PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
52 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
163 lbs (74 kg) in weight
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
Personal Hiking Page: http://www.imrisk.com
Trail name: Risk
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 17 lb (8 kg) and skin out weight of 25 lb (11 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 1100 miles (1770 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Gossamer Gear
Year Manufactured: 2004
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.gossamergear.com/
MSRP: US$95.95
Listed Weight: 3.0 oz (85 g) each for 49 in (125 cm) length
Measured Weight: 3.4 oz (99 g) each
REVIEW

For a detailed description of these poles, please see my Initial Report.

The Lightrek PLUS poles have accompanied me on about 75 mi (120 km) of walking in the first two months.  They have performed wonderfully as hyperlight trekking poles when everything has gone well, and as this report unfolds, two recoverable failures are described.

I remain convinced that these stripped down poles have all the features of a hiking pole that I need.  They work great for balance, and to help me walk up and down steep hills without slipping.  I do not miss the straps of other poles, and when walking do not miss the adjustment in length available in conventional trekking poles.  Absolutely to the contrary!  Actually, I find it much easier to not have straps and am more than content with a fixed length.  When I need to use my hand to grab a tree, or to support myself when descending steep rocky trails, being able to simply let go of one pole and hold it with my opposite hand is convenient and desirable.  The same sort of simple elegance is found in my experience of a fixed length.  It keeps me from checking the two pole's length against each other a dozen times a day.  With standard poles, I have never had a set which stayed locked all the time.  It seems like they are always changing length.  What a relief it is to have poles that really stay the length I want them to be all the time!

The primary attribute of the new Lightrek PLUS poles is increased strength of the shaft of the pole.  After considerable use, I now have confidence that these poles do not bend with the sorts of stress that normal hiking puts on them.  I have occasionally tripped and slipped while on steep hills.  In none of these instances, have the poles bent to any degree that I could see.  While I am sure that I would not want to put my full weight on any ultralight pole, in careful use, the poles have never been near their strength limit.

 In my Initial Report I said what was important to me in the use of a hiking pole:

    - help me to keep my balance when crossing a stream
    - help me to step on jumbled rocks and not fall when one of them shifts
    - help me to recover from a missed step or a stubbed toe or slipping on some fresh mud
    - help to decrease the overall weight of equipment I carry
    - help to reduce impact on my knees when going up hills as well as down

For all these reasons, I remain convinced that the Lightrek PLUS poles are what I need for ultralight hiking.  

The Lightrek PLUS pole is not as bulletproof as some of the standard hiking poles out there.  The company lets me know from the beginning that it is possible to stress the pole beyond its breaking point.  I have been careful to always use a pole basket so that the shaft does not get inserted into cracks between rocks, which avoids one known cause of stressing the shaft of the pole beyond its breaking point.  

But the Lightrek PLUS poles are not perfect. I have had two problems with the poles so far.  

The first problem surfaced on my first day hike.  The new tips on the poles (obtained from China according to Gossamer Gear) have screw on baskets.  One basket, despite being screwed on tightly, managed to unscrew itself and was lost on my first day hike and I had to get a replacement from the company.  After discussing this with Gossamer Gear, they suggested one of two solutions.  The first was to use a spot of Silicone caulk to "glue" the basket to the pole.  The second solution was to wrap a 1 in (2.5 cm) wide strip of duct tape around the junction of the basket and the tip to keep the basket from unscrewing.  Gossamer Gear has since added this instruction to their supplied instructions on the Lightrek Plus Poles. I have used the duct tape solution for about 70 mi (115 km) of walking and have had no further problem with the baskets coming loose.  The tape has been in mud, water, snow, and bitter cold.  It has never come close to coming undone.

The second problem happened on a beautiful day hike in fresh snow.  Air temperature was about 20 F (-7 C). Under the snow was hard frozen ground, the nighttime temperature having been subfreezing for more than a week.  Within a few minutes of entering the woods on this hike, first one, and then the second pole's plastic tip broke.  The fracture occurred at the bottom of the threads which happens to be at the spot to which the carbon fiber shaft extends inside the tip.  


As I evaluate the poles over the next four months, I will be interested in the following:
- Are the poles comfortable in day long hiking? (So far they are very comfortable.)
- Are they strong enough to arrest a fall when I trip or stub my toe? (Yes, absolutely!)
- Does the lack of adjustment lead to any difficulties when hiking? (To the contrary - lack of adjustment means they stay full length all the time.)
- How do the poles work in very cold weather?  (The jury is out.  They do not slip on ice, but the plastic of the tip may be overly brittle in cold.)

What I like so far:
- Very, very lightweight
- Hand grips are warm and soft to my touch

FIELD CONDITIONS FOR THE TEST PERIOD
During the last two months, I have used the poles extensively for day hiking in all extremes of weather, from balmy warm muddy conditions to significantly below freezing.  I have used them on grass, asphalt, ice, and snow. In addition, I have used the poles for several overnight walks which have included trips along woods trails and also bike trails in Ohio.  For the Long Term reporting period, I plan to use the poles in the coldest sub-freezing temperatures that Ohio will offer this winter.  Altitudes will range from river valleys to mountain tops.