I recently lost a constant companion to my walks after completing the Traverse of the Beaufortain. My companion, my Leki Makalu poles that were still going strong after at least 15 years.
What should I replace them with? I had become irritated by the occasional ?unlocking? of the twist locking mechanism on my Lekis. So, I was keen for my new poles to have a ?cam? type mechanism less prone to failure and sudden shortening at inconvenient moments. I wanted poles that were multi-purpose to use for all my activities, walking, skiing and snowshoeing too. The Leki’s were titanium so were very light and picking up some poles they immediately felt heavy in my hand. I wanted them to be compact when strapped to the side of my sack or when travelling.
Being in the fortunate position of a ?good deal? with Komperdell I looked at their range of poles. I considered some of the ?folding? poles but was a bit unsure about the durability of the mechanism and how it would cope with dirt and dust. I’ve replaced them with a pair of Komperdell Compact 3 poles. They have 3 sections and are partly in carbon fibre so they are extremely light.
Carbon fibre doesn’t corrode like aluminium that gets that white powdery residue. The handle is made from a ?foam? so it’s comfortable to hold and warm in winter. The three sections are locked with a robust feeling ?cam? mechanism. The baskets are inter-changeable so I can use either large snow baskets or more compact ones for the summer.
Komperdell is an Austrian brand that is highly regarded by competitive skiers. So, the quality of the poles is high. If I hadn’t had a good deal I would also look at Leki, Black Diamond and Dynafit.
