Cascade Mountain Tech Lightweight Aircraft-Grade Aluminum Trekking Poles with Extended Down Grip Plus Tip Kit

I’ve had this kind of trekking poles before, that was 50 years ago. That was start of my backpacking life through the Sierras.I purchased these poles because I have had a stroke and they were recommended for my rehab. They are to help my brain make connection with my arms and feet. I’ve come a long way since the foot dragging and arm lax at my side days. I hope that these trekking poles will help me get back to walking as normal.These trekking poles from cascade seem to be of very good aircraft, aluminum, and will withstand the use and abuse so I’m going to give them.Take my advice and buy these poles if you think you need them and never have a stroke.

I was surprised by the sturdy bag to keep the poles and endpoints in. I loved how the poles were marked so I could easily keep the same height on both poles. They were a cinch to lock in place (although I did peek at the easy directions). I am going to love using these trekking poles around the neighborhood so that my heart has to work harder (without feeling extra exertion). Win win!

These trekking poles are great, they’re easy to adjust, easy to assemble they sturdy. They aren’t the lightest poles out there, but will definitely help you stay balanced in trail. The only reason for 4 stars is a rattle in one of the poles, I purchased these for my son, so I don’t hear it as much, and it doesn’t bother him.

Wanted support while walking but I'm not ready for a cane. These are modern, strong, and easy to use. I feel more secure taking walks while using them.

There are several 1 star reviews saying the trekking poles collapse. You MUST ENGAGE THE LOCKING PIN. This is my first experience with trekking poles. The instructions were easy to follow and the poles slide together easily. Pull down until the locking pin engages and Voilà!!

These worked great for a newbie. They made our 20-mile race through the hills much easier and, honestly, more fun.

Everyone tells me that they are too tall for me, but when I walk with sticks with my hands at my elbows, I start to bend forward like an old lady. With these poles (I wish they could even be 6 inches taller), help me stand up straight. They are light weight. The quick snaps hold and don't let the pole collapse. I can compact them when I'm not using them so they don't trip anyone. Then 2 quick snaps & twist, they are tall again. Much easier assembly than the twist-torque poles. Yes, they are more expensive than the twist-torque poles, but well worth the extra, in my book.

It's like having a second set of eyes on the trail! Our trip was to Isle Royale National Park and although it wasn't my first time there, it had been about 15 years since I was there last. Needless to say, I'm a bit older and achier with joints that are starting to creak more. I know what the trails are like there and I thought it would be a smart and safer idea to try trekking poles for this trip. Since I didn't know what to expect from using trekking poles, I did not want to spend a whole lot in case I didn't like them. Well these poles exceeded my expectations and at a fair price to boot. I'm not clumsy and there were still a handful of times I may have seriously sprained a knee or ankle if it weren't for the stability of these poles. Not a good predicament in back country like this.The poles were easy to get used to with my steps. On the rocky and rooted parts of the trails, I planted the poles slower about every other step and they provided good stability and balance. On the rare smoother parts of the trails I planted the poles quicker with each step and they provided some propulsion to make a quicker pace. On declines and big down steps, they took some of the exertion off my knees. And for short inclines it was easy to drop my hand to a lower grip to get some umpfh to step up. The wrist straps came at just the right length (they are adjustable even tho I didn't realize that until the last day LOL), and when I lowered my grip for those inclines, they provided a sling-like support on the back of my hands to help pull me up. In some areas where we had a lot of continuous incline or decline, it was quick and easy to change the length of the poles with the quick lock mechanisms for those situations. Some of the trails were narrow boardwalks where you couldn't really plant a pole. So in those parts I held the poles together, horizontally to be more like a balancing pole.I thought I might get tired of holding them all the time, but not so. The cork grips were comfortable the entire trip. They never got sweaty or slippery and I didn't get any blisters. If I needed hands free at any time, the wrist straps held the poles close enough to grab again easily.This pole set came with 4 different sets of tips. I debated taking the rubber tips along since I knew it would be so rocky. (The poles had shipped with those tips on.) In the end I took them off and decided to go without any tips, just the bare tungsten carbide tips as they were. On the trail I was especially impressed by how well these bare tungsten carbide tips "gripped" even on the giant, relatively smooth, sloped boulders we had to go over. They never slipped once.The trails on Isle Royale are pretty rough. It's a watch-your-every-step kind of hiking. Even so, these poles allowed me to glance up more to see our surroundings. If I stepped wrong on a rock or root I didn't see, the poles (which I had planted ahead of my steps) were like second eyes, and gave me the balance to survive a misstep. We got a lot of rain on this trip and many trails were also flooded in parts. The poles made it possible to feel below the surface of the water if there were solid steps we could use to step on, or how deep a puddle really was. We even had a short whitewater crossing due to heavy rains and those poles were extremely helpful then.If I were to give one negative point about these poles it's that the lines and measurements were wearing off by the end of the trip. They went through a lot of water which probably didn't help matters though.Overall, I would highly recommend these poles. They are comfortable, light, strong and easy to use. As for myself, I intend to use them for all my hiking trips from now on.