REI Co-op  Flash Carbon Compact Trekking Poles - Pair

Absolutely ADORE these hiking poles. I am a pretty active individual (27, 5'7", 135lbs) with some previous knee injuries from athletics. Let me just say, are these worth your money? ABSOLUTELY. Do you like being able to ascend a mountain like a goat with no physical pain? Yeah, who doesn't. These have completely changed how I hike and summit mountains. Do I flex on everyone because they're carbon fiber and that makes me better than them? For sure. Do I obnoxiously rub them in my partners face while I'm comfortably cruising at exceptional speeds? YUP. These turned the tables on my previous hike pace, you are a fool for not buying these sooner.

I have had these for over a year and have put hundreds of miles in them. I did the tour of Mt Blanc last summer and they collapsed short enough to put in my small suitcase (you have to check your bags, poles not allowed in carry on). They are much lighter than the ones I had previously so my arms don’t get as tired. They are also easy to adjust and actually stay where you put them. My old ones were the twist type instead of the lever, and they were always collapsing on me, yet I couldn’t get them to untwist when I wanted to adjust them. I have taken some stumbles where I put quite a bit of torque on them and they didn’t break and I have had no issues with the grips. Love them!

Used mine on the Colorado trail, the Arizona trail, and 2/3s of the CDT in all kinds of terrain and careful but hard use. Mine have held up great without major issues. It's a great product and I don't write many reviews. To point out a minor issue is the paint that marks the lengths is wearing off. But so? If you're planning to use a trekking pole tent, get the longer model as those require longer length poles than these go.

On April 23 of this year I was descending the steep pitch at Thukla Pass on the way down from Everest Base Camp and was stabilizing myself with these poles. The top of the grip of my right pole failed and ripped off, causing me to lose my balance and fall head-first into some rocks. Injuries included a broken rib and a partially collapsed lung. I had to be helivac'd to Kathmandu and spent three days in the hospital. I've tried twice to follow up with REI on this issue have not received a response. Other than that trip the poles had been used less than half a dozen times. Obviously not recommended.

Used these for the first time yesterday on Arizona’s highest peak, and they successfully handled rocks, snow, ice, and steep terrain. Definitely eased the stress on my joints. Highly recommend.

Was looking for some light weight poles that wouldn’t break the bank. At about 12.9 ounces, these are the most bang for the buck that I could find. Even the über lightweight poles are only about 1-2 ounces less at best yet cost $50+ more. Used them 2x times and couldn’t be happier. Comfy grips/straps. Only dislike is that lower pole doesn’t entirely lock in when closed. When locked you can pull out about 3-5” before they stop. However when strapped on my bag they never extended so I guess I’m fine with it. Also, can only adjust one side of the strap so it’s not centered. Both are things I’m ok with and the poles work great and are very light weight at a price that simply can’t be beat.

I have been using these for 5 years now. I have backpacked 4 caminos with them for a total of about 2000 miles. I’m on my 4th pair of replaceable rubber tips. I love these poles! What a weight off my knees and hips, plus my arms are getting a workout! I wouldn’t climb a hill without them. Reviewers complaining of pole collapse probably don’t realize you need to periodically tighten the screws. I have never had a problem.

I was very surprised by how light these poles felt when I first tried them out. The locking mechanism is easy to use, even with cold hands. I've used them for hiking, trail running, and xc skiing. They were great for hiking and trail running-I went on icy trails and they were great for stability. They are less great for xc skiing (though this is obviously not their purpose). I found that one of the lower sections was not tight enough to prevent the pole from shortening when enough force was placed on it. The poles can feel a little flimsy when you try to push their limits. However, this was only a problem with excessive force when skiing and pushing off hard. For everyday hiking use, these are great poles. They will be my go-to for travel as well because they pack down nicely.

These were great poles, until they fell apart. I bought a pair fourteen months ago and used them as poles and to hold my tent up when I thru hiked the Colorado Trail last year. Recently, in between the morning I left Grand Gulch in Utah, and getting home to Colorado, the end fell off one of them. If I could buy a replacement end, I would. Now they’re useless. Wish I could return.

These "sticks" as my 4 year old grandson calls them are better than the ones I had before, which were basically the same but could not be collapsed into as compact form as these. I love how eay thy are to carry in my pack until I need them and how easy they are to extend to my needed length. They are strong enough to help me down into the bottom of Walnut Canyon and back up, but light enough to avoid causing problems to my arthritis-ridden wrists!