PacerPoles are excellent although the shape of the handle will make them difficult to use as a tent pole.

Get Pacer Pole to send you a joiner section and turn then into a tent pole without the handles. I have.

There are probably as many opinions on walking poles out there as there are manufacturers of walking poles.

I can only give you my personal experiences of (a) using poles as walking poles and (b) using poles as tent supports.

As far as the use of walking poles I totally agree with Gordie. They provide support on uneven ground, going down and up hill and helping to find depths when trying to cross streams. I used to be in the walking poles are not necessary camp but having decided to try them I would not attempt a Challenge without them. On some days they are unnecessary and they stay attached to my pack but on the days that I need them I am very grateful that I have got them.

I used to use to the twist locks poles but found that the sections kept slipping especially when going down hill or over difficult ground. So I switched to flick lock poles and have found them much more reliable.

I have heard those who have Pacer Poles highly recommend them but not having them I can not comment directly other than my Black Diamond poles also have an ergonomically angled grip which I find more comfortable than the straight poles.

I use a Tarptent Stratospire 1 with which I use both my walking poles as the main supports. I find it easy to adjust the tension in the tent to provide the best possible support to the ridge line which in turn has always provided me with a stable tent in periods of strong wind and rain.

However I do carry one spare shock corded aluminium pole just in case I break a walking pole en-route, which I have not done on the Challenge but I have done weekend walks, and being a bit of a braces & belt person I don't want to without a fully functioning tent in the middle of the mountains.

So there's my tuppence worth but I would say go for them.

Hope that helps

Hi Wilf, and welcome to your first Challenge.
I always carry walking poles but use don't use them much of the time for just walking. They are great for keeping my balance on rough ground or steep downhill sections, and for when I'm getting really tired, but far more useful for helping when crossing burns, testing the depth of mud before stepping into it, and warding off cattle or other livestock.
Like Ray, I have a (new) Stratosphere 1 which I intend to use on this year's challenge so the poles will double up as shelter supports.
I favour poles with extended handles so that I can move my hands up and down rather than having to adjust the pole length when walking on uneven ground or slopes. I've been very pleased with Mountain King lightweight poles that weigh in at just 200g each. These have the usual twist locks on them rather than the lever locks, but I've found them reliable. Hope this helps.

Hi Wilf and welcome.

I use poles for pretty much the same reasons as Gordie, Ray and Kirsten, and wouldn't do without them for any long distance walk. I especially value them for river crossings and for helping my dodgy knees, though I have not yet had to use them for warding off livestock.

I have also had problems with twist lock poles slipping. My solution is to use fixed length Black Diamond Z poles, which are very light.

I was worried about using these poles to pitch my Duomid, but found the idea by Colin Ibbotson described here (in the Duomid section of the article) works really well for me.

Thanks, Emma, useful tip about lighter poles. Might have to puzzle this one out as I need 2 to pitch my new shelter and don't want to carry a spare as that would defeat the objective of reducing overall weight.

Am I the only cheapskate here? Having bent or broken numerous poles, I now tend towards the cheap and cheerful end of the market. Breaking an £80 set of poles is devastating for the wallet, whilst the same mishap with a £20 bargain pair from my local store is just about acceptable. I'll admit that I do demand a lot from them, using them on rougher ground than most folk. Those lightweight poles are lovely indeed but a slip on a section of steep ground will have them twisted or snapped in a split second.

So yes, go for poles for the reasons stated but I'm really not convinced that superior performance or ergonomics reflects the superior price. And when the inevitable happens, I'm not hugely out of pocket.

Colin

I'm with CC. Years ago I did buy a pair of Leki, whilst out in Chamonix, at a really good price, but was never really happy with them. If not used for a while the locking mechanism jammed and I never got on with the spring loading. So a few years ago I found a cheap pair of Karrimore, supposedly carbon, very light poles with lever locks. I have used them for several Challenges as well as every day hikes over local hills and they are still going strong. For £30 I thought them a good buy.
As for poles on the Challenge? I'd never go without them.

Thank you to all for the helpful replies, it is great to have such a pool of knowledge to draw upon. I am looking forward to May and hopefully sharing some Challenge experiences!

Hey Wilf!

I use walking poles, but I'm relatively young with strong knees, so I generally only use them for ascents or descents. On the rare occasion that I want to travel really fast, they can help take some of the load off your legs.


I also so you a Henry Shires Tarptent, which uses 1 stick as a pole. I have absolutely loved it, but have found it slightly less resilient to weather than it's compatriots.

Hi Wilf,

I have used walking poles for 20 years. The science says they take some load off your legs. The benefits they give me are: (1) More power / speed for ascents and flat walking, (2)braking effect when going down hill, (3) stability on rough terrain, (4) excellent '3rd leg' for fording rivers, (5) pole vaulting over streams and bogs (they take quite a weight!), and finally (6) they hold my 'Notch' Tarptent up. I use Cotswold's Fitzan Ultralight poles at 330g for the pair. They are good and importantly, they are far cheaper than other poles. I used to use poles with shock absorbers - they are fine if you are walking on hard surfaces but as a qualified physiotherapist I remain sceptical about the advertising suggesting they reducing repetitive strain on wrists when walking cross country. Related to your question, my Notch Tarptent uses walking poles. I am 189cm tall and it fits me far better than my TN Laser Comp. The Notch has uses 4 or 6 pegs depending on the weather. I use 2 carbon pegs from my TN Laser Comp and 4 Ti V pegs (Alpkit do a great deal) for stormy weather.

Best wishes,

Simon