I want to use various mids for bikepacking trips and won't have trekking poles with me for obvious reasons. The easton aluminum and carbon poles supplied by common cottage mid manufacturers strike me as far too delicate for heavy winds. Shorter mids like a duomid or wild oasis can possibly take a lighter pole although I'd like something more sturdy, and tall mids like a SL5 need definitely need more support. Any suggestions for something that breaks down small, but is robust? My SL5 pole is 12 oz and I really would like to have something lighter that won't flex too much. Also looking for a beefy duomid/wild oasis pole. Length adjustability would be great too, at the expense of some more weight.

I use .625 Easton for 5 foot tall Pyramid - seems pretty robust - I do fairly windy but avoid mountains in wind storms - I think it's overkill and would sort of like a thinner pole, but then it would probably be too flimsy. 7.5 ounces for 5 feet tall

They make .75 Easton Pole that would be even sturdier, but then the weight would be about 12 ounces.

Brian,
LightHeart Gear has adjustable aluminum poles that weigh about 8.5 ounces for the pair. They are adjustable from about 48 inches (about 122 cm) to over 52 inches (~133 cm). They are not as heavy duty as hiking poles but they are reasonably stout. They are shock corded and fold down to only 11 inches long specifically for bicycle, motorcycle, kayaking, etc. I am not sure that these are appropriate for your application but they seem to tick most of the boxes on your list.

Marc Penansky
LightHeart Gear

Jerry--yeah, I've looked at getting some .625 aluminum ones. I'm sure they'd hold up, but they are kinda heavy. I was hoping for something similar, but lighter.

Marc--been a while since I saw your website. You have some nice stuff. Those adjustable poles are really unique and might be just what I'm looking for--4.25 oz for a single pole (half pair) sounds fine. What is the diameter (outside diameter that is)? How do they adjust--twist lock like trek poles? Would your carbon awning pole work for a small mid or is it too skinny? Diameter?

Ruta Locura offers a .600" adjustable carbon fiber pole that would work very well. A 66" pole weighs 4.875oz, add about 1oz for the adjuster which gives you 8" of up/down range. Also, the sections can be ordered in custom lengths.



Seek Outside offers a similar pole, but I no longer see it available on their website. I went with their pole to use with my Duomid and it's been up to the task on numberous trips in the northern/central Sierra, 7K-13K. Their customer service is great, so send them an e-mail and I'm sure you'll have a quick response to see if they still offer the pole.

Here's the Seek Outside pole:

From MLD Duomid

From MLD Duomid

Edited by FeetFirst on 09/20/2012 11:27:37 MDT.

Alex--thanks, those look like light and stout options. The ruta locura ones sound like the bomb, especially with the ability to adjust, but jeez they aren't cheap. What did you pay for the seek outside ones? I realize prices might have changed.

I think I paid around $65.

Another option, possibly cheaper, is to find an orphaned trekking pole. Check the gear swap frequently and even post a wanted add. A used Black Diamond Ultra Distance (Z-series) trekking pole may work well if the price was right (weight per pair 9.7 oz so under 5 oz for one, 130cm usable length (does this include the length of the grip?), and 43 cm collapsed).

You are reading my mind--I was thinking about one of those Z poles before I even posted here. Not about to buy a pair just to use one and possibly rip the grip off of it, but maybe someone will break one and sell me the other. Sorry to wish for someone's tragedy, but hey.

Heavy Duty for snow and wind loads.

6 ft adjustable
http://shop.bivysack.com/product.sc?productId=64&categoryId=9

8 ft adjustable
http://shop.bivysack.com/product.sc?productId=66&categoryId=9

Brian,
The upper sections of the pole are around 0.37 inch OD and the bottom section is around 0.45 inch OD. The adjustment/lock mechanism is a standard twist expander just like some hiking poles.
The carbon fiber pole that we presently offer is a fixed length and not designed for much load. It is intended for an awning pole application only.
Please email me (marc at lightheartgear dot com) if you have additional questions that you would like to discuss. We will sell a single pole if you would like.
Marc Penansky
LightHeart Gear

XC ski poles are light and stiff. They don't adjust of course. You can fine tune a bit by angling the pole. And you could make an extension to use it with different shelters or perimeter up/down pitches.

I am just trying out the Rutalocura for the first time.

Just sold the non-broken half of my 130 distance poles locally.

BD does sell single, replacement Z-poles, including the adjustable ones. In "Mountain spare parts" section of their site.

The seekoutside poles are still available, just more customized. Contact with needs. They are very robust for smaller shelters.

Holy smokes David O--gotta pack the $1 bills to go with those.

David C--shame I just missed your sale of the lone pole, but thanks for pointing out that page on the BD site.

Looks like I have several options, thanks everyone.

Seems like a stout pole like the one that came with my Golite SL5 could somehow be made into a rear rack for a bike. It would have to be able to switch roles without too much fiddle factor, but I think it's a viable idea. Someone please get to work on that!

Meh, sounds like a world of compromise at best. Better yet, bring a headlamp that has a strobe light feature, some cheesy booty shake music, and put that Golite SL5 pole to work with the local women for some fun under the tent.