Department of Goods has Big Agnes Helinox Featherlite Twist Lock Trekking Poles

Adjustable to 120cm = 10oz

Adjustable to 135cm = 12oz

Both are $47.98. Free shipping starts at $50 so I added the cheapest item I could find with minimal effort (a spoon) for a total cost of $50.75

Haven't arrived yet so I cannot comment on stated vs actual weight. Mine are scheduled to arrive next Thrusday. I will post actual weights once they arrive (I purchased 135cm version).

New product so not a ton of reviews but all reviews seem favorable and at this price point it might be a smart risk. The Hiking the Ozarks seems to be most comprehensive review. There is also a review in the recent issue of Backpacker magazine but that seems to come from the same source as the Hiking the Ozarks review (unless its a coincidence that both reviewers happened to test these in Nepal).

Here are links to the DOG website and reviews I found.

http://www.departmentofgoods.com/helinox-featherlite-twist-lock-trekking-pole

http://hikingtheozarks.com/reviews/big-agnes-helinox-featherlite-poles/

http://oceanmountainsky.com/articles/gear-reviews/gear-review-big-agnes-helinox-trekking-poles-line

I think I recognize these. Yep, they were up on steepandcheap.com for $36 plus shipping on Monday (3/5). I didn't think much of them at the time, but they could be a great deal for those who want lightweight (and adjustable) poles without paying the premium for carbon fiber. The posted weight of 10oz for the 120cm version is two ounces lighter than the 120cm BD Distance poles I'm currently using (which are fixed length and actually pretty light for aluminum poles). It also looks like you could cut the weight of the Helinox poles a bit further by removing the excess foam (the foam that isn't part of the actual handle).

I'm curious about how well the twist locks work and how solid they feel... would love to hear what you think about them when they arrive.

Trekking poles arrived a few days ago.

Measured weight:
Everything = 12.59 oz
Rubber Tips = 0.64 oz
Baskets = 0.31 oz

There's also a little extra length on the wrist straps that could be trimmed or wrist straps could be removed entirely. I did not attempt to measure weight savings associated with this. Also, as Joseph points out, the grips are long. The bottom half could be removed but I'm not going to try this so no idea how much weight savings.


Regarding Twist Locks:
They seem sufficient to me though I haven't had a chance to test them in cold wet conditions. I stood on a chair to gain leverage and then leaned on both poles and a single pole. The twist locks seemed sturdy under my body weight.

Be careful not to over-tighten twist locks. Bottom sections on both poles got stuck in the extended position. I had to get wrenches to loosen the twist locks. I retested with twist locks not as tight and they seemed just as sturdy. So this shouldn't be a problem. Just experiment with needed tightness before taking into field.

We just got our 120cm adjustable poles:

Measured weight (without rubber tips): 10.1oz

Observations out of the box:
1) trekking baskets are tiny, almost to the point where they seem non functional. They are removable though.
2) These poles flex noticeably more than any other pole I've used (lekis, gossamer gear, black diamond, rei). The light weight comes at the cost of not having thicker aluminum and stiffness. I can bend them slightly by simply pushing the pole tip down into the ground, and flexing my wrist.
3) Still an amazing deal at the current <$50 price tag.

This seems like the best alternative to carbon fiber GG LT4's, and are more affordable then the fizan compacts that are importable from overseas.

I'm hoping they come out with some snow baskets soon.

Edited by Konrad1013 on 04/05/2012 20:21:19 MDT.

Will this work as a center pole for Golite Shangrila 3?

Thanks...

I got a pair of the 135s from S&C at $37.50. The bottom telescoping pole is a click stop, there are 2; we'll see if catching them on a rock or tree will disengage them. Looks like a good compromise to save weight of 2 leverlocks. Listed weight was 2 ounces more than twistlocks (14), my cheap scale has them at 15oz with a lot that can be removed to save a couple ounces.

I, too, just ordered the 135s from S/C for $36. Hard to pass up. Will have to wait and see about performance. Here's another discussion on the poles. Hope this helps...

http://oceanmountainsky.com/articles/gear-reviews/gear-review-big-agnes-helinox-trekking-poles-line

never used poles, but i thought i would give these a try since it was such a great deal on S&C. First impressions are the handles are small and , imo, do not feel "natural" in my hand. I think i have average sized hands and the other brands i have looked at the store have a more substantial handle. These are thin and my fingers wrap back over my hands a good bit.

As for the function they have worked well, collapse small and are really lite. I like the flip adjuster as you can work it with one hand and not have to let go of the other pole to adjust.

I think i will give these to the gf because she has munchkin hands, and i might go for something with a "fuller" handle

I too found the 120's a bit small for my hands (not natural), however the 135's were perfect and feel good in the hand. I have medium-large hands.

I was curious and also looking for a pair of adjustable poles so I picked up a pair of the 120cm's. They weighed in at almost exactly 10oz (without the rubber caps), but I wanted to see how light I could get them so I brought out the exacto knife and trimmed the excess foam and straps. It was a super easy mod as the extra foam is actually its own separate piece apart from the handle and held down by two strips of double sided tape (which came off clean). Didn't save much weight there, just 11.5g. The straps saved another 21.5g. Took less than 5 minutes total, and most of that time was spent looking for the knife. Final post mod weight of the poles was exactly 250g for the pair (246.3 minus the super tiny baskets). Not bad at all considering the price (especially compared to anything else worthy of the UL title). They feel pretty solid once the twist locks are tenshioned and the size of the grips is fine for my hands, now to see how well they test on the trail...

My next trip is a few weeks out still, but it'll be a trial be fire on the AT in Great Smoky Mountains NP - starting at Fontana Dam headed northbound, taking Eagle Creek Trail and looping back - mileage is low (about 30), but eagle creek trail features nearly 20 stream crossings followed by 2Kft elevation gain. If the poles don't perform as expected I'll post that info somewhere on BPL.

Edited by Dianoda on 05/03/2012 23:01:18 MDT.