Komperdell CarbonApproach Vario 3

[trekking poles]

Are trekking poles essential? That’s debatable. But many of our testers won’t go hiking without them. And this pair just shot to the top of the heap. “The best grip I’ve ever used,” raves one editor. “It changed the way I hold trekking poles by allowing me to comfortably palm the top of handle.” Testers say the Aergon grip’s egg-shaped top is better for striding across rolling terrain and more confidence-inspiring when descending.

The three-section, carbon-fiber poles lock together via an internal Kevlar-reinforced tension cord. The Speed Lock below the handle, which is easily operable even with gloves on, allows for up to 20 centimeters of on-the-fly adjustment. The tough-but-light carbon-fiber shafts were strong enough to support 275-plus-pounds of hiker and gear, but the swing weight—how the pole feels as you swing it back and forth—was light enough for all-day comfort. $200; 1 lb. 1 oz. (pair); leki.com

This foldable trekking pole with Komperdell´s ingenious folding mechanism is the pole with a great price/performance ratio
3 section foldable pole: upper section is out of high densty titanal while the lower sections are out of high quality carbon tubes. the proven Power Lockk II adjusting mechanism allows adjustment from 43-55 inches.