Long Term Report

Black Diamond Terra CF Trekking Poles

Date: January 17, 2006

Reviewer Information

Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 51
Height: 6 ft 3 in (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 is 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. Additional information can be found in my Field Report.

Long Term 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:

My love affair with these poles continues to grow. They have become my favorite hiking poles and have proven to be the single best all-around poles I have ever used.

Wear and tear has not proven to be an issue at all. For the most part, the poles look as good as the day they arrived. There are some nicks and scratches consistent with the heavy use they have seen. There are only two minor items of note. The foam hand grips, particularly the lower extensions, have several small nicks where the foam was banged hard against abrasive rock surfaces. The only other item is the carbon fiber center shaft, which has some cosmetic scratches from slippage of the Flicklock mechanism.

This was caused by a discovery I made about storing the poles. The original Black Diamond literature recommended storing the poles with the Flicklocks in the open position. I quickly forgot about and/or ignored this recommendation. Instead, I adjusted the locks to a tension I was comfortable with and forgot about it. This worked fine for some time. Then, on a hard climb I noticed that both poles had slipped slightly. The result was slight scratches in the carbon fiber shafts, as the Flicklock adjusters apparently put up a valiant fight. I tightened the adjustment slightly and went on my way with no further problems until the process repeated itself several hikes later. Apparently, storing the poles with the locks engaged causes the adjustment to lose a bit of tension. The last couple of months I have stored the poles with the locks in the open position and the poles have not slipped since.

The Binary locking system continues to work very well. I have noticed some stiffness in the release mechanism in cold weather. This is heightened when wearing bulky gloves. It can take a pretty concerted push to get the Binary lock to release on these occasions. Other than this, the system has operated flawlessly. I really like the fixed, open/closed lower section, as length adjustments are accomplished with a quick set of the upper section and the Flicklock adjuster. The lower aluminum shaft section seems very durable and functions well in broken, rocky terrain I often encounter.

I happened to have a pair of Black Diamond snow baskets and installed these easily after removing the provided trekking baskets. I have had the chance to use the CF Trekking poles in snow recently and found the combination to be an effective one. Conditions have not been such that I have been able to use the poles with my cross country skis, unfortunately.

I am a big fan of the extended hand grip design. In the constantly varying terrain I hike in, this type of hand grip offers major advantages and gets constant use. On the other hand, using the poles like this makes the wrist straps more of an ornament. I use them only for the occasional, and all too rare, long level stretches of hiking when they present themselves. This is more commonly found near my home on Long Island than the mountainous and hilly terrain found in Harriman and the Catskills.

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 favorites and constant hiking companions. 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 with the minor exception of the cold weather stiffness experienced in the Binary locking system.
Black Diamond has a real winning design here!