You'll be Trekking into any Canyon with these Leki Poles.
Written: Apr 25 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lightweight, stable, affordable, comfortable.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: I love the Leki Canyon Poles. The antishock is fantastic; the design of the handles and the light weight is wonderful.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Leki Canyon Trekking Poles |
In January I reviewed the Leki Wanderfreund Hiking Pole. After using it and really liking it my husband decided he wanted one and that I would be better off with two poles. He agreed to hold one if I needed a hand to get up a rock. So he bought me Leki Canyon Extreme Antishock Poles. We’ve had beautiful weather (finally) here in Massachusetts so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use these poles.
What they are like:
Unlike the Wanderfreund, the Canyons are a set so there are two poles. I really do find having two helpful for me. I wasn’t sure I would. I thought I might feel encumbered but since I rarely carry our EMS Aqua Day I’m fine with the two poles. Hiking poles are essentially ski poles that have been modified to reduce stress on your body while walking. However they have come out with nice antishock systems which make a huge difference.
The Leki Canyon Extreme are lightweight. When I think back about the dead pieces of wood I used to carry I cringe! Each pole consists of 3 adjustable pieces making it perfect for the varied terrain we tend to find ourselves on. They are made of "super light aircraft grade aluminum" and this truly does make the poles easy to maneuver and be handled by just about anyone. In fact I don’t always hand my husband a pole. They are so light I can put them both in one hand and grab a rock. They weigh 21.4 ounces per pair or a tad more than 12 ounces each. They are also very narrow making it easy to have my hand around two of them.
Details:
The antishock system reduces stress on my legs and knees. They can be used anywhere and under any conditions. For those of you not just passing by I am sure you are sick of my telling you that I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Sydrome. If you are just passing by though, it is an autoimmune disorder which causes pain and currently my feet especially and legs are getting the brunt of this disease. Thus I need all the help I can get because I don’t intend to leave this world without climbing more mountains. Not all poles have this antishock system. If you feel you need it make sure you are buying it!
What this system does is minimize vibrations making the whole hiking experience more comfortable. They are made of a combination of steel spring and Elastomer, which I have found, truly reduces stress on my joints and muscles. What is Elastomer you ask? “Elastomer is a big fancy word, and all it means is "rubber". Some polymers which are elastomers include polyisoprene or natural rubber, polybutadiene, polyisobutylene, and polyurethanes. What makes elastomers special is the fact that they bounce. But just saying "they bounce" is kind of vague. Let's be more specific. What makes elastomers special is that they can be stretched to many times their original length, and can bounce back into their original shape without permanent deformation.” http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/elas.htm
The poles extend from 70-145 centimeters (about 30" - 60"). At the 145 mark they have writing telling you to stop because you are at the maximum. There are also markings along the pole telling you that you are at the 115 cm, 120 cm, etc. mark. Whether the poles are extended or not you can activate or deactivate the antishock just by twisting the poles. It is simple to do.
In order to extend or shorten the poles all you have to do is hold the upper section of the poles and turn the lower section. I now can adjust each section to the height I want. Then I turn the middle/lower section and the sections lock in place. It is important to make sure these are locked and I check them often. There is nothing worse than having a pole slip down on you. (Well there are worse things, but it could be dangerous and certainly uncomfortable.) By turning the poles they lock in place tightly. I have never had any loosening up of the pole since I’ve had it. It is truly an “Easy Lock System.”
I love the handles. From the brochure "The 15 degree Positive Angle corrects the position of the wrist while planting the pole." This allows my wrist to stay in neutral position (anyone taking Pilates or doing bench presses knows the term neutral position) while gripping the pole. This is really so comfortable for me and it helps absorb the shock. I can maintain a stronger grip with this “Ergosoft grip.” It is soft. It is made of rubber and feels really nice.
The bottom of the poles had a plastic tip on them to protect them. You want to take that off. Under that you will find what Leki calls a “carbide flextip system” which protects the lower shaft from damage. In fact this flextip can be changed (I have not had to do this.) if it is broken or worn down by just knocking it off the shaft with a snap and applying a new tip and tapping it down so it is secure. The company recommends that you carry extra tips with you. The rubber tip accessory is recommended for walking on pavement or indoors and luckily I have not had the need to use my poles in those instances.
You can see in the picture a piece that is slightly above the bottom of the pole. This does not come on the poles but it comes with them and you can add them on if you want. This is called a Terrain basket. If I am walking in soft terrain and my pole digs into the ground this will prevent it from going any farther down or from mud to come up.
The Leki poles should be cleaned of dust and dirt regularly. It is recommended that if you use these in the rain, take apart the sections and let them dry.
There is a 5-year parts/service warranty.
Jo’s thoughts:
We paid $80 for this pair and about $35 for the first pole. My Leki Canyon poles are a bit more expensive. I gave my Wanderfreund pole 5 stars and I will stand by that. It is less expensive and for those only needing one it is a great pole. I like the handle but not as much as I like my Canyon handles. I also love the antishock, which the Wanderfreund does not have. Again this may not be a feature you want to spend money on. I like it a lot. I do feel less stress on my joints without the vibration of the poles. It acts as a spring. As I dig into, let's say slippery leaves or a boulder, the bottom springs up or in lessening the chance of slippage. It also makes the vibrations I would feel when the pole hits the boulder less.
I find that it is stable in all terrains; it doesn’t slip and it’s light.
I have learned the best ways to hold the poles. Just for your information, on flat ground your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle; going uphill shorten the poles so they can be planted comfortably in front of your body for climbing support; going downhill I make the poles longer so my posture can be upright which reduces joint stress; and if you are going over rough, hilly terrain, adjust one pole to make it longer for the downhill parts of the terrain and the other one shorter for higher terrain. You can also hold the upper section at a lower part and accomplish the same thing.
I haven’t mentioned the straps, which are wide 1” pieces of material coming from the top of the handle. They are strong and durable. I did a bit of research to find out the best way to hold my two poles and learned that the goal is to minimize hand fatigue and grip the pole less forcefully but maintaining control. So my hand comes up and into the strap from underneath and then I hold the pole. This is very different than putting my hand into the strap from the top. It feels very different and if you haven’t tried this method of using hiking poles you might want to.
I couldn’t have asked for better poles. I know they come in many makes and prices but these are excellent. They are really comfortable and allow me to walk and climb more than I would without them and certainly more than I would with poles that don’t have a great handle or an antishock system.
Please feel free to ask me a question, leave a comment or tell me if I’ve left something out. Thanks and please when you are hiking take only pictures leave only footprints.
Related review:
Leki Wanderfreund Hiking Pole
EMS Aqua Day
EMS Traveler Fanny Pack
Nalgene Color Bottle
Garmont Hiking Boots
Merrell 2000 Eagle Low Hiking Boots
Sjogren's Syndrome
Recommended:
Yes
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