Leki trekking poles go Walking on Clouds Rest , Yousemite National Park!
Written: Sep 07 '02 (Updated Apr 28 '03)
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Pros: Allows hikers to explore farther, faster and much safer than ever before.
Cons: Allows klutzes (moi), the out of shape, the overweight, deep wilderness entry.
The Bottom Line: Going hiking? A pair of Leki Makalu Classic trekking poles will get you there and back safer and faster than ever imagined. Possibly the 11th essential for wilderness survival.
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| zlotmachinskyr's Full Review: Leki Makalu As |
I walked on Clouds Rest, Yousemite National Park, using rubber tipped Leki Makalu classic trekking poles and I did not scar the rock. Makalu, as a FYI, is the name of a very high mountain peak.
"Mine Furer, I kan valk"! (as per the Kubrick movie Dr. Strangelove).
Leki trekking poles may not walk on water but people using them are apt to think that they can. When used in pairs and adjusted to the proper height, usually with the forearm parallel to the ground, a hiker or heavily laden backpacker can move out on the trail with increased confidence of returning in one piece, under their own power, and free of fall injuries.
Just an FYI: Over pressure of the forearms on any poles with a pack of 65 -70 lbs caused elbow tendonitis in my case but that's secondary to my specific individual need. This has only occurred once and was corrected by placing tight medical grade compression straps in front of this user's elbows bilaterally. Most users would not even come close to this occurring.
It takes a little practice to get into the swing of things but soon it becomes second nature to walk with Leki trekking poles with or without a pack on. Leki promotes their trekking poles for aerobic workout walking as well. I can not tell you how many times I would have fallen to serious injury without my Leki trekking poles. They have extended my backpacking and hiking days by many years and many seasons.
Leki trekking poles are made of extremely strong aluminum and this must not be discounted as they have been utterly reliable and never slip when tightened snugly and not even near as tight as possible. The expanders for the middle and lower pole section locks are replaceable and replacement is recommended by Leki on an annual basis. In addition Leki also markets a tube cleaning kit to dust the interior of the tubes where the expander locks slide. The spring loaded portion of Leki poles is in the center section of the three section poles. The mechanism is very durable and I could not break it without using a 3.5 ton Record bench vise. I had a retired slightly bent middle section upon which I did destructive disassembly and testing and was extremely impressed with how strong the pole section was.
Leki also makes similar poles in titanium which have a lower inertial mass and use up less energy than their less expensive aluminum cousins. Leki cortec grips are made of cork and a rubbery material and are less sweat generating then the classic black rubber-like grip.
Leki's new triple spring system (found on some newer poles) is of dubious value as it can unlock easily if a lot of pressure is applied while twisting slightly, rendering the sloppy long throw shock absorbing spring setting instead of a tighter or very tight shock absorbing spring setting. These three spring compression settings are available as settings if you have the triple spring shock absorbing system but they unlock at inopportune times and may cause more springiness in the pole than desireable. I believe that Leki should offer poles with a single firm or very firm spring tensioning so that each pole plant can be counted on to be consistent.
Leki spring shock absorbing system is supposed to help cushion the wrist and forearm from impact damage.
The poles have multiple uses in addition to trekking, e.g.:
Motel sliding window or door lock; vibrating resonating bus engine firewall silencer, when stretched between firewall and a seat back; K9 or human stretcher and tested on 85 lb
German shepard; Bear bag balancer and retriever; Monopod if so equipped; ground squirrel sweeper; Dana Point Summit marmot-manic depressive; Sequoia Nat Park cougar shield (Leki poles make you look bigger when a cougar snarls at you as you mosey on by on the trail); Half Dome trail buzzing rattle snake distancer (usually they like to move away on their own); bearly noticeable unless a bear is over Bearing; Polecat or homeless person deterrent and beyond.
Even an emergency shelter, tent stiffener or fishing rod is possible using Leki trekking poles. Perhaps even sticks for a signal kite made from a ventilation shirt is possible. Imagination is the only limit to additional uses on or off trail.
A bargain for so much protection and you don't even need a license to buy, own or use them. Just the medical cost savings alone pay for the poles scores of times before you even leave the store. Parts are readily available and so are rentals too.
Watch out when following a Leki trekking pole user unless you have them too. All too often people try and follow me with my two feet and two poles and when I look back they may all be falling down because I just walked through a hundred yards of boulder strewn trail and they rolled and fell instead of walking forward with me. Use of trekking poles helps keep pressure off ones knees especially when going downhill. They also are supposed to take pressure off the lower back as well.
Get some in you own best interest.
Also buy Leki rubber tips and glue em on with contact cement so you wont lose 'em when the pole tip gets wet. They work well everywhere and prevent rock and floor scarring too. Note that the optional rubber tips have a metal ring inside that prevents the pole metal tip from punching through. You will have to wear all the rubber off the end before you could get near the hard hollow metal tips.
Baskets above the hollow hardened metal pole tips prevent sinking into sand. Not sure they would help much in quick sand though. Larger baskets are available for use as snowshoe poles. Note that a trapped plastic tip will break away before allowing destruction of the aluminum end on the lower shaft. I have never had this occur but replacement plastic metal-tipped pole ends cost about $12 a pair.
Addendum: Taken apart the poles will fit into many suitcases that require airline check in. This makes worldwide travel with Leki poles easily done.
So there you are and there you is (improper English
intended)!
Addendum 04-27-2003. Note: I dislike having to modify a newly purchased product as it most likely will void the warranty but for me Leki's triple spring option has been a failure. So I had to take action and purchased an 8 mm metric die of x?pitch. After disassembly of the middle section's spring loaded assembly I carefully cut the treads of the spring loaded spike further down the shaft. I then reassembled it carefully with the original parts and added some additional stainless steel lock washers and nuts until it had the same tightening room as before but with a new tighter and fixed spring setting that does not change accidentally no matter how hard I lean on them. NOW THEY ACT LIKE LEKI'S ORGINAL SINGLE SETTING SPRING LOADED POLES OF RECENT PAST!!! It is too bad that Leki has chosen to persue this faulty path of triple spring settings on their redoubtable walking poles of legendary quality and usefulness. PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS MODIFICATION AT HOME UNLESS YOU ARE EXTREMELY OBSERVANT AND A GOOD MACHINIST AS WELL!!! IF YOU NEED THIS TYPE OF CONVERSION HAVE IT DONE BY A MACHINIST.
Recommended:
Yes
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zlotmachinskyr
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Location: California
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