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Owner Review: LEKI
Ultralite Makalu
Titanium Trekking Poles
Date: August 21, 2006
Reviewer
Information
Name: Shelley LaClair
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 4" (1.52 m)
Weight: 150 lb (68 kg)
Email address: adkhiker (at) gmail (dot) com
Location: Rensselaer County, New
York, USA
Backpacking Background
I have been backpacking since 2000 with my husband in the Adirondack
Mountains
of New York State and have my New York State Guide License. I have
completed
several long distance thru-hikes including the Long Trail, Vermont.
I carry a medium to light-weight pack. I try to stay under 25 lb (11
kg) for
gear, food and water on my longer treks. For easy hikes, I carry more
because I
like life's little luxuries. I have experienced many weather conditions
and
usually find shelter in lean-tos or my tent. I spend most of my
weekends during
Spring through Fall backpacking.
Product Information
Manufacturer: LEKI
Year: 2003
Manufacturers Website: http://www.leki.com
Actual Measurements: collapsed 62 cm (24.4 in) extended 130 cm (51 in)
Adjusts to: 130 cm (51 in), 125 cm (49 in), 120 cm (47 in), 115 cm (45
in), 110
cm (43 in)
Manufacturer’s weight: not available
Actual weight: 17 oz for pair
Easy Lock System, 3 piece telescoping pole
Color: Black and Silver pole.
Materials
Pole: Titanium
Handle: top portion COR-TEC, a
material that
resembles cork and is held together with a very durable resin type of
material.
The hand grip has softer black dense "foam".
Tip: Universal Flex Tip "The flexible tip can flex up to 30 degrees,
without damaging the pole shafts. The use of carbide provides optimal
grip on
rock and ice surfaces." (LEKI website)
Performance Basket "Designed to keep your poles from sinking into soft
ground or snow." (LEKI website)
Lifetime warranty by LEKI
Field
Conditions
In 2003, it was Vermont's
wettest summer in 100 years. It rained 23 of the 30 days we were
hiking.
Conditions ranged from wet to wetter with a few days of sunny hot
weather
thrown in to keep us going with average temperatures of 10 C (50 F) at
night to
about 27 C (81 F) during the day. Trail conditions were often slick and
muddy
and rocks were slippery and hazardous in many places. The first 100
miles (209
kilometer) of the Long Trail (LT) coincides with the Appalachian Trail
(AT)
causing the trail to be well worn to bedrock in many locations with
steep
gains/losses throughout the entire trail.
Since 2003 I have also used them on a long distance hike in New
Hampshire, USA
on the Cohos Trail. This trail varied from steep and rocky to flat
grassy
snowmobile trails and paved roads. The weather was mostly sunny and
warm with
temperatures of 13 C (55 F) at night to 29 C (85 F) during the day,
with an
occasional shower.
I always use the poles when hiking in the Adirondack Mountains of New
York
State, where the valley trails are typically soft and springy with
muddy
patches scattered throughout the trails. There are rocky
inclines/declines and
many areas of corduroy and slippery planking. I continue to use the
LEKI
Ultralite Makalu Titanium Trekking Poles whenever I am day hiking or
going on a
backpacking trip. I have used the poles in all weather conditions
except deep
snow.
Experiences with product
My first pair of LEKI poles were given to me by my husband for my
birthday in
2002 for a 130 mile (209 kilometers) hike in the Adirondacks
because of ongoing knee problems. I was happy with my Malukai
anti-shock poles
but after we started on the Long Trail in Vermont,
USA, my
husband
decided it was time for him to also have trekking poles. We stopped in
a little
Manchester, Vermont
store and I bought the LEKI Ultralite Makalu Titanium Trekking Poles
because
they were much lighter. I was at first apprehensive about going from an
anti-shock LEKI pole to one without this feature. They also looked a
bit flimsy
compared to my old trekkers. I have been pleasantly surprised at the
ease of
use and durability of these poles.
I have relatively small hands and very small wrists which are prone to
tendinitis. I have found the grip and straps very comfortable although
I
typically hold the handles lower than my husband who has much bigger
hands. The
wrist straps are adjustable by using a coin or other object to turn the
screw
at the top of the handle. A nice feature of the nylon straps is that
they are
lined with a layer of thin fleece-like material. I get no abrasions or
blisters
from the straps. There is a right and left hand pole and for the best
fit and
comfort of the strap, I make sure to use the pole that was designated
for each
hand. Each pole is marked with either an R (right hand) or L (left
hand) at the
top near the strap adjustment screw.
The handle has a COR-TEC
2.54 cm (1 in) top and then rest of the handle is covered with molded
black
dense "foam" that has some give to it and provides comfort. Even when
my hands are wet with rain or sweat, I can keep a firm grip on the
handle since
there are formed grooves to help eliminate slippage. I have never
received any
blisters from the grips. I do use the straps and it is easy to swing
the poles
without much effort or grip on an easy trail. On steep inclines, I use
the
strap to support my hand and wrist to give myself an added boost up the
hill.
Downhill, I usually put my palm at the very top of the handle to give
myself
support.
On days that are very hot and my hands are sweaty, there have been
times when
the handles have smelled a bit like stinky shoes. The smell usually
goes away
overnight or the handles can be easily washed to eliminate the odor.
The LEKI Ultralite Makalu Titanium Trekking Poles have proven to be
very
sturdy. I have repeatedly put my full weight on them and trusted them
when
going down very steep descents. They have not bent or collapsed with
rugged
use. On the LT one pole did bend, but it was after I slipped on a rock
and sat
on the pole while it was planted in the ground and with my wrist still
in the
strap. The bottom third slightly curved but that did not impact my use
of the
pole for the rest of the trip. I returned the pole to EMS
for repair from LEKI at no charge. It was returned to me within 5 weeks
with
the bent section replaced.
The tip of the pole works well in most
conditions I have encountered.
On rock
there is some vibration of the pole because it does not have the
anti-shock
feature. This was only noticeable to me at first and although I know it
still
exists, I do not notice it any longer. I recently tried my older
anti-shock
poles and I like the fact that my new poles do not have any give. The
tip grips
enough on rock to give me balance when I need it with little or no
slippage.
The plastic baskets are well suited for use
in the
northeast United States.
I used my poles to test muddy sections or depth of water. The baskets
kept the
poles from really sinking into the ground. I also have used one pole
without a
basket and found it sunk into the ground too deep and the pole was
sometimes
more trouble than what it was worth. I replaced the missing basket.
The poles have three telescoping sections. The pole’s Easy Lock System
feature
has worked very well and the poles never loosened with use. This is
important
because I don’t want the poles to shorten unexpectedly. I find it
easy to
change the length of the poles and although they are marked with
measurements
on the barrel of the poles, I just loosen the twist locks, make them
taller
than I normally would use, then put my hands on the handles and push
down to
adjust the height of each pole to my liking. I then tighten the pole by
twisting the barrel tight. This is the quickest and easiest way for me
to make
adjustments to the length.
Conclusion
I wouldn't leave home without my LEKI Ultralite Makalu
Titanium
Trekking Poles.
My husband and a friend used to change my trail name of “Dreamer” to
"Shaky Foot" to tease me when I was crossing water or other tricky
situations. Now with my faithful LEKIs, I no longer have problems with
balance
and can leap small obstacles in a single bound. I have shaken the
“Shaky Foot”
trail name once and for all and the poles have brought more fun to my
hikes
because I’m less concerned about falling over all the time.
The convenience of the Easy Lock System
allows the
telescoping poles to be shortened enough to strap onto the outside of
my pack
or to be placed inside the pack. I find it easy to adjust the length as
needed
even while continuing to hike on easy stretches of trail.
The durability of the poles has been
exceptional. I
have used them on many occasions and surprisingly, the finish is in
very good
condition after two years of hard use. I can still read the
measurements for
length on most of the pole although the spot where I usually adjust it
to is a
bit worn off.
They have taken all my weight on numerous occasions in otherwise
dangerous situations.
They have not failed. I often recommend trekking poles to my friends
because I
like the reliability of my LEKI poles. These poles have let me continue
to hike
when my knees would have otherwise knocked me out of this sport.
Read more reviews of LEKI gear
Read more gear reviews by Shelley LaClair
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