LEKI Corklite Trekking Pole (Pair)

I've been using Leki poles to hike the backcountry of the Northwest for 15 years. This is my 4th iteration of poles (1 pair disappeared, the other two lost in backcountry stream crossings). For me, this has been my least favorite pair. There is "some" cork on the handles but for downhill the rubber is hitting your palms which for me, was slippery and caused more friction. For the first time in a decade I had blisters on my hands after a hardy downhill descent. The quicklock is nice and functional, however it's ease was also a hinderance whereby the latches come undone easily, either by a snag on your pants/shorts or bushwhacking. On a 5 day hike I probably had between 12-20 instances of this happening. This can prove a crucial problem if gone unnoticed and you are relying on a plant while scrambling or on very steep terrain. Otherwise, the build (as on all Leki products) is sound and feels like a quality product with good but solid light weight. The baskets are sturdy and effective and the tips do their job of gripping rock and slippery terrain. Quality product, not my favorite design. Note this one does not have the shock absorption feature either.

I've now got about 70-80 miles of fairly technical trail time on these and have found them to be of excellent quality. I'm a big guy and really pound the terrain and these have held up beautifully. The only two issues I've had, and the reason I'm giving four rather than five stars, are; 1. I did have one of the poles collapse a few inches while using it during a mildly dangerous moment and 2. I managed to unlock one of the levers while swinging the pole past my leg while wearing some pretty baggy shorts. Since then, neither issue has recurred. The build quality, balance and weight of these poles makes them a very good purchase in the $120 price range.Update 3/15/2014: Had a pole collapse again. Still give them 4 stars... for now.

I bought these for a 4 day trek on the Inca trail. My knees are not so great these days, so I needed to try something. I tested out a few different pole types, and these are the set I decided to go on the long trek with. They were perfect! So why do I need to buy them twice? One of the guides on the trek liked them well enough he wanted to buy them. So when I got home, I order another set. The only thing I had to "fix" on them was, I had to put some tape on the straps. Not because the fell apart, but because the thread that was used was so stuff, it was starting to rub the back of my hand raw. I put a little tape over the threading to keep it from rubbing on my skin, and it was perfect. I will order a set for both of my parents for a trip to norway next year.

I hike a lot and use the poles to get some extra upper body exercise and for stability on back-trails.The poles are well designed, I like the way the straps can be adjusted.The speedlocks work very well.I also purchased another set of poles (at Costco): http://www.amazon.com/Cascade-Mountain-Carbon-Fiber-Trekking/dp/B007E0ZBZI/These come very close to these Lekis and are very light and super cheap, but are obviously not as well built. If I would go abroad or on a local long hike I would still select the LekisI was a little surprised Leki does not give any accessories with their poles. Just a couple of flimsy protection caps for the tips, but no rubber feet. A bit disappointing for the price.

These have been very good, lightweight, and stable for me, as my son and I hiked through the Alps, from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland. On our fourth day out, however, I fell crossing some hugh rocks, and my right stick lodged in between the rocks, preventing a serious fall and an injury for me, but bending the stick severely in the fall. I straightened it as best I could, without tools, and I was able to use them, but the bent stick would not collapse for storage. I hope to get a warranty replacement from Leki asap.

I've been using this model of Leki poles for the past year on my hikes to various state high points in the US. They really help negotiate terrane, both uphill and downhill, while hiking, and they are easy to adjust. They collapse down short enough to allow them to fit into a relatively small piece of luggage. Recently, after accidentally irreparably damaging one of the poles, I was able to find another set at Amazon. This pair was priced substantially lower than what was available online from any of the traditional outdoor gear stores. I am very pleased with the performance and the quality of the Leki Corklite poles.

I did a lot of research before buying these poles, including using them at the Joe Dodge Lodge to hike into Tuckerman's Ravine. I'm not a big fan of poles that you have to twist to lock into place, I like the adjustment mechanism on these. These are light, they get pretty compact so you can easily throw them on the back of the backpack and the quality of the product is good. One review on Amazon threw me off a little because they said these were flimsy and they could get much better poles for less dollars, but I want light weight poles and I have already put them through their paces and have to disagree with that review (unless you want to carry around heavy poles).

After having gone on many hikes with a cheapo telescoping pole that I bought at a "big box" store, I decided to take the plunge and get some "real" trekking poles. I love them. It's seriously a night and day difference between these and the cheap pole I was using. The flip locks work great. A huge improvement over the twist locks on my old pole that would freeze in place quite often. These are light and can support my rather hefty frame if I need to use them when encountering rough terrain. The grips are very comfortable. I honestly can't think of anything to say against them. Definitely one of my better gear purchases.