Wal Mart Poles vs the Expensive Stuff

[grouseking]

Dunno if this should belong in Q and A, but since its related to gear I'll toss it in here....

My "hardcore", expensive poles are officially busted (bent) after a hike this weekend...80 dollar whoopsie. I see there are some 20 dollar poles at wal mart. That is really all I might be able to afford these days.

Does anybody use the Wally World brand? I think I'm going to buy them. Hell, the good ones only lasted 10 months!! I know I'm kinda rough on stuff but that was ridiculous. What's the point it shelling out 80-100 bucks for something like poles if they are going to bust in less than a year. If I get 10 months out of a 20 dollar pole...I'll still be upset, but not as much if they are more expensive.

 

[mtruman]

We used to use the "cheapo" poles when we first started hiking. I have to say that they weren't too bad. Occasionally one of the expanders would break or the pole would bend but big deal, cheap to replace. I had bought a new cheap pair from Lahout's summit shop a few weeks before we were going to do a multi-day hut hike a few years ago. I even asked Chuck about them when I bought them and he said "yeah, they're cheap but for generally knocking around they should be fine". The next day, on my first use of them one of the expanders failed. I took them back, got my money back and swore off the cheap poles forever. If that pole had failed one day into a 4 day hike I would have been screwed. I went to REI and go two pairs of Shocklights (one each for my wife and I).

We've now had them for going on 4 years and other than replacing one set of expanders (which jammed and left the poles open and usable) they've been flawless after hundreds of miles. The good news is that since I bought them at REI they will replace them for free FOREVER if they do fail. They actually offered to give me a new set of poles when the expanders failed but I opted to just replace the expanders since they don't make that particular model any more and I really wanted to keep them.

Sorry for the long winded response but in my opinion my trekking poles are about the most valuable piece of gear that I've got. With my bad knees they make the difference between being able to hike or not.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Great thread. Mark, interesting response. I go through at least three pairs of hiking poles a year. Guess I'm fairly rough on them...they bend, snap, lose parts, etc. Doesn't seem to matter what kind I have -- Leki, Walmart, whatever, I kill them quickly.

I haven't tried Shocklights. Sounds like getting a pair through REI is the way to go.

 

[Chip]

I've had Swissgear poles from Walmart for several years now. They eventually stop adjusting, either won't tighten or won't losen, so pick a length, tighten them down, leave them there and you'll get a good run out of them for the money. Paradox did pick up some nice BD Flicklocks on Steep and Cheap for like $50, though, so you might catch something like that too.

 

[Amicus]

I bought two of Walmart's "Outdoor" in-house brand of flick-lock ("faux Black Diamond") 3-stage poles last summer, sold singly for $13.88 each. (They were also selling Outdoor twist-lock - "faux Leki" - for $19.88 a pair.)

I thought I had found a great bargain after a few easy hikes, but then I hiked a rough stretch of the Bunnell Notch Tr. across the Terraces and within a mile, both the suckers snapped, right in the middle of a stage, which had never happened to the various real BDs and Lekis I've used over the years. Cheap crap, in my view, and a classic example of getting what I paid for.

 

[NeoAkela]

I've gone through 3 pairs of "Ocean State Job Lot" poles ($10 each) in about 3 years. You definitely get what you pay for - mine were fine in the summer but busted in the winter. First thing to go is the little knob that adjusts the pole length - soon you find yourself leaning to one side or the other and re-tightening your poles frequently.

I gave up on these last year and just grabbed a cheap pair of yard-sale alpine ski poles. They don't fold up for storage, so I am stuck with them for the whole hike... but they are sturdy and take a beating without any complaint, so I'm sticking with them!

 

[--M.]

Wow, are you the king of grousing or what?!

Just kidding. I have two options:

==Cheap for most everything (Ocean State Job Lot, $10/pole..., or the Walmart specials are fine, too); I find that the baskets are too small for snow, tho. [Edit: I use 'em short, like a cane, rather than long, like a staff, and they last pretty well that way. This wouldn't work if I used 'em long; I'd need super-tough ones for everything, then.]

==Black Diamond ("Traverse") replacement shafts cost $13 (http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/spare-parts). I bent one last year and got the replacement done with no trouble. I use powder baskets on 'em. This is what I use for skiing and winter hiking.

Good luck!

 

[ksearl]

Another avenue to look into is LL Bean. My wife and I used the cheaper LL Bean poles (paid $35 for each set I believe) and beat the crap out of them our first hiking season. When we pulled them out for our second season, we found they would no longer extract due to corrosion on the aluminum shafts (I never pulled them apart to air out). Sent them back to LL Bean and got two brand new pairs based on their satisfaction guarantee. As long as they say LL Bean on them, you can always return them if you don't feel they lasted the length of time they should have.

We now have Leki and the one thing I can say about the more expensive Leki pole's that I have vs. the cheaper LL Bean poles is the gripping power of the carbide tip. It makes all the difference to me. The LL Bean poles have been retired to be snowshoeing poles only at this point.

Good luck with whatever you purchase!

Karl

 

[peakbagger]

I dont use Walmart poles, but have found pieces of them in the woods on various hikes. Walmart probably sources them from many companies and I expect the various middlemen swap manufacturers frequently and buy on price with minimal quality control.

The issue with these poles I have observed is very weak pole tips in combination with carbide inserts that either wear out or fall out. The net result once the carbide is gone is a rapidly worn pole tip that eventually leads to wear on the aluminum pole. I also have seen that once there is the start of a slight bend in the pole sections that they fail far more rapidly than Leki's.

Given the average walmart customer and what they want for gear, I expect that the poles are fine for light walks in the woods, but typical white mountain hiking with rocks, roots and holes is probably not their intented use.
Given the odds that they are used once or twice by the typical consumer and then stored away or left at a trailhead, they probably are fine.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Leki stands behind their poles. See this thread (or others, search on Leki) for more details. Many of here have dealt with Melanie at Leki for replacement poles/parts/sections.

Tim

 

[blacknblue]

Of all the equipment to spend money on, poles are near the bottom of my list. I just use an old pair of ski poles for my hiking, and have for years, and they work fine. I've been using poles on every hike for 7-8 years, work them pretty decently, and no real issues. I trade them out whenever I get new ski poles, and I don't think I've ever paid more than $20 at a ski swap for poles.

 

[loanshark]

Walmart poles

I bought a pair of the Walmart poles a couple of years ago. They only lasted about 2 weeks. They bend and break in no time. Save your money.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Despite the negative reviews of the Walmart poles, I know several people who use them, and they seem to last OK, except for the tips. Always save the tips of old poles, especially if they are carbide. The cheap pole tips wear out fast, and for the most part - tips are interchangeable.

 

[erugs]

The only problem I've had with my poles is when they get lost, but in that case the airline lost my baggage. I've got Leiki poles and they have held up very well. The only time one bent was when I was falling downhill and had the wrist strap attached and got all tangled up. I've removed the wrist straps now since I won't use them and they annoy me when they dangle.

 

[Brambor]

Replacement Parts?

Seems like the replacement parts for many poles are interchangeable. Does anyone have a good source for replacement parts? I have a pair of Leki and a pair of LLBean poles that could use a disassembly and parts replacement.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Another option: wooden hiking sticks. Drewski makes fantastic wooden hiking sticks -- he made one for Alex a couple of years ago and I often borrow it. No breaking, no bending, no snapping.

 

[DougPaul]

Seems like the replacement parts for many poles are interchangeable. Does anyone have a good source for replacement parts? I have a pair of Leki and a pair of LLBean poles that could use a disassembly and parts replacement.

Leki sells replacement parts for their poles at the usual hiking stores. See, for instance, http://www.rei.com/search?query=Leki&button.x=0&button.y=0 and scroll to the bottom of the page.

FWIW, I have a set of 2-section Lekis that I use in winter that are in fine shape after 30+ years and a set of 3-section Lekis that are also in fine shape after ~20 years. All it takes is occasional maintenance*, care not to catch them in holes etc when using them, and a bit of luck (ie not falling on them).

* I have described how to clean and lubricate them in previous threads.

Doug

 

[sierra]

Wal-mart prices are cheap because what they sell is cheap period. I NEVER skimp on gear and believe me, Im not rich. I used Leki's for years, they are top of the line, I'd get 6 years at least out of them. I tried EMS brand when I got them on sale, 3 years dead. Now Im in Black diamond flintlocks, Ive had them for 4 seasons, they are the best Ive used period, light, strong, easier to adjust and reliable in all conditions.
trust me I worked at walmart in 2 states, they are not a company with any scruples, that shirt your wearing is cheap there, but a 14 year old chinese girl made it for you and she's not profitiing from the work believe me. We must take responsibilty for our purchases globally and locally. Im not willing to save a buck at the cost to someone else, no matter where they are and I believe, unless people stand up for the exploytation of anyone, anywhere, those putting profit above whats right for workers are just going to continue to get richer and richer off the backs of poor people, its just not right. We all make the world the way it is, everyday.

 

[Quietman]

The Job Lots poles have worked fine for me, and I picked mine up for $5 each on one of their sales. I just grabbed 3 so I had an extra. I have also used ski poles many times and while they aren't adjustable, they are nearly bullet-proof. I do have a favorite 25 year old wooden hiking stick that I have attached a ski pole hand strap to, but that only comes out in the summer.

 

[Brambor]

Thanks

My son ripped one Leki right out of the socket last Sunday while skiing. He says the basket got caught in the orange plastic netting and the pole section ripped right out. It broke the internal aluminum screw in half. I'm not even sure I'll be able to extricate the parts but it is worth a try.

Leki sells replacement parts for their poles at the usual hiking stores. See, for instance, http://www.rei.com/search?query=Leki&button.x=0&button.y=0 and scroll to the bottom of the page.

FWIW, I have a set of 2-section Lekis that I use in winter that are in fine shape after 30+ years and a set of 3-section Lekis that are also in fine shape after ~20 years. All it takes is occasional maintenance*, care not to catch them in holes etc when using them, and a bit of luck (ie not falling on them).

* I have described how to clean and lubricate them in previous threads.

Doug