Black Diamond  Pursuit Trekking Poles - Pair

These Pursuit poles are new from BD for 2023 and are seemingly replacing the prior Trail Cork series (including Ergo version with the angled grip). Compared to the Ergo version, which I own, there are some minor improvements. The first is that the Pursuit series all use BD Fliklock Pro which are an improvement over the cheaper plastic variation of Flicklock. In my experience both lock systems work well but Fliklock Pro has a more positive feeling lock and release to it. In addition to this the poles include hex inserts (bit holders) at the end of each of the lower shafts which can retain a 1.5mm bit thus allowing someone to tighten or loosen the locks on the trail (note: you adjust when the locks are OPEN-trying to adjust when the locks are closed will quickly break the bit). So far it appears BD gives you ONE bit to share between the 4 available places it can go into so if you think they didnt give you an adjustment bit check the other shafts. I wish they would of at least have given two for redundancy but its not hard to find an additional bit to add. Any 25mm/1" long 1.5mm hex bit will work. Other improvements include a more ergonomic grip shape. In my initial few hikes I think this is perhaps the most comfortable cork grip to date with a coke bottle shape that just feels good in the hand. True these poles lack the notable angle of the Ergo cork but honestly I couldnt actually feel any difference between the Ergo and straight handle in use. In short, either grip feels good but to each their own. Strap and strap adjustment are essentially the same as the Trail cork and Carbon cork series and I personally feel the strap material is a little thick and wouldnt have minded if they went to a similar, if not same, strap as that found on their revised Distance poles for the simple reason that the latter dont absorb moisture or take as long to dry as these straps. The tips and baskets remain largely unchanged over that of prior poles except for things like color and a small tweak in shape. Speaking briefly on color, I'm not sold on the fire engine red of "Octane" but the Sea Foam is pretty good looking in my opinion. I'd recommend looking at the red version in a store if you can as some of the stock photos definitely make it appear darker than it is. I also wanted to just post some quick specs since it seems BD and REI have some incorrect information published on this new series. The first is that this version come in S/M and M/L. The former has an adjustment range of 100-125cm with slightly smaller grips while the latter is 100-140cm with slightly larger grips. Unless you're 5'6" or under you'll probably want to opt for the M/L for the additional length adjustment that you may want for descents. The collapsed length is also smaller compared to prior models thanks to a hollowing out of the handle allowing the shaft to fully nest into it when collapsed. This bring the length when collapsed to just under 24.5" (62cm) vs the 27.5" (70cm) of my Ergo cork. Lastly the weight is slightly reduced. The M/L version weighs about 252g per pole compared to the 263g per pole of the Ergo cork (which also had 100-140cm of adjustment). Not a big weight difference but still wanted to mention it. The price on these are a fair bit higher compared to the outgoing Trail series however if you wait for a sale you wont be too far off and I dont think someone will be disappointed. Lastly, I did check out the anti shock version of these poles and found the mechanism to feel very cheap and essentially worthless. Just stick with this standard version. If you are truly interested in some sort of dampening feature check out Leki "AS" models. I did also purchase the Pursuit FLZ (folding model) which I may write a review for but the short version is that they're good. Just be aware that said folding FLZ model does actually have two distinct sizes being 100-125cm and 125-140cm.

Two months ago I bought a pair of Black Diamond Lime Green Trekking Poles and then I lost one of the poles. So before just buying a new pair I evaluated them carefully. These are very attractive and light poles, and the flip locks work very nicely. Their tightness was perfect as purchased and they prevent any collapsing of the poles. I have some complaints about the poles. (1) I often like to hold the poles with my palm or thumb on the top, but this is not comfortable with these poles except momentarily to help myself over some obstacle. (2) The poles vibrate significantly for a second or more after striking the ground, especially on hard surfaces. I have carpel tunnel problems and this vibration is unpleasant for my hands. (3) The shape of the handle is not very comfortable for me for very long due to my large hands and the carpel tunnel problems. However, I have found that if I don't wear the straps around my wrists but rather use them to increase the diameter, then the grip is very comfortable. These poles have very nice soft straps. (4) The poles are rather expensive. For a new pair of poles I chose Leki Civetti. These are 4-season poles which have an ergonomically designed top which is fairly large. I can grip it comfortably in several ways. The shaft diameters are a little larger and vibration is much less, with a slower frequency and shorter duration. Their slightly greater weight seems insignificant - they still are quite light. I think they will be less easily damaged than thinner poles. The flip lock tightness can be adjusted without using a tool. (REI discontinued them.)