Black Diamond  Trail Back Trekking Poles - Pair

These were my first set of trekking poles. If you are like me and looking to buy your first set of trekking poles without breaking the bank... I suggest these. These were great! I went hiking up on Mt. Mitchell and at the bottom were fallen leaves, mid-way mud, slush, towards the tops nothing but snow. These poles held their weight. Never once collapsed. They were sturdy after hiking over 24 miles. The only time I would use these... if I were hiking in extremely cold weather because you can wear gloves so you won't get blisters. The handles can be a little tough, but overall I would tell me friends to buy these. Matter of fact, my friend had this cheap set for like $30 and they kept collapsing and he eventually had enough and went and bought these.

I have bad knees but I still love my hiking, so I decided to try these based on other reviews. I did not want to spend a lot of money, but I didn't want cheap-os either. The price point is good. I was able to give them a good test on a recent 4 miles trip to Mt. Pinos; I don't think I'd have had an easy time without them. I especially love having something to lean on while catching my breath! I did not have trouble with blisters or any of the other issues people have mentioned. I think everyones experience will differ with personal preference and usage. For me this is a great product that has enhanced my outdoor experience tremendously!

These poles are fantastic! I love the quick locks which make them incredibly easy to adjust. They are lightweight, flexible, and strong. I recently lost my footing on a rocky trail and started to fall forward while holding the poles in front of me. As I fell, half my weight was sustained by the poles causing them to bow significantly under the strain, yet neither one bent or broke. They snapped back into shape - straight as an arrow. There was no damage to the poles whatsoever. Being 6'4" and 210 pounds, I was impressed by their durability and grateful that they saved me from potential injuries. I'll never "hit" the trail without them.

These poles are excellent. They are not ultralight like the carbon fiber, but then again, carbon fiber will shatter when it fails, sending shard splinters everywhere. Aluminum will bend - no big deal. Think about that when you're putting faith in a pole not to break. IF you know how to use trekking poles, these are great. Look it up, but if you are depending on your hand grip to hold the pole, you are doing it wrong. All the weight through the pole should be through the strap. In this way your hand won't get tired, won't get blistered, and you can put a lot more weight through the pole. I've taken these on numerous trips with no complaints, excellent product.

The poles are very secure and I would love them except the strap adjustment clip is large and, at least in my case, rub on my hands causing unacceptable discomfort. I do a lot of hiking in the White Mountains and several times a year I do long milage hikes. I have worn out several sets of poles, I've never had this problem on those poles. The other minor issue is the straps are narrower than on my previous poles, I'm not sure if this would be a problem or not and won't get to find out as I am returning these poles. I'm suprised any pole manufacture would put such a large clip in a place where it will rub on the users hands when the straps are used properly. I recommend you don't purchase these over the internet, you should go in and try them to see if the large clip rubs for you.

The adjustability is what sold me on them. Never again will I buy the twist lock style poles. And that aspect worked great. The baskets seemed much more difficult than on most poles to put on or take off. And the summer basket was so small that I question its usefulness. I'll probably never know, though, because I intend to return them. The deal-killer are the stupid plastic clips used to adjust the straps! Zoom in on them in the product picture. They *dig* into the base of your thumbs. Even when wearing gloves. Or, you choose not to grip the poles properly. Neither is acceptable. For the cost of these poles, this is a very serious design flaw. Far more comfortable handles are available on poles at 1/4 the price. Two Stars because the locking mechanisms are great. The rest of the "features" qualify them for a trip to the Used Gear Sale.

Just some straight forward, high value trekking poles. These were my first pair of poles and they have served me well. You can pay more for lighter poles/ fancier features but if you just want some no nonsense affordable poles these are them. The locking mechanism is sturdy and easy to use. The adjustability allows you to lend them to a friend and can be useful when part of a tarp system. I regularly use these to pitch my tarp and completely trust their durability both when hitting the trail and hitting the sack. They did cause blisters the first time I used them but it was a very tender/ underused part of my thumb...I have actually developed a little bit of a callouse/ tougher skin in those areas since using these.

I used these poles on an AT thru-hike in 2012 and they were great. They made it from Fontana Dam through the end of the trail. By the end, they were pretty beat up but that was mainly because I did not maintain them well. If you are using them for long distance hiking, be sure to dry them off at the end of the day and collapse them regularly to avoid having the joints fuse together. I am sure that advice would be the same for any poles though. Other than that, the poles performed very well and the flick-locks were great. The poles are not top of the line - you don't get anti-shock or cork grips or any of that stuff and they do weigh more than some poles but if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive pair of poles that are durable and easy to adjust, then I would recommend these highly - as long as you maintain them.

I got these poles as my first pair of trekking poles. All in all, I have been very happy with them. They adjust very easily and are easy to collapse and store away when needed. The only problem I really have is that if you put a lot of stress on them, like I do when I am descending a mountain-side, the bottom part tends to collapse a bit easily. This means I have to constantly re-adjust them. The grip is also not the greatest, but it is they lower-end pole in this class which explains why. For the price, I'd say the pole is defiantly worth it.

I bought a pair because of what I read on-line and because I will be doing some backpacking next year. I mainly hike the parks currently. The first time I used them they seemed weird but after 3-4 times I started to notice some differences. I had more control going down steep hills and going back up those same hills I noticed with the poles I was not bent over as far and there was less strain on my back. The one thing I did not like was the rubber grips because my hands got too sweaty. I went back to the store and exchanged them for a ergonomic cork grip pair. Now my hands feel better and the ergonomic hand grips are slightly angled which releases some strain off your wrists. The bottom line is they are very comfortable and it has made the hiking easier and more enjoyable. I would have given them 5 stars but have not used them in backpacking yet.