Ultra Distance z-poles

Ultra Distance z-poles Description

The Ultra Distance z-poles is a accessory brought to you by Black Diamond. Read Ultra Distance z-poles reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. Check out a few other accessory recommendations below or explore all accessories to find the perfect one for you!

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Ultra Distance z-poles Reviews

Read reviews for the Ultra Distance z-poles by Black Diamond as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

My first non-telescoping…

Submitted by: kaulua on 7/8/2015
My first non-telescoping trekking poles, they have quickly become my favorite poles of all time.

Pros:
Extremely lightweight Compact
Functional

Cons:
Fixed small baskets

I had used telescoping type poles for years and was unsure if I would like this design. Now after extensive use, I will use nothing else. I even bought a second pair just to have ones in reserve for when these wear out. The light weight is the most prominent feature. They barely feel like anything in your hands. Sometimes when I want to move fast, I'll choke up to the midsections and just run with them, swinging them like a baton. They hardly get in the way.

But the other prominent feature is the ease with which they set up or break down. I find this to be much faster than telescoping poles. When broken down, they are also a lot shorter than telescoping poles, making it easy to stick them inside any suitcase or backpack. I even mailed them in a flat rate box along with some other carry-on-prohibited items so that I wouldn't have to pay a checked baggage fee flying from FL to CO. The 120 cm just fit in a medium box if placed diagonally. These get a huge A+ for travel convenience.

The small fixed baskets are perhaps the major detractor. I don't find them to be too much a problem but they have taken a beating from my hikes in rough terrain. The carbon shafts have also sustained some deep scratches from rocks but so far nothing fatal. It's really easy to wedge these into holes when hiking scree fields, probably more so than with trekking poles having larger baskets. You just have to be careful.

Finally, many may be concerned about how much strain these will hold up to. My advice is just don't be disillusioned about your size and weight. If you are a heavier-set person, then maybe these just aren't for you. I am pretty slender, so I don't put a lot of strain them. But when I have leaned into them, they have always felt study enough for my weight.

I would hate for BD to beef them up just to satisfy those that call for more robustness. There are plenty of more robust options out there to choose from, so please BD, continue to provide lightweight options!