Review:
Leki Poles
There is so much written about hiking poles. I believe that the older hiker should definitely use two high quality hiking poles. When I trekked in Nepal, the poles made a difference between struggling and enjoying hiking in the Himalayas. I know that awful feeling of having a trekking pole break the first day in Nepal for a 30 day hike.
Leki is committed to making the best product - in fact, they have a lifetime guarantee! When at Trail Days in Virginia, they will recondition any pole that comes to their tent. Boy, are they busy. I have never had a Leki pole break. The company wants to educate hikers on how to take care of their poles so they last!
I use my poles for skiing, dayhiking, backpacking, and Nordic walking. Would you believe, they are also my tent poles? Now that's what I call value!
Before getting these, we did our research as to why carbon instead of aluminum. Carbon is lighter and stiffer than aluminum, getting a great swing weight. It is also a better natural absorber of vibration. We have used these poles for hiking, snowshoeing and traveling and found them extremely versatile. The anatomically formed grip is comfortable for all terrain and the super simple speed lock system is so easy to use.
Someone suffering from arthritis will have no problems getting a tight adjustment. We love how small they fold up and comes with a storage bag which is awesome while traveling. When using them for day hiking, they can easily fit into the day pack when not in use. susan1684The antishock system reduces impact force by around 40%, relieving joints and ligaments, especially important with the aging population. Weighing in at just 252 g., it always gets packed for that possible hike in all seasons.
How cool is it to have a hiking pole specifically made for a woman?! The grip sits perfectly in my hand and provides a large supporting surface on the handle.
Leki has done it again! They have taken their already incredible trekking poles and more versatile! The new micro series breaks down to a 15 inch pack size which is perfect for throwing in your travel bag or daypack.
First tested on the trail they lived up to the reputation of Leki- they were quick and easy to assemble with the push button release mechanism and are easily adjustable to the perfect height using the Speedlock adjustment system. The Aergon grip with its edgeless shape was comfortable the entire hike.
I have come to the point that trekking poles are a necessity, both in the ascent as well as saving my knees heading downhill. The stability that the poles offer is a huge safety issue for me as well. Because these poles are SO light, weighing in at just 16.8 oz for the pair, I find that I throw them in whenever I travel, just in case I get the opportunity to hit the trail!
One thing you can count on with Leki is they want to keep up with making the best hiking poles on the market. For the over fifties market, they understand that we don't necessarily have the grip strength to get a firm seal on the right length of the hiking pole. It can be very dangerous when the hiking pole collapses when hiking, especially when on uneven terrain. These quickly became a favorite pole to use whether backpacking, hiking, or just using them for steady walking.
To solve the problem of not having grip strength, Leki has developed a speedlock locking system. All you have to do is unlatch the red lever, pull out the pole to the correct length and snap the red lever back in place. Our reviewer really appreciated this when using the hiking poles at the end of the day using them for tent poles. The handles and grips are so comfortable, you don't need to wear gloves.
These poles come with all the features we have come to love with Leki. They have an interchangeable basket system, a carbide flextip and only weigh 16.8 ounces a pair. You can adjust the pole length from 67 to 135 cm.
Although most people think of Leki as the hiking pole experts, they have wonderful ski poles for all type of skier. We tried the Flair S ski pole and after skiing half a season with them, had no bend in the pole. They were especially comfortable with the mittens Leki offers that has a clip so when you are riding up the chair, you can instantly remove the pole from your wrist.
This was invaluable as a ski instructor, since we are always helping our students at a moment's notice. The grip is form fitting to the hand and the pole is eye catching. It is nice to combine practicality with style! These poles can be used with regular mittens and you fasten the strap to the glove, then still can clip out of the pole.
You need to look no further for excellent poles for a low impact sport than Leki and the Nordic walking poles. This is a sport you can do in any weather and gives you a much better workout than just walking. As we get older, it is a good idea to have more places hitting the ground, so our balance is better.
One of our reviewers used these after major surgery to walk and got strength much faster than using two canes. She also said, she felt emotionally more normal using the poles instead of canes that are associated with "older" people.
...Fiftysense Product Review Panel