This is my first set of trekking pole. From the days of my hiking in Malaysian jungle, I never thought I needed a trekking pole and if I needed one, I just make one out of a fallen tree branch. I felt that the additional trekking pole would increase by baggage weight.
Not until I started some hikes in Taiwan, I realised that most of the hikes requires alot of uphill and downhill. It had put alot of strain on my knee cap. So when I was back in Singapore, I spoke to my friend who owns a camping shop and he advised I should use one. I did however surveyed some local outdoor shop in Taiwan and I realised they sell just one piece of trekking pole and not in pair. So I started to raise question with my friend and he mentioned that most trekking poles comes in a pair and especially top brands like Leki. However they do sell single but is used mostly for casual stroll. So how do we know if these are not split up pair by the vendors. Further down the post I will show you how to identify the trekking poles.
Yukon AERGON Antishock Specification
Positive Angle AERGON Grip
Super Lock System
Soft Antishock System Lite
Ultra Sonic Finish - middle and lower section anodized
Interchangeable Basket System
Carbide Flextip
Weight: 18 oz/pair
Length: 68-145 cm
My requirements for a trekking pole are
- Lightweight - I could get those carbon fiber material but they are way too expensive
- Long extension - I needed the length for use as tent pole for my tarp to give me enough headroom
- Antishock -you need that antishock otherwise you will put alot of stress on your hand and the pole might break too
The pole comes in 3 section, the middle and lower section there are markings to give you a guide on the pole length. The shafts are made of Aluminium alloy to reduce the weight
Maximum total length of pole fully extended is 145cm
By pulling the handle top click, you can adjust the hand strap
the hand grip is made of plastic and foam, it does feels very comfortable
the tips are made of carbide which is a very durable material for both use on ice and rocks
They come with trekking baskets and there are accessories to switch around to different ground
Pole have makings to identified Left and Right. If you decide to buy a single pole, do take note of these markings. I have seen vendors actually split the pair and sell as a single pole. Different sides have different fitting for your hand.
Leki Trekking Poles comes in few models for different usage, mountain trekking, ultralite, woman fitting, travel and trek. So choose your trekking pole wisely.
Below are some links to help you along.
Techniques for using trekking pole
Here is me using the trekking pole to cross the river. I use the pole to check the depth of the water. This hike took me to Yuan Yang Waterfall
