Komperdell Carbon PowerLock Trekking Poles

At 100$ I usually expect better quality, but trekking poles are very expensive. These are a good pair of intermediate level poles. They don't break the bank. They are good size for me (5-11). I believe I will be very happy with them.

Sturdy lightweight poles at an affordable price. I like the lock mechanism, which can be tightened with a multipurpose tool/screwdriver if start to loosen - has not been necessary thus far for me. I was warned against the screw tightening mechanism on other poles, as there is no was to tighten once they begin to fail. The foam hand grips do tend to make my hands sweat, but I think cork wears out quicker - everything is somewhat of a trade-off.

I purchased these to replace a pair of Komperdell aluminum poles I purchased 8 years ago; those poles are still OK, just beat up. These new poles are half the weight and seem to be just as strong. The locking mechanisms do not slip. The grips are good enough, comfortable. The straps are a little tough to adjust, so definitely adjust at home before putting on gloves. I lost a basket on my first outing, so make sure those little suckers are locked in tight.

I bought these because I lost my recently STP purchased Komperdell Trekmaster Anti-Shock Trekking Poles. The Trekmasters were decent poles, and actually weighed .6 oz less than these and were priced at $40 less. They also had anti-shock, twist type locking mechanism, which worked fine. Compared to an ancient pair of Komperdell poles purchased in the early 2000s, the twist-lock on the Trekmasters seemed a little cheaper looking and didn't have the knurled surface at the grip points for twisting. Not a major big deal, and I would have kept them and been happy had they not been irretrievably lost. On the ancient pair of twist-lock poles, the twist lock mechanism eventually failed and so I decided to get the Carbon PowerLock poles to replace the Trekmaster in the hopes that they would last longer than the original twist-locks did. Also, carbon fiber seemed cool and trendy and I wanted everybody to know how cool I was for having them (LOL, just kidding). Anyhow, as mentioned in other reviews, I needed to tighten the PowerLock mechanism on my new Carbon poles to ensure a nice tight lock. Easy enough with a flat or phillips tip or other suitable implement. However, if you need anti-shock and want to spend less and aren't picky about status symbols, I would recommend the Trekmaster just as heartily. One thing that I noticed on both the Trekmasters and the Carbon poles is that the EVA hand grip is a little sweaty for me, and I would probably prefer a solid rubber or cork for breatheability on long hikes or hot weather. Nice poles, highly recommended. As always, YMMV!

I have another pair of Komperdel sticks. They screw-tight locking mechanism and I have to occasionally adjust them during a hike because the pole length tends to slightly collapse. But not so much that I wouldn't consider another pair. They are quite serviceable.

So, I bought these new carbon sticks with the "power-lock" mechanism from STP several months ago. I took them out of the box and put them right in my bag for a backpacking trip unsuspecting that there might possibly be a problem. As I prepared to start my trek, I adjusted the poles to a proper length and locked them. I took two steps using the poles and one collapsed; then the other. I finally figured out that the screw on the power locking mechanism needed to be fully tightened for the poles to be functional. Barely. Even tightened to the extreme, any significant pressure on a hard surface and the bottom leg of the pole would fully collapse. And even fully collapsed for packing, the bottom leg extends and collapses freely. I can't see how they can be fixed.

Another problem, not for me (at 5' 9"), but for a 6+ footer is that the poles are rather short. My son noticed that they would be too short for him.

They are, indeed, light.