I received my Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles on Friday, April 23. Let’s take a look at the basics and how they performed on my first trip with them.
The poles were well packaged in an oblong, plain brown cardboard box. Within the box was a black nylon zippered pouch. The pouch contained the poles and all of the attachments, including a pair of mud baskets, a pair of snow baskets, a pair of rubber boot tips and a clip to clip them together when stowed.
Being 6’5″, I’m always worried about if things are going to be big or tall enough for me. I ordered these hoping that they would extend long enough for me.
The quick lock mechanisms are easy to operate; simply flip them open, turn the thumb screw on the opposing side to set the tension of the lock, and when you find your desired length, snap the lock closed. I found that I was happy with the poles set to about 50″.
Made of aluminum, they’re not very heavy, though I understand carbon fiber would be even lighter. I’m not about to try using carbon fiber trekking poles though, I know I’d be too rough on them and they’d shatter within a week.
They collapse down to 26″, so they’re still too long to fit into my Ful backpack, but I’m hoping to be able to stow them in the Teton Oasis hydration pack I ordered at the same time.
Performance
Not for lack of trying, I did carry them in the main compartment of my Ful on they way up to Sandia Peak yesterday. I tried zipping the two zippers up around them but found that the weight of the poles leaning out caused them to unzip pretty hastily. They didn’t last long in that compartment.
Once we got to the top of the tram, I extended the poles out to the 50″ I find most comfortable and we got to walking. It took a minute for me to get used to having them but I soon got the hang of it and quickly found my stride. When we got to our first obstacle, I used it to help me up and over it. Having the poles for this made it immediately clear that they would be very beneficial in helping ease some of the strain on my knees and back.
I found the cork handles to be comfortable, and am expecting them to become even more comfortable as they mold to the shape of my hand. The felt-lined wrist straps were barely noticeable. At the end of the journey was an uphill walk to the restaurant so I used the lower EVA foam handles, quite convenient for short changes in terrain. Of course, for a more long term uphill or downhill hike, I’d adjust the length of the poles accordingly.
As we continued on, we found ourselves treading over packed snow. So, basically ice. I was sure to be very careful going over these patches, but even in hiking boots, I was certain to slip. I made sure to find purchase with the poles before proceeding on over these areas, and sure enough, on my first slip, I was able to prevent falling all the way down thanks to the poles. I found a good portion of my weight was reliant on the durability of the pole and sure enough, it stood up to the challenge. No bend, no slip and no collapsing.
There were times I wished I’d brought the snow baskets with me as I would be trekking along through some snowy parts the pole would sink up to the lower lock in snow.
Once we got out onto the service road at the end of our hike, I found that I could make good time using these poles on flat ground.
Conclusion
Overall, I’m very satisfied with this purchase as a pre-beginner hiker. The poles held my weight when I needed them to, they didn’t collapse at all, and the tips held fast even on ice. I’m happy with the weight and the overall portability and am looking forward to using them on hikes to come. I give this product a solid five stars for now (we’ll see if that changes based on the use of the baskets or other tips.)
I did also get the Teton Oasis hydration pack that I ordered. I plan on using that on today’s hike. I will write a review on that after I put it through its paces.
As always, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you.
-Phil
nmwanderful.travel.blog 