Long Term Report

Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLock Poles

Date: April 3rd, 2005

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 FlickLock 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 FlickLock 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 FlickLock 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 FlickLock poles, the aluminum upper and the carbon fiber lower. The FlickLock 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 FlickLock 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 FlickLock is installed, allowing the pole to compress onto the carbon fiber lower shaft when the FlickLock 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.

Long Term Experience:

The Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Flicklocks have covered a lot of mileage with me. They show no unusual wear. In fact, they have held up extremely well, especially considering the several very hard climbs they were subjected to. They were used on a good mix of ‘normal’ hikes and backpacks as well as snowshoeing and skiing trips. I will describe the more ‘intense’ trips below, as they tend to bring out the good and bad of equipment more clearly.

December 28-31, 2004
Location: Adirondacks State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, Deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails. Above treeline had ice covered rock and unconsolidated snow.
Weather: Mixed: sunny, snow and even some rain. Day temperatures around 25 F (14 C) and night temperatures hovering around 16 F (9 C). Summit temperatures were about 10 F (6 C) with winds about 20 mph (32 kph).

Snow! Ice! Rocks! Altitude! Finally, a chance to really put the Black Diamond Flicklocks to a real test, climbing Gothics Mountain and Lower Wolfjaw Mountain in the Adirondacks!

We normally use gear sleds to carry our heavy base camp gear on these multi-day winter trips, but sketchy conditions dictated a lighter, more conservative approach. Accordingly, the sleds and skis were left home and we backpacked light with crampons and snowshoes. The conditions below 3000 ft (914 m) were generally shallow snow of about 8 in (20 cm) over a solid ice bed. Bare boots were worn for the hike into our base camp area, but crampons became the footwear of choice for both approaches and climbs. The snowshoes were carried, but were worn only to pack the snow under our tents. The Black Diamond Flicklocks were a real asset in these conditions, giving much added traction over moderate, but tricky, pitches during both approaches. I really appreciate a good pair of poles during long descents and the Black Diamond Flicklocks served well here, too. The low swing weight makes placing the poles a pleasure and the positive bite of the tips is a real confidence builder when balancing over a long or off-angle down-step.

The climb up Gothics required a traverse over a broad section of exposed, steeply angled rock, covered in hard and crusty ice. A slip on this section could well have resulted in a long slide with the potential for serious injury. The technique used to get over this fun bit of ice was to drive a crampon equipped boot flat into the ice, swing the opposite pole forward, without overextending, and drive the pole tip home into the ice, brace, and then swing the other crampon equipped boot forward a short step and stomp the crampons in for another secure bite, and bring up the remaining pole, again using a short swing, and plant it firmly into the ice. This process is a bit slow, but it is an adaptation of ice climbing, whereas the climber always has at least three points attached to the ice. I always use short steps when doing this as it helps keep my weight more-or-less directly over the crampons or poles, at least as long as the terrain permits it.

The Black Diamond Flicklocks were abused more than ever, with hundreds of repeated forceful jams into hard ice. I was concerned that the locks would slip and so tightened them an additional half turn using my Leatherman P4. The adjustments did not slip a bit, but the Flicklock levers were noticeably harder to close.

The climb up Lower Wolfjaw was less dramatic, as the terrain was mostly moderate to steep snow-covered ice, with no exposed pitches. The final 500 ft (152 m) was very steep and the additional traction afforded by the poles was welcome. Ditto on the descent, as 'four legs' make steep descents much easier.

One area of potential concern came to mind, but never materialized. The cam locks on my crampons both froze solid from ice buildup and could not be released. It occurred to me that it was possible to have a similar problem with the Flicklock mechanism. As the locks are normally well above the snow and ice, this is probably unlikely, but something to be aware of.

The hike out on the fourth day was in the rain, of all things, and the Black Diamond Flicklocks provided welcome traction  in the slippery mess on the way out.

February 12, 2005
Location: Sugarloaf Mountain, Catskills, NY
Terrain: Hard, crusty snow low, deep crusty snow high, over a bed of ice. The ascent was over very steep, ice-covered  rock.
Weather: A typical cold, overcast winter day. We climbed into increasing cloud cover and finally heavy snow flurries above 3000 ft (914 m).

This climb gave the Flicklocks another good workout. The sharp points penetrated the crusty surface of the snow easily and the ¾ baskets acted as brakes, making for a firmly planted, stable support. The tips once again proved very good at gaining traction on ice. The extra stability and traction are really useful on steep, icy trails, especially when descending. The Flicklocks really came into their own for snowshoeing. The nicely sculpted rubber handle proved to be perfectly shaped and the rubber has been an excellent match for my gloved hands. My grip has never slipped, no matter how hard I slam the pole into something.

I tried using the Flicklocks for cross country skiing several times, but found the length of the shorter set is too short for a proper kick and glide for me. The poles were excellent for the downhill bits, where the light weight and good handgrip design make quick pole movements nearly effortless. If planning on using these poles for proper cross country skiing, I would go for the longer size option.

Black Diamond was kind enough to provide a set of optional snow baskets for the test, and I switched over to these early in the season. Let me comment on the ease of switching baskets. On every other pole I have ever used, switching baskets is nothing short of a minor ordeal. The best system I’ve seen to date involved a special plastic wrench to remove or install the snow baskets. Not bad, but good luck trying to remember where the wrench was stashed a year from now. Black Diamond has designed a very clever, easy to use system. The pole tips and the baskets have a matching thread pattern that allows the basket to be screwed onto the pole tip. No muss, no fuss, no grunting, no sweating, no cussing and no tools! The real stroke of genius is discovered when the basket is screwed fully into place. The basket actually turns past the end of the threaded area to a point that it can disengage from the threads and spin freely. By doing this, the basket cannot back off the threads and fall off the pole. To remove the basket, I just press down gently while turning the basket and the threads re-engage and come off. Nice!

The snow baskets themselves work well enough. They have an interesting toothed pattern, which supposedly improves traction. I can’t really confirm that, but they sure look cool. The standard basket is surprisingly effective in the snow, in spite of its open ¾ design.


Long Term Summary:

Things I Like:

1 – Light weight.
2 – Ease of use and reliability of the FlickLock mechanism.
3 – Grippy pole tips.
4 – Nicely designed handgrips.
5 – Thoughtfully designed basket installation that really works.

Things I Don’t Like:

1 – I’m thinking, I’m thinking….

The Black Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLock poles have proven to be very good, all-around 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 design of the pole clearly leans towards winter use, especially the rubber handgrip. The poles really shine in downhill skiing, but are no slouches for regular hiking or snowshoeing. The FlickLocks continue to be very reliable. Any slippage has been minor and is easily rectified with a quick adjustment to the tensioning screw.

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. The only shortcoming is inherent in the rubber handle, as it can’t absorb sweat in warmer weather.