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Field Report:
Black Diamond Mountain Series Enduro CF
Compact Trekking Poles
Date: July 4, 2006
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Finally pursuing a
long-time interest, I started backpacking 3 years
ago. I've progressed from day-hiking
and single overnights my first year, to weekend trips the second, and
finally
to a 7-night trip on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia this year.
I
hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West
Virginia,
and generally use a hammock sleeping system.
For a two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) including
consumables, and I’m still trying to lighten that a bit. |
Product
Information:
Manufacturer: Black Diamond
Year of manufacture: 2006
Date of Delivery: March 24, 2006
Model: Mountain Series Enduro CF Compact
Advertised Weight: 1 lb 1 oz (0.48 kg) per pair
Weight as delivered: 1 lb 1.1 oz (0.48 kg)
per pair
Advertised size: 22 in (57 cm) collapsed
22 - 49 in (47 - 125 cm) usable size
Measured size: 23 in (58 cm) collapsed
23 - 49 in (58 - 125 cm) usable size
Color:
Red/dark
grey/black
Manufacturer Website:
http://www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com
MSRP: $109.95
US
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Features:
"Zero-Slip" FlickLock adjustment system
Carbon fiber lower shaft
Padded webbing straps
"Long Flex" tips
Foam grip and foam extension
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Product
Description:
The Black Diamond
Mountain Series Enduro CF Compact Trekking Poles are three section
collapsible poles featuring a "FlickLock" adjustment system which
provides a very strong grip to prevent the poles from accidentally
collapsing. The poles are primarily red in color with grey foam
grips and a black lower section. They have a carbide tip and small
plastic baskets. For a more detailed description of the poles,
please see my Initial
Report.
Field
Information:
My main use of the Black Diamond Enduro Poles was during my 7 day trip
on the
Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail from
Springer Mountain to Unicoi Gap, where elevations ranged from around
2500 ft to
close to 4500 ft (750 to 1200 m). I've also used the poles for a
half dozen or so day hikes in the western part of West Virginia, at
elevations from around 600 to 1000 ft (200 to 300 m). Trip
temperatures have ranged
from around 30 F (0 C) to over 90 F (30 C). I have not yet had
the occasion to hike with the poles in the rain, however I have used
them in mud, in wet grass, and for water crossings. My "pack
weight" while using the poles has varied from carrying just a 1 L
bottle of water, up to 37 lb (17 kg).
Use:
So far, I've been really impressed with the
performance and comfort of these poles. I found them a real asset
on my Appalachian Trail trip, where they helped me make it up the many
mountains more easily, and saved my knees a lot of abuse on the many
steep downhills. I found out how much using both poles really
helped when one of my friends forgot her hiking stick, and I ended up
loaning her one of my poles for two days of the trip. I found it
much more stressful on both the uphills and downhills using only the
one pole, and was very happy when we reached a point she could purchase
a hiking stick and I was able to use both poles once more!
One thing I really like about the Black Diamond Enduro Poles is the
padded wrist webbing. Even using the poles 7 days in a row to
cover 50 miles, I never experienced any soreness from the wrist straps,
which often occurred on long hikes with my former poles. Once
adjusted to fit my hand, the webbing stays in place very well - I
seldom had to readjust it during my trip. I also found the
FlickLock adjustments absolutely reliable - they haven't slipped at all
when I've used the poles. I found this very reassuring on rocky
sections since I never needed to worry about the poles accidentally
collapsing when I most needed them for balance. Although I
experienced some stiffness in the FlickLock levers when I first
received the poles, the mechanisms open and close smoothly now, and are
easy to operate. Although testing conditions have mainly been
warm so far, I've operated the FlickLocks with light gloves with no
problem. The markings on the
pole sections make it easy to adjust them to the length I want each
time.
The poles have felt very well balanced both while in use and while
being carried collapsed. It's very easy to keep up a steady
rhythm with them, making the miles go by more easily. They've
also been very sturdy, bearing significant weight on the steep
downhills of the Appalachian Trail, especially the rocky, steep terrain
from the top of Blood Mountain down to Neel's Gap, with an elevation
drop of around 1000 ft (300 m) in 1.4 mi (2.25 km). The poles
seldom catch between rocks or in crevices, likely due at least in part
to the small diameter plastic baskets, which help keep the poles from
dropping too far into crevices and catching, and are small enough not
to catch on plants, brush, or sticks along the trail.
Detail of minor scratches and dirt stains
on bottom sections of poles
The foam grips are very comfortable and so far are holding up well with
no apparent wear. The only wear I've noticed on the poles so far
(other than dirt stains and slight scratches on the tips) are some
small scratches on the lower sections of the poles and a small scraped
area on the plastic at the top of one grip. The scraped area
appeared overnight on the Appalachian Trail, and vaguely resembles
rodent teeth marks, so I'm guessing a mouse or other small critter
found the pole top a fascinating chew toy that night.
Detail of small scrape on top of pole
The poles are easily stored in the outside pockets of the Granite
Gear Stratus Latitude pack I've been testing, making it easier to
keep track of everything when transporting my gear to and from
trailheads than if I had to remember to pick the poles up
separately. I also found them useful for propping up the fly on
my Hennessy Hammock to catch the breezes at night, with the tips
fitting in the small plastic rings on the fly points and the grips
staying sturdy against the ground.
Testing Plan:
Anticipated
Field Conditions
Additional testing of the Enduro CF Poles will be on the
trails of West Virginia and Virginia, mostly in mountainous or hilly
terrain, on
weekend backpacking trips
varying from 7-15 mi (10-25 km) and day hikes, with elevations from 600
to over 4000
ft (200 to over 1200 m) and temperatures that may range from lows
around 40 F (5 C) to highs above 90 F (30 C).
Trips will involve a
lot of
uphill and downhill hiking from moderate to steep, and several creek
crossings. Days
may vary from bright and sunny to day long rain and
anything in between, with high humidity levels
likely. I expect my pack to weigh 30-35 lb (13-16 kg) with
consumables for backpacking trips, and anything from just a water
bottle to about 10 lb (4.5 kg) for day hikes.
Test Particulars
Will the “Double Flick-Lock”
system continue to be failsafe and easy to use?
Will the poles continue to be comfortable to hold
and slip resistant, even under hot and humid summer conditions?
Will the padded wrist strap webbing continue to be
easy to adjust and stay in adjustment?
Do the poles continue to be sturdy and well
balanced?
Do the poles continue to be durable without
bending or breaking, corroding, or the paint chipping excessively?
Do the hand grips and webbing continue to be
durable, or have they
compressed, lost
chunks of foam, frayed, broken, or otherwise deteriorated over the test?
Have they become excessively dirty and
impossible to clean?
Likes so far:
Stylish look
Comfortable grips and webbing
Easy to adjust and lock
Durable and dependable
Dislikes so far:
Baskets are somewhat hard
to remove
Thanks to Black Diamond and BackpackGearTest
for
the
opportunity to test the Black Diamond Mountain Series Enduro CF Compact
Trekking Poles
Read more reviews of Black Diamond gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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