OUTAD Ultralight Carbon Fiber External Quick Lock Trekking Pole/Walking Stick/Alpenstock, 1 Stick

While there are many out there that enjoy the use of two trekking poles there is certainly a place for those that use the traditional walking stick. One stick as the third point of contact while you are walking not only helps your balance when you are exhausted but can also offset some of the weight of your arm as you are hiking long distances. If you are going to use a walking stick why not use one that is well made and light as a feather. Intro the OUTAD Ultralight Carbon Fiber External Quick Lock Walking Stick. This walking stick weights in at 7.6 ounces and includes quality parts and construction. The extended grip is quite comfortable and the wrist strap is adjustable and fits well. The shaft of the walking stick included graduated markings in both inches and centimeter thus making adjustment simple for any country. The flick lock system while made with plastic parts seems well designed and rugged enough to handle the rigors of the trail. One exceptionally nice feature is the use of a Leki style tightening system for the flick lock. Makes adjustment a snap (no pun intended). The shaft is made of what appears to be a light weight material but the entire body is covered in designs so its tough to officially verify that it is carbon fiber but the pole is certainly light. One drawback to a carbon fiber is that if you nick the carbon fiber it can eventually splinter and break on you, however with the apparent thick coat of design paint, it would seem to be pretty tough to nick the shaft of this pole as you were using it on the trail. The tips appear to be well made and should last for many trips through the back country. If I could ding this product on anything I would say it would be the price and the storage bag. As far as the price is concerned you only get one pole for $35.00. If you were to do some searching you could find the Cascade Mountain poles which seem to be the exact same pole but with the Cascade Mountain set you actually get a set of trekking poles (that is two poles), snow baskets, sand baskets, regular tips, and concrete walking tips. The OUTAD product does come with a storage bag which to be honest is of little to no use for anyone. If you are someone who uses a set of trekking poles you can certainly do some searching and find a better deal, but if you are in the market for a walking stick then its hard to go wrong with the OUTAD Ultralight Carbon Fiber External Quick Lock Walking Stick. This walking stick was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  This is the lightest trekking pole I've used, and I see that as a HUGE benefit since I'm often carrying my pole on my pack. Note that it comes with most of the usual things that poles like this have: a screw-on basket, a tip cover, collapsible sections, and a wrist strap.As I mention in my video, one thing I would have liked to have seen on this pole would be a little compass on the top -- as I find that very handy. So I've ordered some of these compasses and will simply epoxy one to the top of the pole:  Hard Shell Fuel Liquid Filled Compass One other modification that I do to all of my poles: I put some hot glue on the tip cap, just to keep it in place so it doesn't fall off when I'm walking. If I need to pull the cap off, I can -- but I won't lose it. I've lost too many tip caps to count, and seen twice as many out there on the trails. They just fall off too easily.This pole may be a very little bit more floppy/flexible than some heavier aluminum poles, but I don't see that as a problem. This pole is pretty cool in terms of its design.I was provided a free sample in exchange for my honest review.

The first thing to note, is this is one pole. If you want two, you will need to order the second.That said, it worked out as an excellent hiking / trail pole in the deep snow of the Sequoia national forest in a bit of a blizzard. It uses a fairly simple system of latches, allowing you to extend and collapse the length in 3 pieces. Being tall I really appreciate how far it extends out safely. The rubber grip is comfortable and it comes with a fairly normal but/water guard. All of that said, its light weight, sturdy and colorful, and I was quite happy with it this weekend.I was provided a sample for a fair review, but you can see from the photo's I definitely used it.