How to get the best from your walking poles | Black Diamond

How to get the best from your walking poles | Black Diamond

Walking poles provide balance and stability and reduce physical stress on your body and joints, whether you are walking, running or trekking. As with all your outdoor gear, if you look after them they will last longer and serve you well.

Get the best out of your walking poles by following these tips, including:

  • What to check before using them
  • How to store them
  • Adjusting the tensioning
  • Changing the tips and baskets
  • How to clean cork grips

Understanding the differences between materials, and how this affects the durability of your poles is important.

The strength of aluminum and carbon fibre is compromised by dents, gouges, scratches, fractures, and chipping which may result in structural failure.

Lightweight trekking poles are made to be lightweight and will not withstand excessive forces, especially if they have previously been damaged or if the forces applied are beyond structural limits.

Ultralight carbon fibre poles are more susceptible to damage than other poles and should be inspected often.

More information on the differences between poles is on our Pursuit Trekking Poles page.

Female hiker at Lone Peak checking her Black Diamond Walking Poles
Hiker at Lone Peak checking her Black Diamond Walking Pole

Check your walking poles before and after each use

Make sure nothing is deformed or broken. If the walking pole has suffered any impact, carefully inspect its surface for signs of damage.

Check that the adjustment mechanisms open and close smoothly and are tensioned properly (refer below).

If they are difficult to open or close, apply a drop of oil on the lever pin and another underneath the lever where it rotates on the housing.

If the poles get wet during use, release the tension cord (with the push button), collapse the pole and allow it to dry completely before storage.

Store FlickLock mechanisms for long periods with the tension released.

Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon Pole folded and attached to the front strap of a backpack
Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon Pole folded

Adjusting the tension in your walking poles

FlickLocks need correct tensioning to perform properly.
If the lower section is slipping, open the lever and tighten the adjustment screw about a quarter to a half turn or until the mechanism does not allow the shaft to slip once the lever is closed.
If the lever becomes too difficult to snap shut, loosen the screw.

The inner cord that connects Z-Pole shaft sections may require adjustment before use and will require adjustment over time as the inner cord stretches in the uppermost shaft section. This play can be removed by increasing the inner cord tension.
1. Press the push-button release and pull ONLY the lowest joint apart.
2. Hold both ends of the tensioner (located between the middle and lower shafts) and turn it clockwise to tighten or counter-clockwise to loosen.
3. Turn the tensioner one-half to one full turn and re-deploy the pole to check that you’ve removed the play.

If you cannot deploy the walking pole (the button won’t pop back out), you have over-tightened it. Loosen slightly and try again. When tension is adjusted correctly, the pole should lock easily and have no play in the shafts.

NEVER loosen the tensioner completely unless replacing a lower section.

Avoid damage to the pole shaft around the pin by keeping cord tension to a minimum. Inspect your poles prior to each use around the pin-hole and do not use damaged poles.

Joe Grant hiking in the rain using his Black Diamond walking poles
Joe Grant using his Black Diamond walking poles

Changing Tips and Baskets

BASKETS
Attach a basket by pushing it and turning it clockwise until it’s secured against the upper stop, spinning freely.
Remove a basket by pulling and twisting it counterclockwise.

CHANGING TECH TIPS
Z-Poles come with rubber tips installed and optional carbide tips. Replace the rubber tips once any part of the metal core starts to show.

To remove:
Using your fingers or pliers, twist forcefully counterclockwise and unscrew until they fall out of the baskets.

To install new tips:
Twist the tips by hand or with pliers, clockwise, for 3-4 clicks until very snug.
Rubber tips should bulge when they are completely tightened.

CHANGING FLEX TIPS refer video
Some models of trekking poles come with Flex Tips.
Flex Tip needs to be heated (submerge in boiling water) then pulled off with pliers.
Firmly push the new Flex Tip onto the tip of the pole.

Keep your cork grips clean

1. Use fine, waterproof sandpaper and ordinary hand soap.
2. Wet the grip and sand thoroughly.
3. Apply soap to the sandpaper and gently rub the grip.
4. Rinse and let dry.

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