Cascade Mountain Tech Lightweight Aircraft-Grade Aluminum Trekking Poles with Extended Down Grip Plus Tip Kit

I decided to start hiking in the great outdoors not long ago and I purchased this set of trekking poles specifically for a mountain peak hike, and I admittedly bought this set because they were the cheapest at the time of my purchase (cork handles), $20.60 new. I was very skeptical about the uses for these, based on what I had seen in videos, which only had people demonstrating them on rather flat, or moderate inclines. Nothing I saw in the demonstrations suggested that these would be more than minimal use/effectiveness. Still, the set was cheap, so I bought them, just in case... boy, what a lucky/smart decision that was.The mountain peak trail I was hiking went up over 3k feet in 4 miles, I did not see how these would help, so I only carried 1 up with me, in case I was confronted by a rattle snake, or something. I never did use them going up the mountain, so on this hike, where the one pole I brought up with me really shined was on the descent. The trail is very steep, and on the way down I slipped twice, ate gravel once (I slipped toward the cliff edge and had no choice but to throw myself down into the gravel), and from there I made use of the pole, almost like a cane, going down the rest of the way. I did not even come close to slipping again once I made use of that one pole. I also noticed that using the pole for added stability also resulted in far less impact on my joints, which is a huge deal for me because I am in the early stages of osteoarthritis.In the hiking adventures that have followed, I have used these poles religiously. I hiked into the grand canyon and used these both for the descent in, and the ascent back out. I again noticed how much easier on my joints it was, using both poles this time, and on the ascent out of the canyon I was able to use the poles for additional leverage in the climb, which made for a much easier, but still very challenging, climb. On another mountainous canyon hike, they were again indispensable for the ascent, the descent, and providing additional stability/slip protection. Think of it like maneuvering with 4 legs instead of only 2.My point in sharing these experiences is that trekking poles are not a gimmick. Depending on your hike, they may be more of a necessity than you might think. Especially for very steep and challenging climbs and descents, or if you're hiking through a wash with boulders and lots of rocks. I am still skeptical of their value on flat hikes with minimal inclines, but I supposed they'd still be good to bring along in the event of unexpected steep inclines/descents.As for these poles, I found them to be fantastic. I got a real deal when I made my purchase! These are stable, They are strong, they are not heavy, they don't slip, they are easy to adjust, and the clamps hold tightly. They were well worth what I had paid for them, and I would still agree with that assertion had I paid twice the amount that I did. If you like long, strenuous, steep hikes, you won't do wrong with these.

It's like having a second set of eyes on the trail! Our trip was to Isle Royale National Park and although it wasn't my first time there, it had been about 15 years since I was there last. Needless to say, I'm a bit older and achier with joints that are starting to creak more. I know what the trails are like there and I thought it would be a smart and safer idea to try trekking poles for this trip. Since I didn't know what to expect from using trekking poles, I did not want to spend a whole lot in case I didn't like them. Well these poles exceeded my expectations and at a fair price to boot. I'm not clumsy and there were still a handful of times I may have seriously sprained a knee or ankle if it weren't for the stability of these poles. Not a good predicament in back country like this.The poles were easy to get used to with my steps. On the rocky and rooted parts of the trails, I planted the poles slower about every other step and they provided good stability and balance. On the rare smoother parts of the trails I planted the poles quicker with each step and they provided some propulsion to make a quicker pace. On declines and big down steps, they took some of the exertion off my knees. And for short inclines it was easy to drop my hand to a lower grip to get some umpfh to step up. The wrist straps came at just the right length (they are adjustable even tho I didn't realize that until the last day LOL), and when I lowered my grip for those inclines, they provided a sling-like support on the back of my hands to help pull me up. In some areas where we had a lot of continuous incline or decline, it was quick and easy to change the length of the poles with the quick lock mechanisms for those situations. Some of the trails were narrow boardwalks where you couldn't really plant a pole. So in those parts I held the poles together, horizontally to be more like a balancing pole.I thought I might get tired of holding them all the time, but not so. The cork grips were comfortable the entire trip. They never got sweaty or slippery and I didn't get any blisters. If I needed hands free at any time, the wrist straps held the poles close enough to grab again easily.This pole set came with 4 different sets of tips. I debated taking the rubber tips along since I knew it would be so rocky. (The poles had shipped with those tips on.) In the end I took them off and decided to go without any tips, just the bare tungsten carbide tips as they were. On the trail I was especially impressed by how well these bare tungsten carbide tips "gripped" even on the giant, relatively smooth, sloped boulders we had to go over. They never slipped once.The trails on Isle Royale are pretty rough. It's a watch-your-every-step kind of hiking. Even so, these poles allowed me to glance up more to see our surroundings. If I stepped wrong on a rock or root I didn't see, the poles (which I had planted ahead of my steps) were like second eyes, and gave me the balance to survive a misstep. We got a lot of rain on this trip and many trails were also flooded in parts. The poles made it possible to feel below the surface of the water if there were solid steps we could use to step on, or how deep a puddle really was. We even had a short whitewater crossing due to heavy rains and those poles were extremely helpful then.If I were to give one negative point about these poles it's that the lines and measurements were wearing off by the end of the trip. They went through a lot of water which probably didn't help matters though.Overall, I would highly recommend these poles. They are comfortable, light, strong and easy to use. As for myself, I intend to use them for all my hiking trips from now on.

These poles are an incredible bargain. The construction is solid and they are very attractive. I’m having to return mine but not because of quality issues but because I wasn’t attentive to the measurements and find I need a walking stick for travel that will fold up smaller. By the way, I recommend the cork handles. They are more comfortable to hold, don’t get slick, and look really good.

Trekking poles are great so far. I’ve taken them on about 15 miles worth of trekking throughout various trails in western PA. The locking mechanism can take a small amount of adjustment at first, which is quite easy to do. They have an excellent adjustment range on them which is appreciated as I am able to use them at 6’4 comfortably. They pack down quite small as well for travel. All around great buy.