Outdoor Accessories Compare

Carbon is lighter and transmits less vibration, which matters over a long day of vert. Alloy is more forgiving of a bad plant between rocks and tends to bend rather than snap. If you race and count grams, carbon; if your poles live in a pack on rough ground, alloy is the safer buy.

We publish whatever the brand publishes, and say which it is in the product title where the brand sells them as a pair. Always check that line before comparing two numbers. A 112 g pole and a 228 g pair are much closer than they look.

Only if you are going above the snowline or onto soft ground. A small dirt basket sinks straight into snow. Several poles here ship with both and swap in seconds, which is worth having if you tramp year-round in the central North Island.