Field Report

Black Diamond Terra CF Trekking Poles

Date: September 20, 2005

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 51
Height: 6' 3" (1.90 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: 2005
URL: www.bdel.com

Manufacturer’s Specifications:

Weight (pair): 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)
Collapsed Length : 28 in (71 cm)

Adjusting Range:  41 in (105 cm) – 55 in (140 cm)

MSRP: 124.95 US
 
Weight as measured (pair): 1 lb 3.5 oz (553 g)
Length as measured:
            - Collapsed: 27.9 in (71 cm)
            - Extended to 55.25 in (140 cm) per marking on shaft


Fig. 1: Black Diamond Terra CF Trekking Poles.

The Poles:

The Terra CF is a three section pole. The upper shaft is blue painted aluminum, the center shaft is natural finished carbon fiber, and the lower shaft is spun finished aluminum. The lower shaft is adjusted using the Black Diamond Binary system. The overall pole length is adjusted using Black Diamond’s Flicklock system, mounted between the upper and middle sections. The tip is the fairly typical hard black plastic with a metal (carbide?) tip.

The hand grip is black foam with a rubberized cork top. The top has a distinctive sculpted shape, unique among all the poles I’ve seen or used. The broad shape makes ‘palming’ the pole very comfortable and should be a real boon during long descents.

There is no anti-shock system. This is something of a surprise, given the feature-rich design of the Terra CFs. That being said, I am not a fan of anti-shock systems, finding them generally useless, and I consider the absence a real plus. It also helps keep the weight down.

For a more detailed description of the Black Diamond Terra CFs, please refer to my Initial Report. 

Field Experience:

Terrain:

Long Island Pine Barrens: forest duff, mud and sand on flat, graded trails.

Catskill Mountains: flat to moderate to steep trails, comprised of packed forest duff, small broken rocks, and exposed bluestone slabs with frequent stream crossings.

Harriman State Park: flat to moderate with occasional steep trails, comprised of grass, packed forest duff and/or frequent exposed granite slabs and rock strewn trails.

Field Comments:

The poles are a snap to adjust. I have long preferred three section poles for their packability. However, the ability to fine tune the pole length with a single quick flip of the lock is excellent. I frequently found myself doing this without breaking my stride as I hiked. The extended foam handles are wonderful in rapidly changing terrain, typical of Harriman State Park, where a trail can transition from level grass to a steep rocky grade, to a steep rocky descent after crossing a flat rock slab after scrambling over a couple of huge boulders in the course of a couple of hundred feet (or a hundred meters)! A pole that must be constantly adjusted borders on being a nuisance in these conditions. The Black Diamond Terra CFs are essentially a ’set it and forget it’ design, even in these conditions.

The pole adjustment never slipped once adjusted. I am in the habit of checking my poles each time I use them. I do this by setting the pole to the desired length, placing the pole tip securely on the ground and then gradually applying weight to the pole handle while watching for slippage. I try to apply as much weight as possible by leaning on the pole carefully, but not so much that the pole might be damaged. I find the ideal adjustment is to loosen the tension just to the point that they slip a bit under the heaviest load and then retighten the Flicklock adjusting screw just a quarter turn. This allows the tension to be set to the point that it will not slip under most foreseeable conditions yet allows the closing effort of the Flicklock to be as minimal as possible. When adjusted in this fashion, I have yet to experience any slippage at all with the locking mechanism, even after hard use.

There is no shock absorbing mechanism. I consider this a plus and never missed it, as each pole placement is firm and certain.

The pole tips gripped well on all surfaces, including the many rocks to be found in the Catskills and Harriman State Park. This is a function of the rock surface and the angle of placement with the pole tip, of course.

The sculpted foam handles were grippy and comfortable and never slipped. I found the foam is superior to my former preferred handle material, rubberized cork. It is even more grippy and more forgiving of sweaty hands than the cork type handles when hiking during the often brutal humidity experienced in the northeast. The foam has held up well so far, but there are some minor gouges on one handle where it took some hard hits on some particularly abrasive rocks. I never was too excited about the ‘ergonomically’ angled handles found on some hiking poles. I must confess that there is a slight advantage in the design. The small additional angle tends to ‘push’ the pole tip out a bit farther forward when descending and also seems to keep the pole at a slightly more aggressive angle when ‘pushing off’ during ascents or fast paced hiking on more level surfaces. All this happens ‘naturally’ without any special effort on my part and the result is improved pole performance. The handle straps are soft, comfortable and easy to adjust.

The cork/rubber head was bit of a mystery and at first I assumed this was an aesthetic detail. I learned differently while using the poles. First, on steep descents, I found that the hard cork/rubber head makes an excellent hand rest when placing my weight on the poles, giving good weight distribution across my palms. I suspect the cork material will prove far more durable than the foam used on the shaft handgrips in this location. Next, I found that the sculpted shape of the head serves a purpose as well, allowing my fingers to fall into natural, and comfortable, positions on either side. The small, forward projecting knob gives just enough leverage to permit the poles to be swung forward with very little additional effort. Lastly, I found I can use the pole as a more traditional 'cane' by partially collapsing the shaft and using the cork/rubber head as a handgrip - rather fun as a change of pace.

I have a strong preference for three section poles due to the convenience of transporting the shorter collapsed poles. I learned that there is another advantage: the short collapsed length allows the poles to pack nicely on a backpack without having a long length of pole protruding over the pack top. This is very handy when pushing through dense brush and tight rocky places, as there is less pole sticking out to catch things. This is a tremendous advantage during Catskill bushwhacks, as the spruce thickets found on many summits are notoriously dense.

Summary:

Likes:

1 – Great looking design!
2 – Excellent materials used throughout.
3 – Very light, especially when considering all the features.

Dislikes:

1 – More of a nit, really: The Binary Locking System requires a good pinch to close. Of course, this means it is less likely to close accidentally!

The Terra CFs have become my instant favorites. I can see my other poles occupying a table top at our next garage sale! The combination of light weight and features make an excellent package. I am still hard pressed to find a substantive complaint or suggestion for improvement. Well, except for the old standby: it would be nice if they were even lighter (no, we are never satisfied on this point!).

Black Diamond has a real winning design here!