Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I just picked up a pair of these last week, and really like them. They are by far the lightest poles I have found available from somewhere like REI.

The z-pole design is fantastic. The feel very durable. I think that it is really cool how they snap together. I used to use a pair of UL Leki poles that I was happy with, even though they bent some, and had a little trouble with the twist lock.

With my old Leki's I set them at 120cm which left my arm at the correct angle(90deg). So I was thrilled when I saw that these were available in that size. When I got them I did find them to be a bit tall. It did not bother me on the trail though. The weight they claim is accurate on my scales here at home. 9.5oz for both poles in the 120cm/43in size.

A few things I did not know until I got them:
1. They come with "Rubber" tips. They are more like really hard plastic. I was VERY skeptical about using them, and their ability to hold on dirt, rocks, etc. I was pleasantly surprised. The grip from these tips felt very similar to my warn carbon Leki tips. They do also come with nice carbon tips in a nice carrying case for the poles. For the "gram weenies" out there I could not see any change in weight from the carbon tips to the "rubber" tips. My guess is the carbon tips are 2-3g heavier.

2. The basket is permanently attached to the pole. I use poles in the snow too, so naturally I went looking for how I could attach a snowbasket. There is no place to put one. On the box BD states that they are not recommended for use in snow. That was a disappointment. I will need to find a way to rig some kinda snow basket now. Not too big a deal, but something I wish I knew before I purchased.

3. The removable tips are very small. This is nice, in that when replacing the tip you only replace the very tip. About 1/4in long. At the same time I could see how it would be easy to loose these small tips. In the carry case there is a small pocket where you can keep a pair - so they don't get lost. In the directions it says you can take them off by hand, I have what I would think of as normal hand and finger strength for a guy, and I could not get them off by hand. The directions also suggest using pliers. That did the trick. I would recommend using pliers anyhow as I would want to make sure that the tips did not come off on a trip. The tips do include a "wave design" which does naturally prevent them from coming off as well.

4. The blue stuff is really hard and seems very durable. From the pic in Backpacker mag it looks like it might be gel or something. It is a stiff but flexible protective cover for a string in the center of the pole. You straighten the pole by simply holding the top portion of the pole, and pulling the grip away from the tip. With a little finesse this can look and feel really cool. It reminds me a bit of the blind man's cain from Daredevil. Practically it works very well and is well built, and designed.

I plan on using them with my new MSR Twin Sisters shelter(still in the mail). I am not sure how this will work with the poles having zero adjustability. But I am hopeful. I will write another post here with the results. The height of the shelter, and the poles is close. If need be I can dig a small hole, or build a small mound and adjust the tie outs as needed.

I hope that helps.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

Just got back from a 135 mile backpacking trip with these poles. They're very very very lightweight, which makes a difference when you're going the distance. These have no shock system but I didn't miss it at all. Before my AT hike I forgot to put the carbide tips on the poles, as they come with plastic tips preattached. I wore through the plastic tips to the metal pole beneath but it didn't affect anything once I put the carbide tips on. Don't bother with the plastic ones. The poles fold down small, which is perfect for travel as they fit inside the pack and are not exposed to airline conveyor belts. They won't work (folded) with the Osprey pack system tho.
The poles extend to full length in a snap and are lock-tight once fully extended. Minor issues: it would be nice if there were some kind of unobtrusive color coding for the R and L hands so I didn't have to find it on the wrist straps. The AT shelter mice seem to love the taste of the black hand grips--I have lots of nibble marks to prove it! And I notice that sometimes I'll get a black residue on my hands from the grips. Now on to my major complaint: The shape and size of the basket is perfect for snagging tree roots and rocks on the trail. When you're hiking uphill with a 35lb pack, forward momentum is everything! About ten times a day I got dragged backward because the basket of the pole got snagged under a tree root or rock. It only happnes once I step ahead of the pole and am about to bring it forward again. I didn't see anything about this in any other reviews, so maybe I'm the only freak who had this problem. But for me, it was a major problem and I'm disappointed in the engineering of the baskets. And there's no way to change the baskets out. So I haven't decided if I'm gonna keep the poles or return them. I'm hoping I can come up with a solution because otherwise the poles are great!

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I ordered this pole with my REI dividend plus discount and was really excited to get out and use them although my dog found it first and completely destroyed one of them. [...] So, I'm now on my 2nd pair of Z-Poles and so far I absolutely love them. After several miles the inner cord stretches a little bit but its easily adjusted and they lock tight as a drum. The straps are really comfortable and even after several hours of use I haven't had any irritation. The only cons I can really be picky about is I use an Osprey pack that has a genius trekking pole holder. The Z-Pole collapses down so short that it actually won't reach the holder. The other con (which is really petty) is that when a strong gust of wind comes along it actually blows them around since they are literally feather light. Bottom line, I love these poles and I put them in a place my dogs can't find.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I used these poles twice for day hikes in the mountains of Maine. They are light because of the carbon fiber design, and can be folded down to a small size because of the Z-design. I found the grips and straps to be comfortable. The baskets would ocassionally catch on roots, etc., but this is probably no more true than with any other pole. However, I did not find the poles to be very sturdy or durable. I noticed that with moderate weight load, the poles would bend significantly. During their second use, the shaft of one snapped. The poles seemed weak enough to me that I think they could actually be dangerous for aggressive, back country use. I plan to return them for a refund and will start researching more durable poles in the meantime. By the way, I'm 5'6'' tall, and the recommended size worked just fine lengthwise.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I'm a backpacker who depends on poles as needed due to a not so young knee. I just used these poles on a four day backpack in New Mexico. They are ridiculously lightweight yet still durable. They worked great for stream crossings, rocky terrain and steep up/down trails. I miss the shock absorpion feature of my previous poles but the lightness of these helps make up for the difference. My fellow backpackers all wanted to try them, where very impressed and I suspect a few other them will be buying these soon.

Heads up about the tips: Great that these come with rubber tips and include a pair of metal tips as an alternative. I wanted to switch the tips the day I bought the poles. An REI employee (strong man) and I could not loosen them without his finally using a pair of pliers from the bike department. At the end of my first day on trail I discovered one of the metal tips was missing. Seems they have to be tightened, then tightened again until they line up with the waffle weave where the tip piece joins the end of the pole. Next day I just put the other (rubber) tips back on as tightly as I could and they worked great for the next few days. I called Black Diamond when I got home and explained what happened. Within a few days I had a new, free set of metal tips in my mailbox. So, be sure to tighten the tips all the way, and then some!

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I bought a pair of these poles for my speedy AT thru-hike this summer. I've put a few hundred miles (250+) on them already in training. I use them for extended trail runs carrying 8-10lb. pack and on 20+mi hikes with a 25+lb. pack.

So far they have held up well, my last pair of poles were Leki Ultralight Ti poles, broke a couple of the lowers on these. The BD Z-pole design is great, these fold up small very easily to carry if not in use. I added a layer of tape on the bottom pole setion (to ~6" above the tip) to protect the carbon from wear and tear from rocks, roots, etc.

These are a great set of poles as long as you remember they are for Ultralight use, i.e. used when hiking, running, or carrying a light load. Though they are VERY sturdy given their weight. I will re-review once I hopefully complete the AT come August.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

these poles are so feather light they are hardly noticable in your hands. I have some adjustable poles and I set them for 125cm usually so i took the chance 130cm poles would be right for me. after 11 miles of hiking I decided 120cm (as recomended for my hight) would work better. [...]. having right and left straps is a bit of a pain (a color coding would be easier than hunting for the R and L stamps) but the are comfortable it may look like a bungie cord in between sections but it is a coated cable that makes these pole rock solid. you can't even pull a 1mm gap between sections. I love the compact size of these poles when folded down. they will fit in almost any day bag when not in use. one thing that is not mentioned, except inside the packaging, is that carbide tips are included, they are hidden in a tiny pocket in the storage sack. overall a very nice set of poles.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I love the ultra lightweight and compact design. But unfortunately, it's too fragile. I'm about 5'11" at around 170 lbs, usually carrying a load of around 20-25lbs. After about 30 miles of Southern California Mountain hiking with these (Baden-Powell, San Antonio, San Jacinto), I've already bent one of the metal joints between the poles. A friend of mine broke his Z-Poles Twice. The biggest weak point is the metal joints between the 3 pieces.

Also, the non-removable baskets wear out very quickly. They will wear away very quickly when used in rocky terrain. The rubber/plastic tips are a joke and were worn away into the bare metal in just two day hikes. The carbide tips are the only ones that work well. Don't even bother with the rubber/plastic tips unless you only hike on soft soil or grass.

The Handles are very comfortable, and work well holding from the top, or choking up on them, they have nicely placed ridges in the middle that facilitate choking up on the grips for climbing steeper terrain, so lack of adjustability has not been a problem for me. The straps have held up well for having used them to push my weight on.

As much as I love the lightweight and small fold up size of these Z-Poles, they are simply too fragile for mountain hiking.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

I purchased these poles before traveling to New Zealand. Given their weight and packing size, they would have made EXCELLENT travel poles. Unfortunately, my second day on the Routeburn trek, the metal piece on top of the blue connecting material (which also fits underneath and between the lower 2 carbon fiber shafts)...broke completely, along with a tear / break in the carbon fiber shaft.

I hope that Black Diamond keeps working on refining this design, because it has a lot of potential. The lack of adjustability was a sacrifice I would definitely be willing to make (in trade for the tight, lightweight package)...as long as the durability was there.

Comments about Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair:

The Outside Magazine Summer 2011 Buyer's Guide calls these poles 'the best they've ever tested, and I have to agree. They are ultralight weight and snap together in seconds. Once together, they are rock solid and the carbon fiber provides nice dampening. These will become the best poles for long through hikes, trail running, and adventure racing.