I haven’t always been a hiker. Growing up in the suburbs of Boston, my family would venture out to the White Mountains in the summertime and partake in ‘family bonding’ aka day hikes on a well-trodden path. My father would be in the lead, charging forward while my brother would be at his heels, and my mother and I would bring up the rear. She used to bribe me to go further, saying she’d give me a cookie if I hiked to the next mile marker. (A cookie as a carrot works much better.:) )
My how time has changed. Now, I love to backpack, and have been lucky to do so all over the West Coast of the States, as well as many multiday trips in Asia, Argentina and Central America. I just can’t get enough.
Just as important as worn-in hiking boots are a set of good hiking poles. Recently I had the chance to see how Komperdell Ultralight Vario 4 Hiking Poles performed on the trails in Mazama, Washington, just outside of North Cascades National Park.
What I first notice about the poles were just how incredibly light they are. Less than a half-pound each, these poles have- no joke- an air-like quality about them. Granted, they’re made completely out of carbon, they seemed to float in my hand as I lifted and moved them along the trail, hitting them against rocks and trees. And don’t let their weight fool you in terms of their durability-they held up extremely well against my rough treatment.
The foam grip is comfortable against my hand and the strap helped to make sure I didn’t drop the pole. I have used corkmade hand grips in the past with my poles, but I was pleasantly surprised with the foam and how it held up against my sweaty palms.
Finally, a major selling point of the Komperdell Ultralite Vario 4 poles is their four-part folding system. Many poles will pack down in a telescoping fashion, with each section of the pole falling inside the other. These poles twist apart, and are attached by an elastic inner string, much like tent poles. These allow the poles to shorten to just about 18 inches, which, for a pole that can reach up to 57 inches (long enough for a 6’2″ adult), is quite impressive. The one thing that I didn’t like about this feature was the fact that it was hard to tightly pack these poles, as they want to naturally straighten themselves out because of the elastic string.
What I love:
- Incredibly light
- Comfortable foam hand grip
- Very durable even though made of 100% carbon
- Easy breakdown of poles
- Can be used for hiking, cross-country skiing, and tele-skiing.
Not so much:
- Hard to tightly pack the poles-naturally want to fling open
- Lack of shock-absorption
These poles are an excellent, if pricey, investment for future hiking adventures for those looking for superlight, high-quality hiking poles.
You can purchase the Komperdell Ultralite Carbon Vario 4 poles for $239.95 by clicking on the Amazon link below.
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