Most trekking poles get sold on weight, and weight is the least useful number when the trail drops away beneath you. On a steep descent with a loaded pack, what separates a good pair from a bad one is whether the lock holds under side-load, whether the grip stays readable when your hands are wet, […]

I have spent the last three backpacking seasons testing trekking pole tents across the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, and the wet coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. When I first started, I carried a 5-pound freestanding tent that ate up half my pack weight. Switching to a trekking pole tent saved me 3 pounds instantly, […]

The debate over cork versus EVA foam grips for hiking poles has divided trail communities for as long as trekking poles have existed. Every gram matters when you are logging serious mileage, but so does what your hands feel after hour six on a rocky descent. I have spent years running both materials through their […]