NACATIN Hiking Poles Collapsible Trekking Sticks - Cork Grip Walking Pole Ultralight Aluminum Folding Walking Stick 2 Pack with Antishock Quick Lock System for Trekking, Hiking,Climbing,Backpacking

These are my second set of $30 trekking poles. I purchased a first set by a different manufacturer for hiking. Unfortunately, they made a loud rattling noise every time the poles hit the ground. Fortunately, the NACATINs do not make the rattling noise. I used the NACATIN poles on 3 hikes so far and I am very satisfied.Pros:- Length Adjustment: 105 cm to 125 cm. At 5'8" tall, I use the 110 cm setting on level ground.- Locking Mechanism: The 3 sections are held together by a steel cord encased in PVC. One push button lock at the top tightens and holds all 3 sections. Assembly and disassembly of the sections is fast and easy. The pole feels solid once the sections are connected, the top section pulled all the way out, and the locking button pops out. The locking mechanism used by NACATIN appears similar to ones used on more expensive trekking poles such as Leki- Flip Locks: The metal flip locks allow adjustment in pole length. Metal ones should be more sturdy and durable than plastic ones used on other inexpensive poles.- Grip Material: Cork. The cork handles feel more comfortable for me than the EVA Foam handles I tried. Cork resists moisture from sweaty hands. EVA Foam absorbs moisture.- Pole Tips: The 4 tips (rubber, boot, mud, snow) are more than enough for all walking and hiking conditions.- Folded Size and weight: 15.5 inches & 10.5 oz per pole. There are lighter poles that fold to a smaller size at this price point but the NACATINs feel solid, sturdy, and light enough.Cons:- Hand straps: Both straps are identical and fit one hand better than the other. Left and right handed straps would fit both hands better. Extra padding would also help.

I wrote the following review and need to take it all back! My sincere apologies! I was in such a hurry and was so excited when I received my poles that I didn't watch the video about the assembly. BUT they should have come with some simple instructions and this would not have happened! Is my face RED! I could not get them to go together correctly due to my own USER ERROR! I'm sure these are wonderful poles, but be sure that you watch the video so that you know how to assemble them correctly, unlike myself! I wish I had done so and not have gone through the whole mess of returning them.First Review: These poles come with a light weight cable connecting the three sections. The upper section is adjustable for length.You must slide the cable into the section above it and insert the lower section into its upper counterpart. But there is no way to make it stay there, so when you try to walk and lift up the pole, it falls apart! Plus, the upper section that is expandable, has a clamp to hold it in the extended position you desire, and with any pressure, it slides down! I love the compact size and all of the walking pieces. I have other hiking poles that I use for backpacking but needed something compact to take on a trip overseas. These will not go with me!

I am not an Ultralight backpacker, I found these poles to be of a very sturdy construction. It's also very nice looking with some padding on the straps.VERY IMPORTANTJust like previous comments have pointed out, the folding and set up of these poles are tricky at first. I will strongly advice that you watch the demonstration video clip first. Once you get the hang of it, it actually becomes a snap to setup in just about 30 secs. It can be folded small or just in half (for a quick deployment)Being a heavy backpacker, at 6' tall, it fits and supports me together with my non Ultralight backpack on steep descents well. (palming and such).I like that the baskets (included) are not just pushed in but are screwed on. the cap and boot tip that go over the tungsten tip are unfortunately NOT screwed on as also found on many other poles. The disadvantage of this is that it may sometime pull off if it gets stuck between rocks or tough mud.In conclusion, I will recommend this Aluminium poles for its strength in terms of holding up your weight together with your backpack.It's not the lightest on the market especially compared with the carbon lighties. I guess thats a little price for strength and probably good durability (I haven't used it long enough to comment on this)Will I buy it again, yes I will, - for it's easy set up. Strange but EASY after you learn how to.

So I went to Bass Pro and looked at poles from $39 - $159 and they got really weak at the lowest point.. These stay solid all the way to the bottom, are solid and snap together nicely. Also when you unsnap them they are small enough to fit in the compartment on my water backpack. The ones that use buckets to keep lowering are still long. But if I was going on a short hike and wasn't sure if I wanted to carry these or not I could easily throw 1 or both in the camel pack that holds water when I go for a walk.. plus by not having buckles to tighten in 3 different places I don't have to worry about one come lose .. Did a ton of research,, These are a great deal..

If you haven't used collapsible poles before, make sure you understand how to assemble them before your first use. Once we went on YouTube to actually find out how to put them together, these poles exceeded our expectations. The directions included with the poles were DEFINATELY deficient! They were not at all clear about how to extend & lock the poles, in fact, they left out the fact that the lock button was not visible UNTIL you pulled the section where it is located, out as far as it would go! Once we figured that out, we were good to go. My husband took them (in his luggage) to Philmont Scout Ranch, and used them on rough, rocky trails for 7 days. He said they felt strong & stable, as well as light. He REALLY liked the fact they collapsed into a small enough length to easily fit inside the pack (when he only used a single pole) or luggage!