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Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair

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The superlight Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Pole trekking poles combine a revolutionary folding design with time-tested FlickLock adjustability, offering support for backpacking and stream crossings.

Innovative folding Z-Pole system offers simple, compact and reliable support with a concealed inner cord, single push-button release and speed cone deployment
Inspired by snow probes, speed cones at the end of each pole section ensure strength, stability and super fast deployment; each speed cone guides a pole section into place
A quick pull on the grip and the first pole section snaps and locks the 3 pole sections into place; flexible tube ends protect the Kevlar® center cord when folded
Easily replace and solidly secure pole tips with WaveLock™ tip connections
Right- and left-hand-specific straps are light, breathable and moisture-wicking; they feature breathable cut-out windows and easy rip-and-stick adjustability
Light, non-slip EVA foam grips feature foam extensions that allow poles to be held low during short side hill traverses
Single FlickLock® near the grip of each pole offers 8 in. of adjustable length
Aluminum shafts are superlight and durable
Pole baskets feature shaft catchers to secure pole sections when folded; ; note: baskets are fixed in place and cannot be switched out for snow or powder baskets
Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Pole trekking poles come with interchangeable, nonmarking rubber tips, carbide tips and a stow bag

Specifications for suggested height range are as follows:

105-125 cm: 5 ft. 4 in. - 5 ft. 11 in.
120-140 cm: 6 ft.+

Please note: Black Diamond products can only be shipped to the U.S. and Mexico.

Imported.

Item 813392

View all Black Diamond products

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Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Black Diamond Distance FL Z-Pole Trekking Poles - Pair

4.0

(based on 9 reviews)

89%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Lightweight (9)
Good precision (6)
Good stiffness (6)
Durable (4)
Ergonomic grip (4)

Cons

Best Uses

Cross-country (3)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Advanced (4), Intermediate (3)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (6)

Reviewed by 9 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-9

Sep

2012

4.0

The best poles.....and the worst grips

By pole hiker

from East Bay, CA

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Good Precision
Lightweight

Cons

Uncomfortable

Best Uses

Backpacking
Hiking

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

Let me start by saying that these poles are fantastic. They fold down shorter than anything else on the market, they are light, they have great adjustability, and they are a great value. They have one major flaw. The design of how the wrist straps attach to the poles is unique in that the strap attaches to a small cord that attaches to each side of the grip. I've never seen this done on any other trekking pole. I assume it was done to save weight, but it completely ruins the way the strap works. This system allows the strap to slide about 180 degrees around the grip, so the grip can spin in your hand while hiking. It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but it resulted in the grip being pressed against my thumb joint and causing a lot of pain after a mile or two.

It is a shame that Black Diamond put such a strange strap system on such a great pole, but they ruined it for me.

So why did I give this pole 4 stars? The rest of the pole is so fantastic, that I couldn't give it up. I ended up buying Leki grips and installing them on these poles. Now I think I have the best grip and pole combination money can buy. You have to have a pretty amazing pole to make someone go to that much trouble to keep it.

I hope that others are able to tolerate the grips on these poles. If so, I'd highly recommend them, but give them a good try in the store first. They are quite different.

Comment on this review

Aug

2012

5.0

Great for Walking and Travel

By gregmusings

from Oakland, CA

See all my reviews

Pros

Good rubber tip
Good Stiffness
Lightweight
Will pack well

Cons

Best Uses

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

I have a particular need for hiking poles and these will be perfect. I have bad arthritis in my right ankle and hiking poles really help extend my range, from walking 1 mile without pain to walking 3+ miles pain free. I especially needed poles that would colapse enough to fit in carry on luggage. These poles will be perfect. Plus the way they go together when extended makes them very quiet to use. Other poles clack loudly when extended while these are almost silent.

Comment on this review

Apr

2012

(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Great except for their major flaw...

By jmbk10

from Brooklyn, ny

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Ergonomic Grip
Good Stiffness
Lightweight

Cons

Baskets dont change
The baskets are worthless

Best Uses

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

At first glance these poles are great, easy to use, easy to figure out, adjustable and durable. Until your eyes fixate on a huge problem that makes these poles utterly useless for the amount of money they cost.
The baskets on these poles are utterly, and totally, 100% useless. they mine as well not be there because they do not serve a purpose if you plan on using these on anything but a dirt or paved trail.
sand= useless
snow= useless
this would be fine....IF YOUR COULD CHANGE THEM
why they dont let you change them out is beyond me, and this should be indicated on the rei site, but its not.
I am extremely disapointed in this lack of information and this stupid design

Comment on this review

Mar

2012

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Terrific poles, with one caveat

By John S Ithaca

from Ithaca, NY

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Ergonomic Grip
Good Precision
Good Stiffness
Lightweight
Rubber and steel tips

Cons

Basket snags on stems

Best Uses

Alpine
Cross-Country

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

I bought these poles, replacing REI Traverse poles, which I also like and will continue to use in snow, for a trip hiking in Kaua'i because of their lighness, packability, and the choices of tips (carbide for rock and rubber for softer, more vulnerable trail surfaces). The Z-pole system is excellent: it is very light, easy to deploy quickly and to adjust; the adjustments hold; they feel more sturdy and are quieter than telescoping poles; they are easier to keep clean and dry, because moisture doesn't get into the tubes. The packability is great both for luggage and when they aren't needed on the trail.
Two problems: I wasn't able to change the tips without pliers (the mechanism for keeping the rubber ones from falling off works just a bit too well--next time I won't forget my multitool). More importantly, the basket catchers, which are good for keeping the Z segments together when not in use, have a ~3/8 inch open circle that is perfect for snagging on stems, twigs, or grasses. On a steep, narrow, slippery trail through dense long grasses, they kept getting caught, sometimes throwing me dangerously off balance. With a safer catch solution I'd have no complaints. Know that these poles don't accept snow baskets.
Overall, I love these poles and am recommending them highly!

Comment on this review

Dec

2011

4.0

great unless temperature exceeds 100

By billster

from monterey, ca

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Stiffness
Lightweight
Pack well

Cons

Can't close when very hot

Best Uses

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

the poles are great UNLESS the temperature is above 100 in which case they won't close. had to repeatedly dip in colorado river to get closed on a grand canyon trip.

Comment on this review

Oct

2011

4.0

Best poles ever

By Mk2

from Australia Queensland

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Ergonomic Grip
Excellent Shock Absorption
Good Precision
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Cross-Country

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

Used on walks of 50+ KM walks . great to keep balance. Light weight. Fold easy .
Easy to store. comes with stuff sack . love how you can adjust the height of these poles ; for when going up hill or down hill. simple cam adjuster, open and extend or shorten to desired length then close cam.

so far very pleased.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

5.0

Must-have poles!

By Charles D

from Boulder, CO.

About Me Advanced

See all my reviews

Pros

Ergonomic Grip
Good Precision
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

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

There are very few products that I test and *instantly* know I'm going to have to go out and get one for myself.

I backpacked with the 1990s-era Leki SuperMakalu poles for years, but have gotten away from using them because they were heavy and cumbersome for lighter, faster trail running trips which have become more my norm. But I borrowed a pair of these yesterday for a steep uphill climb and found that the trekking pole game has changed. They are light-weight, compact, and perform just as well as my heavy poles for what I use them for (I'll still stick to my heavy poles for skiing). No, they don't have shock absorption, but I've never found that necessary in the first place. The adjustability inherent in the flicklock is a nice bonus too, as I like several inches of play in pole length.

Comment on this review

Jul

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Innovative design

By Wama

from Kaneohe, HI

About Me Intermediate

See all my reviews

Pros

Adjustability
Compact
Durable
Good Precision
Good Stiffness
Lightweight
Locks

Cons

Non-replaceable baskets
No shock absorbtion

Best Uses

Backpacking
Day hikes
Travelling

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

The folding design is innovative and reduces the stowed length of the poles. It's easy to deploy, easy to collapse and easy to store. I fly a lot with poles and the reduced length of these poles when collapsed makes them easy to pack in checked luggage. However, I wouldn't pack them in carryon luggage because TSA may or may not allow them to pass depending on the screening agent. At least that's what I was told when I checked with TSA. The length adjustability makes these poles great for hilly terrain where you're either going up or going down. The famous BD flick locks allow you to adjust the length in seconds. The poles are reasonably light and the grips and straps are okay. Personally, I would prefer the grips to be a little larger and the straps sometimes chaff the back of my hand. As far as grips and straps go, Leki has nothing to fear from Black Diamond. Despite the convenience of these poles I sometimes find myself wishing I had packed my Leki Carbonlites instead.

Comment on this review

Apr

2011

(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Wonderful New Product, Bravo BD!

By Leaveword

from Northern Virginia/Shenandoah

About Me Professional

See all my reviews

Pros

Durable
Good Precision
Good Stiffness
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Alpine
Cross-Country
Snowshoeing
Telemarking

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

These fantastic lightweight adjustable packable poles take it to the next level with the Z system. They collapse and deploy with the push of a button like my BD avalanche shovel. I travel hundreds of miles a year with poles, whether on foot or on skis. I have more confidence in BD's new engineering than I have had with any previous poles whether Leki or BD. Built-in shock cord tensioners make field repairs much easier. The pair packs down much smaller and lighter too, hugely enhanced by the mesh stuff sack (which stores spare carbide tips). I have not studied the shaft strength, so I'm not sure what ski forces will do to these poles, but I'm betting they'll hold up at least as good as my Leki Makalu Lights have done. Will need to buy separate baskets for skiing. Nice straight-up foam grips. Straps are very adjustable to fit gloves and mittens, but could be more ergonomic and comfortable for bare hands. All in all one of the best new innovations I've seen in a long time. Yes, it's time to upgrade!