Durston Gear’s Iceline Trekking Poles are ultralight however sturdy carbon fiber trekking poles that can be utilized for backpacking and day climbing. Weighing 9.5 oz per pair, these adjustable three-section poles have easy EVA foam grips and carbide suggestions however don’t have hand straps or summer season or winter trekking pole baskets. The highest two sections are telescoping, adjustable, and secured with a dependable lever lock, whereas the bottom fixed-length part snaps into place with a sublime push button mechanism.
- Weight: 270 g (9.5 oz) per pair
- Materials: Carbon Fiber
- Hand straps: No
- Baskets: No
- Sections: 3
- Adjustment: Stage lock and push button
- Collapsed Size: 49 cm (19.5″)
- Min/Max Open Size: 95 cm (37″) – 127 cm (50″)
- Higher / Center / Decrease Pole Diameter: 18 mm / 16 mm / 16 mm
Thicker Diameter Poles
The very first thing I observed once I acquired these Iceline poles was the diameter of the carbon fiber shafts. They’re noticeably bigger in diameter than different common ultralight carbon fiber poles I’ve used, notably within the bottom-most part the place poles are inclined to snap once they get caught between rocks otherwise you fall on them. It is a welcome design alternative as a result of one of many greatest issues with ultralight carbon fiber trekking poles is their tendency to interrupt and shatter. I’ve damaged greater than my share of ultralight carbon fiber poles, a lot in order that I keep away from utilizing very skinny carbon fiber poles and like ones made with higher-diameter sections.
Lack of Hand Straps
As famous above, the Iceline poles don’t have hand straps, which can be a deal breaker for lots of people as a result of they lean their weight on them for added help. Whereas that’s widespread observe with mainstream trekking poles, I believe the omission of hand straps is justified on this case as a result of ultralight poles serve a special goal and require a special method to make use of.
Reasonably than supporting your physique weight, ultralight trekking poles are finest used to increase your sense of stability and notion of your physique in house (proprioception), just like how a blind particular person makes use of a cane to understand their environment. Reasonably than forcefully spearing the bottom, one makes use of a a lot subtler extension of the forearm to maneuver an ultralight trekking pole ahead, evenly touching the bottom on both facet of your leg to take care of momentum and stability whereas shifting ahead alongside a path. It could be good if the Iceline handles got here with a skinny keeper twine so that you wouldn’t lose the poles for those who let go of them, however that’s rather a lot totally different than having a load-bearing hand strap.
No baskets
The poles additionally lack the flexibility to screw summer season baskets or winter baskets onto the carbide suggestions. This could make them tough to hold with the trekking pole holders of some backpacks that require the added width of a summer season basket to make use of. This isn’t an issue for me since I by no means stow my poles and all the time have them in hand, but it surely may very well be a difficulty for those who solely use your poles a part of the time.
The hand grips are made with contoured EVA foam that’s fairly agency and has little give. There may be, nonetheless, no capacity to choke up on the grip when climbing, one other characteristic generally discovered on many heavier-weight mainstream trekking poles.
Suggestion
Durston Gear’s Iceline Trekking Poles are an thrilling choice for those who’re searching for an ultralight and sturdy pair of carbon fiber trekking poles and perceive how they differ from extra standard poles in look and use. Weighing simply 9.5 oz per pair, these Iceline poles are adjustable-length poles with dependable lever locking adjustment and pin-based couplers that may be separated for straightforward air journey.
Disclosure: Durston gear donated poles for evaluation.
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