Our lates top tip shares a useful idea for trekking pole storage when not in use. We really hope you find it useful.
The use of Trekking Poles has grown massively in recent years and they are certainly a great mountain accessory for a host of reasons. The main problem with them can be carrying them on the outside of a rucksack. They stick up like antennae and threaten to catch on every obstacle. This problem is multiplied if you are scrambling or climbing with your pack on.
Our latest top tip offers a simple solution. Simply store your poles inside your rucksack. This works a treat but requires you to give some thought to the type of poles you purchase as some simply won’t fit inside a day sack sized rucksack.
The ideal option is to invest in some of the newer avalanche style closure (z poles). The compact folding system makes them very short and they can easily be slid behind the back panel. A great example of this type are the Leki MCT 12 Vario Carbon’s which we have reviewed here. These fold up to a very compact 42 cm length.
If you have older style 3 section poles and don’t want to buy new ones we can offer another solution. Simply take the sections apart before storing them in your rucksack. Some pole mechanisms are fiddlier than others. By far the easiest type to use for this are those with external clamp locking mechanisms. The Black Diamond Flicklock system is a good example. Details on their models can be found on the Black Diamond website here.
That’s our trekking pole storage top tip. Now you never need to try and untangle your rope from your pole or unhook your pole from that rocky overhang. You’ll also certainly never poke your partner in the eye again!