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LEKI Trail Series Pathfinder Jr. Trekking Poles
Long Term Report - August 18, 2004
Contents
Reviewer Information [return to top]
Name: Chuck Kime
Nickname: Fuzzy
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Email address: ckime AT nelsononline DOT com
City, State, Country: Upper Darby (Philadelphia suburb), Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Date: August 18, 2004
Tester Information [return to top]
Name: Alex Kime
Nickname: Game Boy
Age: 13
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 2” (157 cm)
Weight: 115 lb (52 kg)
Product Information [return to top]
Manufacturer: LEKI
Model: Trail Series Pathfinder Jr.
Year of Manufacture: 2003
URL: http://www.leki.com
Listed weight: 14.4 oz (408 g) per pair
Measured weight: 14.6 oz (414 g), scale accurate to 0.1 oz
MSRP: $39.95 USD
Features (from web site) [return to top]
- Turbo Sport Kids Grip
- ELS Locking System
- Two-section adjustable
- Performance Basket
- Steel Flextip
- Adjust from 80-110 cm
Description [return to top]
The Pathfinder Jr. model poles are 2-piece adjustable hiking/trekking poles designed for children (and perhaps smaller adults). The grips are a semi-rigid black plastic or rubber, and have black webbing straps. The upper section is colored metallic blue with silver/grey paw prints printed along the shaft. The lower section has a fine pebble-textured black finish over the entire shaft, marked with white lettering at 5 cm intervals. Just at the top of the flex tip is a small black plastic basket. For a more detailed description, including measurements, please see my Initial Report.
Field Testing [return to top]
Alex is a First Class Boy Scout who has begun working on the Hiking Merit Badge, which requires the completion of five 10-mile (16 km) hikes and one 20-mile (32 km) hike. These hikes, only one of which has been done so far (a 15-mile (24 km) day on Pikes Peak in July, 2003), will likely be done at relatively low elevations in southeastern Pennsylvania, with a possibility of doing a short section of the Appalachian Trail (in Pennsylvania) for the 20-miler. The poles have come along on all Boy Scout troop camping outings during the testing period, including some short hikes. All of these outings, other than stand-alone hikes, included a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures from lows around 30 ºF (-1 ºC) to highs around 95 ºF (35 ºC).
As suggested in my Field Report, the poles underwent a week-long test in August during our troop’s summer camp, where there were more than enough ups and downs to thoroughly test for slippage. Alex set the poles on the first day and did not need to adjust them again until he collapsed them for the trip home. He used them throughout the day, every day.
We were concentrating on:
- Adjustability. How easily can he adjust them, and how quickly? Do they stay where they are set?
- Grips. Do they fit his hands comfortably? Is sweating an issue?
- Straps. Are they readily adjustable? Comfortable? Are there any edges or buckles that cause pressure points?
- Durability. Do they wear well? Do they bend when used appropriately?
- Multi-use. Are they long enough to pitch a child-sized tarp for shelter?
Our findings:
- Adjustability. Alex has been able to adjust the poles without assistance, and has experienced no slippage.
- Grips. The grips seem to fit Alex’s slender hands well, with some room to spare. Sweating has not been an issue.
- Straps. Alex has been able to make all adjustments himself, although he still has some slight difficulty with fine adjustment of the straps. He has had no complaints of any kind regarding comfort.
- Durability. No noticeable wear, other than just a little at the very tip.
- Multi-use. While the poles were sufficient for pitching a small tarp, Alex prefers bug-free sleeping, so he will not be using them in this way in the near future.
Things I like [return to top]
- Shorter than the average poles. This is good for shorter users.
- The paw print graphics can be used as an identification guide while on the trail.
- The grips are nicely sized for smaller hands.
- We got blue, Alex's favorite color.
Things I don't like [return to top]
- When I applied to test this item, the website listed Push Button Locking System. These poles utilize twist-type (Expander Locking System) locks, which I believe is a change for the 2004 model year. This does add complexity to the process of adjusting the poles once they are in place supporting a shelter, and security of the lock depends on strength of the user. A push-button or lever-type lock could be easier for smaller (weaker?) fingers to operate.
- No instructions included. Presumably, any child receiving these poles would have some sort of adult supervision, but even rudimentary adjustment instructions would be beneficial.
- Being two-piece poles, they are slightly longer when collapsed than the three-piece poles Alex used previously. This takes some re-thinking when packing for vehicle/air travel, and is not something LEKI has done wrong - just me griping.
Backpacking Background [return to top]
I started car/trailer camping with the family when I was about 5. I enlisted in the Army Reserve during my first year of college and spent 17 years fine-tuning my packing methodology - by the time I separated from the service, I was down to what I thought was a respectable 75-80 lb (34-36 kg) load. When my son started Cub Scouts, I brought my 60 lb (27 kg) ALICE pack for a weekend. We got to Boy Scouts in the Spring of 2002 and now camp monthly in locations ranging from the Chesapeake Bay area (flat and lightly wooded) to the Pocono Mts (flat spots hard to find and very wooded), in all seasons.
Lightweight (and ultralightweight) web sites, along with a day hike up Pikes Peak in July 2003, have led me to seriously rethink my gear choices. I plan to start doing more hiking/backpacking on our monthly scout trips, taking along as many scouts as are willing, to a) get in shape (yeah, yeah, I know… round IS a shape), and b) determine what I really need to take along. I am relatively confident that I will be able to reduce my 3-season pack to 20 lb (9 kg), before food, fuel and water, by the time this season is over.
Since joining Boy Scouts in April of 2002, Alex has accumulated more than 40 nights of camping and nearly 60 miles of hiking. He is as comfortable in the outdoors as anywhere else, and also wants to lighten his load to make the miles go by more easily.
Thank you for your time.
Chuck Kime
a.k.a. Fuzzy
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