Field Report

Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLocks Poles

Date: December 13th, 2004

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 210 lb (94 kg)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA

Backpacking Background:

I've been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small four-season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Black Diamond Equipment
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.bdel.com

Manufacturers Specifications:

Note: Black Diamond issued these poles as ‘pre-production’ items. Accordingly, while the poles appear to be market ready, it is possible that some details or features may be subject to change. For instance, the upper ends of the carbon fiber shafts have threaded screw ends, part of a former feature permitting the lower shafts to be assembled into an avalanche probe. The hangtag provides instructions on the assembly. Information from Black Diamond indicates that the feature has been discontinued for technical reasons and the poles are no longer provided with connecting paired shafts.

Pole Features:
Dimensions:
            - Length: 45.28 in (115 cm)
            - Weight: 1 lb 1.28 oz (490 g) per pair with baskets (size 120 cm)
- Balanced swing weight
- Redesigned dual-density grip and anatomical wrist strap
- Whippet Compatible w/ Carbon Fiber Adapter
- Slip-proof FlickLocks adjustments
Color: Red and black handle and upper shaft with ‘natural’ carbon fiber finish on lower pole section.
MSRP: $89 US
 
Weight as measured (size 115): 1 lb 5.28 oz (616 g)
Length as measured:
            - Collapsed: 36.6 in (93 cm)
            - Extended to 49 in (125 cm) per marking on shaft: actual = 49.2 in (125.5 cm)

Fig. #1: The Black Diamond FlickLocks poles. The upper pole is fully extended and the lower pole is fully collapsed. Note the ¾ basket at the lower right.

Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLocks Details:

The rubber handles have a stylized, two-tone finish. They are actually made of two different density rubbers. The red areas are a very hard, structural component and the black areas are a softer rubber for comfort. The ‘softer’ black rubber is still quite firm and does not compress noticeably when squeezed. The handle design is easy to grip and quite comfortable. The handle is mounted in line with the pole shaft and is not angled off the centerline as some poles are.

The Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLocks are two-section, collapsible poles. The upper shafts are made of aluminum and finished in a red and black two-tone graphic. The Black Diamond brand name and logo are on the upper shaft in a bright aluminum finish. The Carbon Fiber FlickLocks label is on both ends of the upper shaft using much smaller graphics. The Black Diamond name and logo are repeated again on the lower section of the upper shaft, smaller and in black this time.

The wrist strap is made of tapered, black and grey webbing. The straps are 1.5 in (38 mm) at the widest sections. In a departure from the poles I’ve used in the past, the strap adjustment is not in the handle. Rather, the webbing is permanently affixed to the handle and consists of two pieces. Adjustment is made using a webbing cam that joins the two ends together. The arrangement is very similar to a pack compression strap and as easy to use.

There are two sections to the Carbon Fiber FlickLocks poles, the aluminum upper and the carbon fiber lower. The FlickLocks mechanism is positioned at the junction of the two shafts, mounted on the exterior of the aluminum upper shaft with the carbon fiber lower shaft sliding into the aluminum upper shaft. The FlickLocks mechanism is simplicity itself. It is comprised essentially of a black plastic over-center cam lock device with an adjusting screw incorporated to allow tension adjustments. The aluminum upper shaft has a slot cut into the lower end where the FlickLocks is installed, allowing the pole to compress onto the carbon fiber lower shaft when the FlickLocks is closed.

The lower pole section, as noted previously, is constructed of carbon fiber, left in a shiny, natural charcoal grey finish. The only markings are the Black Diamond name and logo, in metallic silver paint, and the length markings, also in metallic silver paint. The adjustment range is marked as a low of 39.4 in (100 cm) to a maximum of 49 in (125 cm).

The pole tips appear to be fairly typical, comprised of a hard plastic tapered cone finished in a metal tip. The tip appears to be carbide, but this is not noted in the literature. The tip design is different from what I am familiar with. It is a cupped depression instead of the more typical pointed star. A ¾ basket is installed on the pole, and is removable.

Field Experience:

Tremper Mountain
Day hike
Terrain: Rugged carriage road, with mix of broken rock, rock slab and occasional packed dirt sections. Elevation change 2000 feet over 3 miles, repeated on the descent.
Weather: mild temperatures, around 55 F (31 C) and overcast.

The Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLocks are wonderfully light. The well-formed grip proved to be comfortable and very secure. I generally prefer the longer style of handle, with the handgrips extended down the upper shaft of the pole, but have to confess the design of the Carbon Fiber FlickLocks did not leave me wishing for my usual handgrips. Being on a well-graded jeep road may have contributed to this, as the trip to the summit was generally an easy, if steep, walk-up.

Setting the pole length at the start of the hike was literally a snap. A quick flick of the FlickLocks lever, slide out the shaft to the appropriate, clearly marked point, and snap the FlickLocks closed. Easy. The poles were not overly stressed on this hike, given the generally well-graded trail. The tips gripped well on the mixed surfaces encountered, bearing in mind there were no really steep sections.

My only complaint lies with the rubber materials used in the hand grip. One of the reasons I have avoided hiking poles with hard plastic or rubber handles over the years is that I sweat when climbing. My natural pace is on the fast side of moderate and I tend to work up a pretty good head of steam on a long climb. I soak everything, including my hands. Foam and cork/rubber grips tend to be more forgiving in this respect. My concerns proved to be well founded, as the hard rubber became wet, unlike cork or foam handgrips, which tend to stay dry. However, to my surprise, the grips tended to be more sticky than slippery. I wouldn't call it the most comfortable sensation, but my primary concern was the grip becoming slippery and this just did not happen. It became obvious that Black Diamond put some careful thought into the selection of the materials used in the bi-rubber grips.

November 14-15, 2004
Location: Harriman State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails, including some very steep, rocky ascents and descents.
Weather: A surprise cold snap! A severe cold front came through on Friday night, changing the moderate rain to snow! We found about 3 in (8 cm) average accumulation with occasional 6 in (15 cm) patches. The rain had frozen, coating the trees and rocks in clear, hard ice. Saturday daytime temperature hovered around 38 F (3 C). Saturday night the temperature dropped to 25 F (-4 C). Winds were about 20+ mph (32+ kph).

The Black Diamond FlickLocks poles were given their first serious workout on this backpack. This was so not only because of the 18 miles (29 km) of trails over a seemingly endless roller coaster of rocky ridges, but the fact that an early, surprise storm had left considerable mounts of snow and ice over the region.

As I was wearing liner gloves due to the cold weather, the rubber handgrips were far more comfortable and I really came to appreciate the very secure and stable grip design. Once again, I failed to miss my usual climbing grips. This is more notable given the fact that some of the ascents were quite steep, with occasional minor scrambling, but the climbs were not overly long. Typical elevation change on a ridge crossing was only a couple of hundred feet or so. The broad head of the hand grip proved effective for resting my palm when making a long downward reach on a tricky descending maneuver. This was especially useful given the amount of snow and ice we were dealing with. The grippy poles were a great confidence builder in the tricky spots, especially as none of us had any crampons.

Around the middle of the day, it occurred to me that the poles seemed shorter. I checked them, and sure enough, one had slipped about 1.5 in (4 cm) and the other about .5 in (1.3 cm). The movement was never noticeable, even after applying significant weight to the shafts on several ascents and descents by this time. I suspect that the cause was innumerable little shifts over many forceful pole plants as I ensured a good set before putting my weight on the pole. Resetting the length took mere seconds, but I made a mental note to tighten the pole locks later.

I noticed an interesting detail during this moment. I tend to set the pole length at the 125 cm length, which is the maximum setting on my pair. The markings can be, and were, hidden by the FlickLocks mechanism when locked, making it necessary to open the lock to check the shaft position. However, there is a small 'cutout' left by the FlickLocks on the 'back' of the lock when closed. By rotating the carbon fiber shaft so the '125' marker lined up with this opening, along with its dotted line, I could check the pole length adjustment at a glance and know instantly if it had shifted. This works best if the small diamond shaped mark is lined up with the small slot cut into the aluminum upper shaft.

November 26-27, 2004
Location: Harriman State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails.
Weather: Generally sunny and mild, day temperatures around 45 F (7 C) and night temperatures hovering around freezing.

This two day backpack was over some new Harriman territory for me, after starting on a well known stretch over the Ramapo Torne summit, over the Russian Bear and then following various trails as we essentially flipped a coin at each trail intersection, making for a fun and interesting weekend. The snow of the previous trip had already melted and there was no ice to speak of. The Carbon Fiber FlickLocks once again served well over the days’ varying terrain, crossing everything from flat, packed dirt to steep, quartz outcroppings. The constant exposure to rocky terrain is subjecting the carbon fiber shafts to a lot of nicks and dings, resulting in some unavoidable scratches. This is purely cosmetic, however. Other than this expected wear and tear, the poles are holding up quite nicely. During the night, we used the poles to support out tarp ends. I became an instant fan of the FlickLocks here, as it is really easy to adjust the pole to the perfect height, even under moderate tension. I just slipped the pole in place, opened the lock, extended the pole until the height and tension were just right, and ‘flick’, locked it into place. This is far easier than the same process using a twist lock pole.

Catskill Bushwhack

A two day bushwhack to Lone and Rocky Mountains, followed by a traverse of the col to Table Mountain, where we connected with a trail and descended via Peekamoose Mountain.

I did not bring the Carbon Fiber FlickLocks poles on this backpack. The reason being the one design shortcoming inherent in all two-section hiking poles: limited compression. The poles, when fully compressed, are over 36 in (91 cm) long. This means they will stand proud over my shoulders when mounted on my backpack. This is normally no problem, but in the murderously dense spruce and balsam thickets of many bushwhack approaches to the Catskill summits, this would be tantamount to dragging a boat anchor up and over the mountains, as the exposed pole ends tend to grab every loose branch in sight. Accordingly, I chose a set of three section poles that could be stored compactly on my small backpack when going through the thick stuff. Mind you, on a trail approach, this would not be an issue. I should note that the three section poles were also heavier!

Field Summary:

Things I Like:

1 – Light weight.
2 – Ease of use and reliability of the FlickLocks mechanism.
3 – Grippy pole tips.
4 – Nicely designed handgrips.

Things I Don’t Like:

1 – Only one thing comes to mind, and it is a characteristic of all two section poles: limited compression as compared to three section poles.

The Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLocks poles have proven to be good, all-round poles. Their lightweight construction makes them a joy to use, and the grippy tip builds confidence in tight spots where the extra balance provided by the poles is a great advantage. The thin shafts of the lower carbon fiber sections made me a bit nervous at first, but I have become comfortable with them. I have noted some minor flexing on those occasions when I have put my full weight on a pole, but I do this very rarely, and then very carefully. I tend to use my poles as balance devices in tricky spots, but avoid placing a lot of weight on them whenever possible. This is simply to prevent being ‘over-committed’ to the pole, should it slip or break, which could result in a bad fall. I have gotten into this habit over the years, especially after some instances where a ‘twist’ type pole slipped under pressure. The FlickLocks have so far been very reliable. The ability to adjust the locking pressure of the mechanism also aids as a confidence builder, as it is easy to feel just how much pressure is applied when locked.

The handgrips are comfortable and well designed, with a very natural feel to the shape. My hands have never slipped, even when wet. The wrist straps are surprisingly soft and comfortable. I was concerned about the exposed buckle adjustment, but it doesn’t affect the comfort at all.

Winter is just around the corner, and I look forward to getting these poles out in the snow while cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The Black Diamond literature seems to indicate that these poles are weighted towards winter use and the design, particularly the handgrips, would back this up. We are already planning three extended trips, at least two of which will be to the Adirondacks, where the poles can get a good workout in steep, snowy terrain.