TrailBuddy Trekking Poles – Lightweight, Collapsible Hiking Poles for Backpacking Gear – Pair of 2 Walking Sticks for Hiking, 7075 Aluminum with Cork Grip

Okay, so, never had i ever used trekking poles before these. I’m fairly active, though not into extreme activities. I do about 8-9 miles a day interval running/jogging/walking on mixed terrain, but not much climbing, and the last time i did full on backwoods hiking and backpack camping i was toting around a mini mouse backpack. The tech for hiking has *changed* in 30 years, my friends. These poles were purchased for a specific mountain day hike my sister and i had planned a weekend vacation around, and i pulled the trigger on ordering them at basically the last minute. There are a bewildering number and variety of poles available, and i really didn’t know much about them, but after reading pages of reviews i decided that you don’t get thousands of positive reviews at this price point without a fairly reliable product. We had one brief walk to check out our poles before the planned day hike, and i felt like they were lightweight, comfortable, and reliable when weight-tested (no collapsing!) but i had no idea if i’d actually need them at all or if i’d just be dragging them on the back of my pack up (and then down) a mountain.

On the way up, that little voice in the back of my head kept saying ‘man, i can’t imagine having pole grips in both hands up these steep rock scrabbles. I need my hands free to stabilize, grab, and pull. I’m going to feel really dumb at the end of the day when i toss my poles, still collapsed, in the back of the car.’ but oh no- as most of you probably know, the way down is quite a bit different than the way up. I knew my joints were going to remind me i’m 30 years out from mini mouse backpacks on the downslope, but i hadn’t quite envisioned the full experience. Predictably, my knees, which had been steady and silent on the way up, started singing. The climb, which had been steep and physical on the way up, but hadn’t felt treacherous, now looked like one slip might lead to tumbling 100’+ falls. Suddenly those empty hands that were useful going up
became useless- just up in the air with nothing to contribute. So out came the poles. They justified themselves right away, instantly giving the same advantage that my empty hands had while climbing up- four points of contact with the terrain, four points of balance, my entire body’s strength working together to stabilize me and speed me up. I didn’t have any trouble adjusting- it felt intuitive and natural for my body to mesh with the poles. They never slipped or started collapsing, even when my entire body weight (5’11’ 165) was on one. My hiking partner, much heavier than me, had the same experience- no collapsing. Once we were past the more technical section, i kept my poles out because we were tired and losing the light. I was definitely safer, faster, and more confident with them.

Tl;dr version: if you’re climbing, you can use these. If you’re in mixed or uncertain terrain, you can use these. If you have arthritis or other joint pain, you can use these (side note, my wrists and hands are bad sometimes, and i thought i’d have pain during or after use, especially as my arms are much weaker than my legs, but the poles hugely reduced my knee and hip pain and the way the grips and straps are designed to be used prevented any significant wrist pain). If you have balance issues on the flat, i suspect you can use these.
They’re lightweight, reliable, easy to initially set up, collapse and expand, and extremely reasonably priced. I will report back if i run into issues in the future, and i can’t speak for their utility in mud or snow, but they performed beautifully on this hike and i wholeheartedly recommend based on my experience.

Okay so not much different then the 4000 reviews for these poles. What has been said has probably been said somewhere.

So the poles first. We have the updated design with the threaded rubber feet instead of the push on version. Very nice to have that feature.

The poles come apart easily and back together while unlocked. With these poles to give it just that quick test. I set them leaned in with 6 feet 240lbs and these did not move at all. Which is great because i bought them for the wife who is accident prone.

The color the wife loves (berry pink). The accessories has things that my poles do not. First is the bag. That is great just to keep all the accessories and poles together.

The different tips, which we may get some use out of the mud ones but so far just normal rubber tips are good for the wife. Easy to adjust poles do come in handy for moving snakes off the paths.

And the cork handles i love more then mine. Plus boomer on the logo is not a bad touch.

Not to mention a 3 year warranty for parts at the time of this review.

So if mine happen to get destroyed, lost, or dropped off lovers leap then these are going to be the replacements.

And the thing that is not an accessory is the clips that kept the poles together in the packaging. I liked those so much i came back here to see if i could get another set just those of those. You see i wanted to strap my poles more out of the way in the suv while making them easy to get to. Those little clips are perfect for linking the poles together and strapping to the ceiling or side. And they just pop right off the poles when you need them.

So how did we get here. This is our forth round of poles. Our first round are just carved walking sticks that we have just for show of the trails we have been on. Not much use for actual hiking.

Then during one of our walks we ran into this older couple that was just tearing up the trail with hiking poles, while i am helping my wife over every stick and rock. So that is it, we are getting some poles.

So mine are cheaper (not by much) with no accessories, no bag, foam handle but has the flip locks. And i love them, but had i done more research i would have bought trailbuddy instead.

The wife then got our third set of poles. Research was done for purple poles. Seemed ok, so why not. This was a mistake. Those poles were those twist kind. You may have tried them…the kind that if you need to brace yourself slip back down to the smallest size while you continue your tumble. And that when you go to put them in your pack they lock in place that vice grips are going to be used to get them packed away. And then finally after dealing with all of that. The wife hands me a pole in two pieces and says it came apart. No problem, i can just slip the two pieces back to…geth…er….wait… I think i have it, well isn’t that something. I am going to estimate of 30 minutes by the car trying to put two poles together. I am normally mr. Fix it but man these poles humbled me. (i can not put to sticks together can you believe it). And when i did finally get it together it would not shrink so locked in a place too tall for the wife.

So i gave her mine to try and walked with her one pole that semi worked. With a vow that she is getting new poles and they will not be twist locks. So then she took a trip to see her sister in arizona in which they walked all over the place. But good luck getting those twist locks in a suitcase. And i really did not want to part with mine, but they are going to stick out of her pack on a plane.

So she showed me these and finally i said sure….looks ok. But this time it was more then ok. They come apart easy and back together and are just as tight locking, but easy to adjust.

Worth every penny and we are now back to hiking again in north georgia and tennessee.
I cannot wait to try to get these past tsa when we go to key west to visit the other sister.

Final note – give boomer a treat and a walk. He deserves it.

What i knew about trekking poles could have fit into a thimble before i started researching them. Heck, cathy and i hiked the 800 ft high, 3.6 mile elephant back mountain trail in yellowstone, and about 100 other places with sticks we found on the trail!!!…what do we know, we’re a tad older, so we just figured that was the way it was done, until we started seeing other hikers with poles that looked to us like skiing poles. So, with the amount of hiking we do, i figured it might be time to upgrade from wood to something a bit more aerodynamic…that, and cathy’s birthday was coming up so it seemed like a cool gift. It’s a bit overwhelming for a first time buyer. Questions i didn’t even know to ask were answered from just about every outfitter on amazon. Prices range from $120.00 to $20.00 so which ones are best? Carbon fiber or aluminum? Foam grips or cork? To lock them into place, do i get this kind of screw type latch, or that kind of flip and snap type latch? What are all the different types of attachment tips that come with some and not others? Oh, and last but not least (when it comes to cathy)…what colors do they come in? After reading more reviews than war and peace, i started narrowing down all of the factors and i focused in on 3 different brands in the 35 to 40 dollar range. I wasn’t about to spend 120 bucks on something i had never used, but i didn’t want to go cheapy cheap either. One seller, in their pictured ad on the page, while explaining how their locking system works, said to ‘turn the knob’ this way or that…only, they had spelled turn…trun and knob…knop…trun the knop counterclockwise….??? Heck, if they can’t spell turn and knob in their own ad on the amazon site, then what chance do i stand using their product to help propel my big a$ up and down a 1000 ft mountain??? So they were out. That left two, but something about the trailbuddy poles kept me coming back to their site no matter how many i researched. I pulled the trigger on them, a blue set for me, and red set…excuse me, a beetle red set for cathy, and after logging several trail miles with them, we could not be happier. No wonder my arms were so tired after hiking for miles with a 5lb wooden stick! Only drawback is that i don’t think i’d have the same luck beating back any bear i came face to face with, with an aluminum pole in my hand! But are they strong enough to support my 6’3′ 200 lb frame up and down hills, over muddy and rocky surfaces, and are they enough to prevent slips and potential falls? You bet! …and then some! Cathy’s pretty ecstatic about them too…just between you and me, i don’t think she ever liked the wooden sticks too much. Something about her hands getting too rough and needing extra moisturizer afterward. We love this product and i would definitely buy again, with one tiny caveat. The orange-ish color shown as an option in the ad was not available as a choice when i clicked on them to choose my color and buy them. I figured orange would be a good color to spot in the woods if i ever laid them down to take a picture of cathy conquering some mountain again. Well, that and orange is the same color as the houston astros! Either they were discontinued, or they are just that popular! No matter. Blue works for me, and that’s an astros color too!!!…the few reviews that mention losing the rubber tips had me a bit concerned, but cathy and i have already put these things through living hell and never had that problem. Perhaps they upgraded their design. If you’re looking, and stuck in the minutia of trekking pole hell, stop here and press buy. You won’t be disappointed.

I bought these hiking poles in early 2018 to use for stability while walking or hiking so i don’t have to use a cane or crutches. I have been using them a few times a week for more than a year now, and i really like them.
I am a 49 year old man who was disabled and forced into medical retirement at 34 years old following a parachuting accident in the army. I have complex injuries at multiple levels throughout my spine and hips, and i’ve had 3 spinal fusion surgeries over the past 16 years. Chronic pain and muscle spasms are a constant part of my life, as are instability, sudden weakness, and endurance issues. Those all are obstacles i did not have to manage in my youth. I grew up as a 4-sport athlete and manual laborer who went everywhere on a bicycle. After high school, i was both a full-time army soldier (infantry and field artillery) and part-time college student raising a family and enjoying an active lifestyle heavy on fitness, sports, fun and excitement. After sustaining widespread injuries to such critical structural parts of my body, i have been struggling in what feels like a totally different life in a different body trying to adjust to the countless changes. For years, the damage to my spine and hips was getting worse, so i kept having to reduce my activities until i was about 80% chair/bedridden in severe pain and misery – and depression. After several surgeries and years of ongoing therapies, trying and adjusting medications, and learning what i can and cannot do (still learning 20 years after the accident), i finally found decent medical care and figured out things i can do to enjoy life again and manage my disabilities, pain levels, and muscle spasms and cramps. After years of atrophying and gaining weight despite reducing calories and eating healthy, i have been able to put together a therapeutic fitness routine to rebuild some physical capabilities and improve my mobility, strength, and endurance while also getting out and about more. That includes walking and some hiking on established trails. I’m not talking about 25-mile ruck marches with combat training exercises mixed in, and i’m not talking about climbing mountains or hiking all day off the beaten path like i wish i still could do. I walk routes of 1.5- to 3.0 miles around my home in a hilly area, almost entirely on asphalt roads or trails and concrete sidewalks. In public parks, the established hiking trails vary greatly in distance and usually are packed gravel, packed dirt, asphalt, grassy paths, or a combination of surfaces. In ohio’s hocking hills and mill creek park, there are steps cut into the landscape made of stone, gravel, wood, packed dirt, and grass. Again, it’s not climbing mountains, but it can include uneven terrain, steps of different height and depth, and some places can be slippery. For someone who has struggled with falling and fighting through pain and spasms to get out of bed or a chair, being able to walk outdoors and enjoy the scenery and fresh air again is thrilling!
The trailbuddy trekking poles give me the added confidence and stability support i need to be able to continue being active and working on my fitness. They look sporty and athletic, so i don’t have to feel embarrassed using a cane or crutches — and that can be a huge psychological factor for some people. I’m grateful to have my canes, crutches, and even an electric handicapped scooter when i need those devices, and i do still need them all at times. When i want to feel a bit more like the athletic, physically fit, strong, active person i was the first 30 years of my life, grabbing my trekking poles to go for a walk or going to a park to hike in nature is a big deal, especially leaving the scooter at home and leaving the cane/crutches in the car.
When i’m feeling really good, i can collapse the poles and store them inside their bag (in which i also keep spare tips and tips for different types of terrain), and i slip the bag into my light backpack or strap it across my back. The poles are lightweight. They’re easy to adjust, and the licking mechanisms never have failed me or even slipped a little bit. I’m 6’0′ tall and my weight has gone from 245-230 pounds. When i need to, i lean onto the poles for support, and they have always supported my weight without a problem.
They’re a great buy at a good price.
I have never owned another pair of hiking poles, so i cannot compare with other brands, mechanisms, or materials. I used other people’s poles a few times before buying my own, and i’ve checked out poles in sporting goods stores. I use tripods for my camera, binoculars and telescopes, so i’ve used collapsible devices with different kinds of locking mechanisms. I generally do not like adjustable/collapsible locking mechanisms that screw to tighten or loosen. The hinged flip-tabs on these poles actually have surprised me with how sturdy and reliable they are. They’re adjustable, too, so you can tighten the locking tabs more or less depending on your preference.
My wife, kids and grandkids have all used my poles, so they’ve been adjusted to different heights many times. The poles have markings on them to use as guides when adjusting. I know which markings i use for my comfort, and i can tell at a simple glance if the poles have been adjusted or not. I always check the locking mechanisms at the same time, and then i’m off!
There can be some chafing on my hands around the wrist straps, but i prefer mine to be slightly snug. If i’m hiking, i keep gloves with me, and wearing gloves can reduce the chafing.
All-in-all, i’m very happy with these walking poles for how i use them, and i recommend them to anyone who wants some mobility stability and support but doesn’t need to worry about whether or not they’re tough enough to make it to the top of mount everest. They might he good enough, but i’d probably take a backup set or two if i were going to do more strenuous and more rugged hiking and climbing. I also would seek advice from experienced climbers regarding the best equipment to use on rougher terrain.

We went to glacier national park to hike. My so hiked the grinnell glacier trail, all 9-1/2 miles with a rise of almost 2000′. Not just hiking, but climbing, edging face first along a cliff edge, and scrambling over 200′ of moraine at the base of the glacier. This is considered a ‘challenging’ hike.
Without these poles he not only would not have made it up the trail, but he would not have made it down. They are wonderful for balance and essential for stability. The cuffs keep the poles from being dropped. Did i mention that my so is 70?
I made it up and down about 1/8 of the trail, and needed the poles every step of the way.
Only one thing is needed: a better way to tighten and loosen the screws that lengthen or shorten the poles. Currently there is only ridged screw-like things to finger tighten. If you can’t tighten them sufficiently by hand they will collapse. I recommend the manufacturer replace these with maybe a hex nut and attached hex wrench, or include a plastic gripper like you use to open jar lids. An easy fix.
Don’t keep that one thing from stopping you from buying them. They were life (and ankle) safers.
And boomer makes me smile. Good boy!

I was skeptical about purchasing hiking poles since i wasn’t sure if we would need/use them on our trip but since we are novice hikers i figured better safe than sorry. Turns out they were a lifesaver and i regret not purchasing 2 pairs. These collapsed down to fit into the bag we checked on the airplane and they were super light to put in our backpack which didn’t add any noticeable weight to the pack (they did stick out of the back pack which was not a big deal but just noting). My husband and i are 2 different heights so having the adjustable poles was super convenient and, as long as you follow the tightening instructions, they held up to both of us putting all of our weight on them to climb and help propel ourselves over some rocky and steep terrain. We also used them along the beach and to steady ourselves climbing over shoreline rocks with little to no slippage. We more than got our money’s worth out of these on our week of hiking and i’m glad we have them for future hikes. They held up beautifully and i know we will get many more miles out of them. Highly recommend to help pull yourself up a hill and more.

I’m mostly leaving this review so that the cute doggy boomer get some treats.

We bought two pairs of these polls for a hike at crater lake, and they did not disappoint. They are very lightweight yet they are sturdy and when adjusted properly can hold my whole weight.

They look like they will be easy to clean and they collapse easily into the carrying case. Case even has a shoulder strap and that is convenient as well. The instructions were very good and they give thorough instructions about how to wash them to avoid rusting which i really appreciate it.

I want to say that i am not a novice hiker/trekker but i’m also not a professional. I am somewhere in the middle and i liked these poles.

And the cutest little golden is the mascot so if you don’t buy these you pretty much hate dogs and you’re a terrible person …kidding!

Ordered these poles for my 7 day hike for the above. The ordered poles worked flawlessly and had no collapse issues while going up and down some very steep mountains and then just gentle walks. It would have been a real problem had there been any collapse issues. Not one. They truly helped my knees on the up terainns and my calves on the way down. I am a road cyclist and knew i would be using some different muscles on this hike and realized that poles were a must. My friends all had $100-$150 poles and were impressed by these. The only thing that did happen was i dropped them down a major rocky section and unfortunately the strap came out of the handle. No fault of the mfr. I would like to try and order a replacement strap and clip that fits into the handle. Aside from that… Great poles. I have ordered a second pair for my girlfriend!!

I have only good things to say about these trekking poles. I have used them on dirt, mud, asphalt (with the rubber tips), etc. For hundreds of miles. Comfortable, easy to use, and they provide support. I have tripped or slipped on more than one occasion and was able to prevent falling by using the poles to brace myself. Also, i have a bad knee, but the poles provide a ‘cane’ like effect which prevents full weight on the knees thus allowing me to hike for miles pain free (even when normal walking produces pain). They are sturdy and provide for sustained steady nordic hiking pace at a reasonable price. The only issue is that the tips wear out quickly with hikes on pavement, but these are generic rubber tips and not made by the manufacturer of the poles.

We purchased two sets of the trekking poles just over a year ago. I felt that i wanted to try them out before writing the review. My husband and i both really love them. I like how both the upper portion and lower portion are adjustable for height. I also love the ability to switch out the tips for different surfaces. We have used our poles in easier hiking situations but also have used them while hiking the rim of the grand canyon and the porcupine mountains in michigan. They help so much when you tire to add extra stability and strength. The absolute only thing we would change on them is the adjustment on the wrist straps. They aren’t the easiest to readjust. But everything else on them is awesome!

I bought the walking poles (black) for trekking the rugged terrain at my ranch. There’s a lot of of difficult uphill, boulders, smaller rocks, slippery rock chips, dirt (sometimes muddy spots)… It’s just overall a very unpredictable and exhausting terrain. I am a woman over 65 and actively managing my ranch. The last fence checks i did at the higher bluffs and elevations, i began having some troubles with ‘gravity:. 😉 sooo, i bought the poles to assist with uplifts and balance (wise at my age but a bit defeating to the ego). The poles arrived within 2 days of ordering and were nicely boxed and packaged. As always, i read all the inserts, instructions, and labels before beginning. Here’s what i found…

Pros:
first, the color brochure is nicely done with only 1 problem (see cons). The brochure is a combination of customer services info (nice!), how to get replacement parts (nice!), descriptive details, and instructions for assembling and using the poles. The manufacturer provided lots of value-added accessories: snow feet ‘baskets’, mud baskets, and a spare pair of rubber tips for hiking on hard, flat, or rocky areas. I love that they included a tip (no pun intended) for using rubber tips at places like machu pichu to protect the terrain. Very thoughtful. Also included is a storage bag with a slide-adjust toggle closure and an adjustable carrying strap. The bag is very light weight and feels like it’s probably water resistant. All these extras are so nicely accommodating for the consumer.

Cons (assembly):
for the pole height i followed the recommended height and length (46′ for a 5’8′ person). That’s when the frustrations began.
Very difficult to unscrew the adjustment screws! I assume they are machine-tightened before packaging because i couldn’t get them to budge. First i tried a grippy pad. No go. Then i tried a pair of channel locks with padded tips. Success. After 20+ minutes of making height adjustments, testing, repeating, i finally got the poles assembled in matching heights. But, they were too tall! Ohmygosh, i had to re-do the entire process again. I shortened the recommended height by about 1/2′ then tested the poles outside on several sets of stairs, each with different configurations, risers, building materials, etc. The shortened height on the poles worked well up and down the stairs with the standard rubber feet.

Recommendation to the manufacturer:
the brochure is a good read except for the section titled ‘uphill or downhill’. The gradient blue fill behind the white text fades off into oblivion on the light side of the blue background color.

With all the well-thought out accessories included, might you consider including a small pouch for carrying alternate baskets and even a ‘tool’ for loosening the screws during trekking? It is possible that in some geo locations, one will encounter different types of ground conditions (snow and mud for instance), which would be oh-so helpful to carry the alternate baskets. I will be carrying a 7/16′ wrench with my poles for adjusting height for downhill treks.

Overall, these are great poles with supportive customer services. Highly recommended product!

I was used to black diamond backcountry ski poles and was nervous amount the weight and big plastic latches with hardware store nuts. The attachments were most of the weight problem . Since the latches look like something that i would rebuild after breaking the original, they will be easy to maintain. The nuts have nothing to prevent them to spin off and can loosen but they held up and i didn’t have to continuely tighten them too much. I wish they toned down the graphics a little, i am not too picky but they are over the top and don’t help market the products quality. I’d rather trade in the bag for better smaller clasps that do not have a nut or at least have it embedded so it can’t spin or come off. Evolving it or have an advanced model with a lighter swing weight and better latches would be awesome. Aluminum is nice because it bends back so maybe thinner, lighter nuts and basket. I like rubber better than cork, but the cork is good and the non cork top was slippery.
After using them i was not as concerned that i should have spent more and understand the high ratings especially for the value.
Pluses: value,durable, comfort, easy 3 piece.
Could be better: weight especially baskets, latch, graphics

The first pair, the carbide tip broke off on day one… And eventually the plastic fasteners that keep the sections in place broke.
But, that being said, hiking is a rough business. My other ones made it a couple of years so i’m ok with getting a new pair. These of course were way cheaper ($18) and that did bother me… Why did i pay $40 the first time!?
Other than all of that, light weight, strong, reliable. All in all, a good stick!

These look like and work just like the higher priced models. I found a chart online that helped me find recommendations on lengths for level and unlevel surfaces. The lengths with lines are printed on both sections of the poles to make extending them to the right length quick and easy. I am getting older and want to increase my level of fitness. While i do not have problems with my knees or hips, i want to maintain them so i can go longer without issues. Learning these also helps burn more calories and tone arms helped influence my decision to get them.

Good beginners hiking polls at attractive price. Awsome selection of colors and accessories polls come with. I would definitely recommend carbon fiber or lighter polls for longer backpacking trips. On my 15 miles trip, strap came off and needed to be repaired,10 minutes. Overall this is good, sturdy product as i have mentioned a bit heavy for my liking.

Never having used poles before, i’d have liked the instructions to be more extensive or referred me to a video. Fortunately, there is a person in the neighborhood who uses the poles and filled me in. The hardest part was left foot, right pole!!

These are great collapsible sticks that performed well on a two week hiking trip. Just wish the grips were smoother. I bought another pair around the same price range with the same cork type grips but they’re a lot smoother and more comfortable.

I took a long time researching poles before i bought these. I used them for the first time to climb logan’s pass in the snow at glacier national park and boy did i need them. I was glad to have them. My friend had brand new poles as well. Her aihoyes kept unscrewing and she had to constantly readjust them. The clamps on these held strong. They’re a little funky. I had to loosen the set for the pole to be able to snap them closed, but once closed, they seemed secure.

I looked at others with poles as we stomped through quite a bit of slick snow for july. This set of poles did not come with the snow tips advertised and i didn’t realize it until i was out in the field, so i had to use them as is. They would have come in handy.

Overall, i recommend them!

Did over 10miles in two days. Love them. Only
one time it collapsed in when i put my weight on it going down some rocks. Overall great for price. Just hope it doesn’t collapse again

Very sturdy but a few times the bottom section slipped. I thought they were tight enough