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Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Flicklocks > Rob Patterson > Field ReportBlack Diamond Carbon Fiber FlickLock Poles - Field Report
Product description: The poles are two part, collapsible poles with a carbon fiber lower and an aluminum top, mated with Black Diamond's patented FlickLock mechanism. The poles take both an included climbing basket or an optional powder basket. My poles adjust from 108 cm (42.5 in) to 141 cm (55 in) without any slippage. For a more detailed description see my Initial Report. Field Conditions: In the past two months I have used the poles without baskets for two three-day hikes and a number of day hikes totaling thirteen trail days. Thus far we have not had any snow, but as I look outside my window a layer of white is coating the streets. Thus far I've used the poles for fall and early winter hiking. Temperatures have hovered around the 5-10 C (41-50 F) mark, but have reached into the 20's C (68+ F) and down to around freezing. It's been a pretty wet fall although there have been a few nice days. My take on the Poles: While I have not had too many trail days on these poles, I've swiftly fallen in love with them. I find that without their baskets they have a very light, precise and ready swing, well adapted to hiking. When used on soil I find they perform no better or worse then an all aluminum anti-shock model, but when used on rock from my small frame (150 lb, 68 kg), they have a nice damp impact, with just enough 'twang' to give me a good idea of what I just hit. In fact if I watch the poles as I hit a log or some rock, firmly, I can see the carbon fiber lower section vibrating as it absorbs a large portion of the impact. The poles lack an anti-shock feature, and I find this to be especially nice on uphills, downhills, and for stream crossings where balance is essential. I have found the dual-density rubber grips to be comfortable (albeit somewhat sweaty) when used barehanded, and to be sized to be used with gloves. I have found that the grips will take comfortably anything from a poly-pro liner to the heaviest expedition mitt in my collection. The top of the grip is covered in rubber and is perfectly sized to 'palm' on uphills. Thus far I have yet to develop any signs of a blister with these poles despite some high mileage days (37 and 41 km, 23 and 26 miles). On very steep uphills I find it is reasonably comfortable to hold the poles by the FlickLock mechanism, but the poles could benefit from another, lower grip. Just as an FYI, the rubber used in the handles, while sticky, can get to be slick when wet, so I make sure to use the pole straps in the rain. The pole straps themselves are brilliant. They are easily adjustable through a ladder-lock tensioner, which allows them to be shrunken for bare hands and expanded for heavy gloves and mitts. The strap, which is a wide piece of braided nylon tapers towards the ends, is both soft and supportive and like a good cross-country ski strap it takes much of the force created from leaning on the poles. I have found the FlickLock adjustments to be both very easy to adjust and very secure once snapped down. I have experienced no issues with the FlickLock's needing to be retightened; Black Diamond in a letter accompanying the poles noted that they had redesigned the mechanism this year to address the issue. As far as the tips of the poles, I have found them to be no better or worse then anything else I have tried. If I had to say something, I'd say I liked the concave metal tips as they make for very secure placements on rock with minimal skating. Durability wise I have tried to abuse the poles, but they still look basically new. This is despite torking the poles in trapped placements, using it to beat back tree limbs, fencing, and numerous encounters with rock. They have taken on the usual scratches of outdoor gear, and I have found the carbon fiber lowers to be fairly scratch resistant and to be a nice balance between flexibility and rigidity. The poles are definitely a solidly built piece of gear, but like anything else, I'm sure if I put my mind to it I could trash them. Things I Like:
During the next four months, I plan to use the Carbon Fiber FlickLock poles while backpacking, snowshoeing, and cross-country and downhill skiing. Specifically looking at the poles suitability for these sports, their usability and the usefulness of their features, as well as the general performance and comfort of the poles.
Backpacking Background: I'm an avid backpacker, and have hiked through most of Canada. Because of a number of factors I tend to use heavy to mid-weight gear but am looking at moving towards lightweight backpacking. Thus far, I've always used tents, and heavyweight backpacks. I also am an avid white-water paddler, long distance canoeist, and in the winter ski downhill, cross-country (skate and classic), climb (rock and ice), and with luck this winter I'll learn to snowshoe. Read more reviews of Black Diamond gear Read more gear reviews by Robert Patterson Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Flicklocks > Rob Patterson > Field Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||