Trekking Poles

Trekking poles reduce knee load on descents, add stability on stream crossings, and turn steep climbs into four-wheel drive. The specs that matter are shaft material, lock mechanism, grip material, and collapsed length. Carbon poles are lighter and damp vibration better; aluminum poles bend instead of snapping and cost less.

The ten poles below cover ultralight folding Z-poles for thru-hikers, adjustable cork-grip workhorses for general hiking, and budget pairs that outperform their price. All adjustment ranges and weights are manufacturer specs for the most common size.