladies I might recommend the "compact" model of these same poles which are an ounce lighter, and I believe have slightly smaller grips), and would make great poles for minimalists and for comfort driven hikers.The poles are thin but surprisingly strong. Very strong. I have absolutely no reason to question their durability, and completely trust them to support my weight in any situation. The grips are very comfortable (and stay comfortable after being dropped in puddles or snow). I have never blistered or had any issues of discomfort with these poles, despite some lengthy hikes. The wrist straps are comfortable as well.The shock absorber is a nice feature and makes a noticeable difference, but I don't mind the shock from poles without the absorber so it doesn't matter a great deal to me. I would rather have it than not have it, however (and to some people it makes a big difference). My one beef is that these poles weren't sold with the snow baskets. I had to purchase them separately. They only cost [$], but the cheaper poles (including the Black Diamond Trail Back poles) come with them, so why shouldn't the more expensive poles? If you plan on snowshoeing or hiking in the winter, I would definitely recommend purchasing the snow baskets.If you have never used poles before and are debating whether or not they actually make a difference: they are definitely worth the investment. Any poles are better than no poles, but these are top of the line. They aren't just for older fellas, I'm a young man and never hike without them.

Service and delivery comments:

The delivery was prompt and the product arrived in perfect condition.

Mar

2011

(17 of 17 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Sold!!!

By Hiking Ken

from Sierra Vista, AZ

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Good grips
Great engineering
Lightweight
Strong
Trustworthy

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Downhill uphill
Hiking
Lower body exercise
Upper body exercise

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

I was a skeptic regarding trekking poles when I purchased these 6 mo's ago, but I absolutely love these poles! As an engineer I can state they are very well designed and built. At age 55 and with my knees starting to give me trouble, I was afraid my passion for hiking was nearing an end. These poles have me back out on the mountain trials with lots of uphill and downhill. I also love the upper body exercise they provide and would use them even if I didn't have knee trouble. But I don't know if I would have been so thrilled with trekking poles in general (and their tremendous benefits) if I had not also purchased the instructional DVD "Poles for Hiking, Trekking & Walking." There is no way I would have ever figured out how to properly use them for their true and full benefit without the DVD. Get these superb poles and get the DVD and start trekking!

Apr

2011

(10 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Mountain Ninja Magic Poles!

By Deeze

from New England

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Good grips
WINNING

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Fast packing
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

These are the first poles I ever bought or even tried. Next to getting Cyborg legs these are the best thing for hiking ever. It instantly turned me into a four legged mountain goat.

Took them on a 7 mile fastpack yesterday and I was flying down wet rocky trails faster than I ever thought possible. These give you the balance and confidence to make some jumps you would have never tried without them! If your crazy like me this is a huge plus! I also have a questionable ankle that always gets sore and this negated that completely!

Upper body workout is in full effect now too.
Spreading out the exertion kept me from taking breaks every 20 minutes. The shock absorption is a nice bonus, grips are great. On downhills I was putting 20-30 lbs of pressure on each pole and they held it like champs. Putting that much weight on them GREATLY diminishes impact. Pairing them with my Osprey Aether with pole storage straps? WINNING

Some tips I picked up: You can make your lead pole longer than the other, sometimes using one pole is better than both, alternating your leg and pole on hills is super - try to maintain that style and you will fly up hills.

If you are on the fence with a pole purchase ask yourself this: Would you go skiing without poles? Its really the exact same difference.

Apr

2010

(8 of 9 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

A Must !!

By cupfan

from Las Vegas,NV

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

These poles are a must on ANY hike ! They saved my hiney twice on scree ground with bad footing. The pole slightly bent saving me from hitting to hard. It easily bent back into shape and was still usable. I will never go without them because they not only save your hiney but they make it sooooooo easy to get up and down slopes.

Sep

2010

(7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

AWESOME POLES!

By Kaiser Sosse

from RDU

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Strong

Cons

GRIPS HARD

Best Uses

Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

Due to a recent ankle injury I did some research and found that Trekking poles might help get me back on the trail quicker. I was reluctant at first to get some "silly poles" but after my first 2 mile hike with them after my injury THESE POLES ROCK! Very stable (I am 250LBS) and helped out alot on downhill.The grips are a little harsh on the hands but that is probably just me.Using poles will also give your arms a workout!

Jul

2010

(7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Simply the best polls out there

By Gordon of seattle

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Flexible
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Downhill
Heavy loads
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

What can I say? I love these polls to death. They never bottom out, they provide great stability, are easy to collapse, are relatively lightweight, and save my knees on the downhill. They do get a bit harder to collapse with scratches and debris, but that is to be expected. These seem like an unnecessary luxury, but once you have used these on a downhill while backpacking you will change your mind (and your knees will thank you). I have and will continue to recommend these to friends and family. They're awesome. As a note I have a friend who owns the compact version and those are apparently great too.

Apr

2010

(5 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

First timer

By speed_dmon

from Southern Cali

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

A week before my gf and I bought these (she bought the compact version) we did a 10 mile hike that involved multiple river crossings that had some current to it. At some points the water was waist high. Fighting the current plus the hike itself made our joints and muscles very sore the next day. We decided on getting these poles to relieve some stress on the body and that they do very well. As you place them with every step they don't move until you pick it up and take another step, really good traction. I also like the shock effect that you can really feel working as you move along. Haven't had any problems so far

Sep

2010

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

These Poles Rock!!

By Chuquiagomarka

from Los Angeles, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Flexible
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Car Camping
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

These poles rock!! I used these during a 5 day excursion through Denali in Alaska. These poles are strong, easy to lock and adjust, and super comfortable. I used these poles on granite river banks, dry and wet tundra, mud, dirt, and river crossings. These poles took a beating and kept on providing extra support for steep climbs. The poles absorbed all shocks. I will never use anything else.

Jan

2011

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

A good set of general use trekking poles

By outdoor person

from Santa Fe, NM

About Me Environmentalist

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

A nicely designed set of trekking poles, handles and straps comfortable.

May

2010

(3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great buy!

By BoyScoutOC

from Orange County, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Easy to adjust
Flexible
Good grips
Lightweight
Strong

Cons

None

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day trip
Hiking
River Crossing

Comments about Black Diamond Trail Shock Trekking Poles - Pair:

i never thought a pair of walking sticks would help, but i crossed a river and climbed a side of a mt with these things... must buy! I love the stock on these sticks.. it helps on your wrist.