Company:

Manufacturer: LEKI
URL: http://www.leki.com

Product Information:

Name:
Pathfinder Jr. Trekking Poles
Adjustable length:
31-45 in (80-115 cm)
Mfg weight: 14.4 oz (408 g) pair
As Measured weight: 15.5 oz (439 g) (one pole was 7.7 oz/218 g and the
other was 7.8 oz/221 g)
MSRP: $39.95 USA
Year of manufacture: 2004

Personal Data:

Name: Traci Wheiler
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Height: 5'1" (1.5 m)
Weight: 112 lbs (51 kg)
Email Address: jmwlaw at ida dot net
City, State, Country: Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Dad/adviser: Michael Wheiler

Product Description:

The main features of the LEKI Pathfinder Jr.s include: Turbo sport kids grips, two-section adjustable poles with a twist locking system, performance baskets, steel flextip, a weight of 14.4 oz (408 g) per pair, and an ability to adjust the length from 80-115 cm (31-45 in). Fully extended, the poles are 45 1/2" (116 cm) in length from the top of the grip to the tip of the steel point. The grip is a somewhat sticky feeling black plastic with the LEKI name printed on the side. The wrist strap on the grip is 3/4" (2 cm) wide black webbing material with a plastic buckle on one end through which the other end of the strap is threaded to adjust the size of the opening for the user's wrist. The basket is also black plastic about 2" (5 cm) in diameter with little "teeth" on the bottom. The basket also has a cut-out for locking the two poles together at the bottom. Please read my Initial Report for a complete description of the LEKI Pathfinder Jr.s and to see some photographs of the poles.

Long Term Report:

In addition to the treks I reported on in my Field Report, I have taken the Pathfinders on two long hikes.
 
On July 3rd my family and I climbed Table Mountain near the Tetons in Wyoming. Although most of the hike was on dry ground, the last quarter mile (0.4 km) of the hike was in snow. Some of the snow was knee deep. The trail starts at about 6,500 ft (1,981 m) and the peak is at 10,600 ft (3,231 m). It is a 10 mile (16 km) round trip hike to the peak. On this trip I was able to test the following: Whether the poles were helpful going up a steep trail and to hike in crusted snow; the strength of the basket along with how well the baskets can withstand pressure applied when walking in icy snow; the comfort of the Turbo Sport Kids Grip and how easy it was to adjust the straps; how well the locking system stayed in place while walking up a steep trail and through knee deep, and how well the Steel Flex tip did in snow. I also watched to see if any parts broke during use. During this outing, I found that the poles were very helpful when climbing the steep face of the mountain trail by giving me added support and a sense of increased energy levels. The baskets worked very well on both the hard, steep trail and the snow; they didn't crack or break at any point despite the type of ground or snow they were being used on. The grip is very comfortable even after using the poles for a long period of time and without the use of gloves. The locking system stayed locked no matter what I did, which was jumping, jabbing, dropping, and running with the poles. The weather had no effect on how well the poles adjusted up and down. As previously reported, I found that the poles did not break or crack and they appear almost as good as new with the exception of some scratches on the baskets.

In August I went with my dad and 20 other people on a 32 mile (52 km) backpack trip from Beckler Ranger Station into Union Falls in Yellowstone Park. We used the South Boundary Trail and established a base camp near Fish Lake outside the Park boundary. We crossed the Warm River at about 3 miles (5 km) into the hike. Although it was thigh deep at the deepest part, it was fairly fast moving water and we need to use a 400 ft (122 m) safety line which the adults secured across the river. We also had to cross the Beckler River three times. This hike consisted of some hills and long stretches of fairly level, dusty trail. On this hike, I was able to determine that trekking poles can be very helpful when crossing streams and rivers if they are used properly. Before attempting to cross the first river, one of our adult leaders told us to use one pole and keep it posted in the river bed down stream from our body. I gave one of the poles to a friend to use. I used the other pole as directed and kept my free hand on the safety line. I found that the pole when placed down stream from my body gave me added support and a more secure feeling. My friend also commented that the pole was very helpful to her in the same way while crossing the river. We used the poles in a similar fashion on three more shorter river crossings except that we didn't use the safety line on the shorter crossings. As previously noted, the poles gave me enough energy to hike up hill and down without making rest stops as frequently as I used to. I tested the strength of the baskets and how well the baskets were able to withstand pressure applied when hiking on hard packed surfaces and while striking rocks during the river and stream crossings. I again tested the comfort of the Turbo Sport Kids Grip and how easy it was to adjust the straps. I am very impressed with how comfortable these poles are to hold in my hands for long periods of time. I again tested how well the locking system stayed in place while hiking on the trail and through the water. Use in the water did not seem to affect the poles. I also continued my testing of the durability of the Steel Flex tip and found that it holds up very well in all types of trail conditions. I didn't get any blisters on my hands and my hands were not sore at any point during or after the hike. As previously reported, adjusting the straps is very easy to do even on the move. It is just a pull and twist motion. Throughout my testing so far, I have found that the poles have held up very well and no parts need to be replaced. I have not needed to do much to clean the poles other than wipe them off with a cloth.
 
We had hoped to do some hiking in the Sawtooth Range in August too but it rained hard the whole time we were there and we were not able to do much hiking.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:
They are very easy to hike with.
The poles provide added energy and support.
Nothing is too hard to adjust.
So far, they have been easy to care for and clean.
I really like the color--blue is my favorite.
The grips are very comfortable.
I feel really cool hiking with the poles and even though my Dad recently bought his own set of poles!
They provide much needed support when crossing streams if used properly.
They are very helpful in climbing steep trails.

Cons:
The poles came with no instructions. While it was kind of easy to figure out how to use them, it would have been nice to have some instructions.
On one occasion that I was hiking down a steep trail, I found that the poles were not as supportive as going up hill. I slipped a lot more than expected.
They are not really helpful on trails that have lots of tall vegetation growing on both sides as they get caught in the plants.

Backpacking experience:

Traci: I have been hiking for about all my life. My mom and dad used to drag me along for short hikes when I was only 7 or 8 years old. I have slowly graduated to longer backpacking trips. I am what my dad calls a "newbie" to backpacking. During the summer months our family tries to camp at least once a month. During those monthly camps, I generally participate in several 5+ mile hikes with my family from a base camp. I also went on a 2 day, 16 mile (26 km) backpack trip two years ago into Union Falls in Yellowstone National Park. In August of last year, I participated in a 3 day, 30 mile (48 km) backpack trip up the Devil's Staircase and into Alaska Basin in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness Area (near Grand Teton National Park).

Backpacking Style:

Traci: Since I am new to backpacking, I really don't have a style yet. I prefer to carry as light a pack as possible but I also like some comforts. I try to keep my pack weight at less than 25% of my body weight.
Dad: I have been a "traditional" backpacker but thanks in large part to BGT and its members I am converting to a much more light weight pack.
 
Geographic Information:

Both: Most of our camping occurs in the southeastern Idaho area but spills over into western Wyoming (Grand Teton National Park) and western Montana. The elevations of the areas we frequent generally range from 5,500 feet (1,670 m) to 8,500 feet (2,591 m) above sea level. . The weather in southeastern Idaho is fairly typical of a high desert plain. Winters are usually cold sometimes reaching -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 Celsius). Snow depths vary greatly. Summers are typically dry and warm (80 to upper 90 degrees Fahrenheit (27-32 Celsius) though this past summer we saw fairly consistent temperatures over 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) with occasional thunderstorms. Fall weather is actually the best--crisp mornings, warm afternoons and cool evenings with little moisture.

Thank you to BGT and Leki for letting me test these poles. I'm now a hiking pole convert.