Before I saw these Pamase Trekking poles on Amazon, I looked at some dozens of poles. The main features I liked about these poles that made me choose them were the extended EVA foam handles, the advertised 7075 T6 aluminum, and the reasonable price for a first-time buyer.
Other features, or PROs:
+ Each pole comes collapsed in a plastic carry bag, netted on one side.
+ The wrist wraps are slightly padded for comfort. They adjust easily.
+ Rubber tips are included that press over the metal points. The rubber tips do not screw on, but they appear to be tight enough not to fall off.
+ Screw-on snow baskets are also included. They require some effort to screw on, so they will never come off by themselves.
+Assembly is easy, with the three parts sliding together and held by two spring-loaded locking pins.
+Adjustment is made by loosening the adjustable shaft by rotating it counter clockwise and then sliding the shaft up or down. Adjustment marks on each pole make it easy to match lengths.
+Advertised length adjustment is 38cm to 130cm or 15 inches to 51 inches. When adjusted to the desired length, the shaft is tightened by rotating it clockwise until tight. The adjustment is very tight and there is no slipping even under a reasonable amount of force.
CONs:
- When assembled, the poles have a small amount of looseness at the two joints, which creates the impression of fragility. Held suspended, they jiggle. However, as soon as any amount of weight is placed on the poles, they firm up and exhibit only the expected amount of flexing produced by aluminum tubing. Confidence in the poles is therefore quickly restored.
- On city walks (asphalt, concrete, stone) the poles are noisy when the rubber tip plunks down on the hard surface.
- The poles are advertised as having "anti-shock." On some poles I looked at, this meant the presence of a spring in the shaft, to absorb the impact of planting the pole. These poles do not have such a spring.
In Use:
These poles are functional and perform well. Once you adjust to the jiggle, they are fine.
Verdict:
If you need portability (such as a luggage fit), these will work. Would I buy these again? Well, if I wanted a second set of poles, there are so many available I'd probably find something different just to have something different. And since right now I don't need disassembling poles, I'd get a pair that don't come apart.
Bottom Line:
These are a quality product at a great price. Recommended.
