Trekking Poles: Mountainsmith Glissade
Improve your balance and save your knees with this bargain set of trekking poles from Mountainsmith.

[bargain]
Why splurge on the Porsche when a Chevy will do? At half the price of comparable aluminum poles, the Glissades supported our tester during a demanding winter camping trip in Montana’s Beartooths. “They did the job when I was snowshoeing down a gully with a heavy pack,” he says. The two-section Glissades adjust with twist locks that held tight as our tester navigated snowy slopes with frequent ups and downs. And an extended EVA grip allowed testers to quickly adapt hand position on varied terrain. The Glissades extend to 54 inches but only collapse down to 26 inches (the least packable among the poles tested). They’re also heavy. $45; 1 lb. 11 oz.; mountainsmith.com