Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > MSR OverLand Carbon > Shane Bryan > Field Report

Field Report - MSR OverLand Carbon Trekking Poles

• Product information
• Field Tests
  • Test Conditions
  • General Remarks
  • Specific Observations
• Test Plan
• Summary
  • Things I like:
  • Things I dislike:
• Biographical information

Product information

Field Tests

• Test Conditions

1. Neighborhood pavement and woods walks. ~3 miles (4.83 km). 
I have taken a few walks around the neighborhood and through the woods behind my house during my initial testing and trials with these poles.  These were daytime walks in 70-85 F (21-29 C) weather in dry conditions with no pack or load.  My goals for these outings were to simply verify the handling of the poles were similar to others I have used prior to real backwoods testing.


2. Woodpecker Ridge and portions of the PCT in the Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon Cascades. ~15 miles (25.15 km).
I took a 3-day trip up to the Jefferson Wilderness from 7/30/04 to 8/1/04.  Weather conditions were idyllic with daytime temps in the upper 70s to low 80s F (23 - 29 C) and evening temps dipping to about 55 F (13 C).  There were no clouds, and only about 6 groups camping on the lakes (Scout, Bays and Russell lakes).  Our hike started at the Woodpecker Ridge trail head at about 9am.  The first 0.25 mile (0.4 km) was an easy 5% grade, quickly changing to 15% for the following 0.6 mile (0.97 km). The average grade was 6%.  The trail during this test was largely a dry packed and dusty trail, between 12 and 24 inches (30.48 - 61 cm) wide on the PCT.  The only real challenge to the use of the poles were the regular sections of dense bear grass along the sides of the trail, catching the baskets.  Often during these sections, unless support was absolutely necessary, I would tuck the poles under my arms, tips above my head until the trail widened out or the bear grass thinned out.  There was one potentially hazardous stream crossing at Russell creek that did not turn out to be a big deal.


3. Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon.  ~2.5 miles (4.03 km).
This trip was taken with my wife and young children and a slow steady pace during a family camping trip from 8/15/04 to 8/22/04.  Temps were in the mid 80s F (~29.5 C) with clear skies and no recent rain.  This trail has a very steep initial descent and final exit of about 20% with an average of 12% grade.  The trail is heavily used and well maintained and free of obstructions.  There is one steel grate bridge that almost resulted in my testing the breaking angle of the tips.  Thankfully, no damage occurred.


• General Remarks

So far, I am overall happy with the performance and handling of these poles, except for one key exception.  I will detail this one major fault in more detail below in my specific observations on Grip Comfort below.  In summary, the problem has to do with the seam between the nylon strap and the padded portion of the strap and where this seam lands on my left hand.  I believe this problem will vary in severity for different users due to it being dependent on hand size and strap tightness preferences.


My initial reason for starting to use trekking poles was to relieve chronic knee pain.  I experienced no knee pain during the use of these poles so far, which means they are performing the desired function as expected.  While I normally wear a knee brace during long descents, I did not on any of the trips while using the Overland Carbon Trekking poles.


• Specific Observations

Weight: The weight of the poles has increased slightly as I did add duct tape and double sided hook-and-loop straps to each pole equally.  This is a normal part of my trail preparation and packing.  The addition was not noticeable in actual trail use.

Balance and Stability: My concern over pole stability under load due to the advertised anti-shock straps and impact absorbing carbon fiber construction was not warranted.  Unlike other poles that have a mechanical anti-shock feature, where I did find stability to be an issue, these poles did not cause me any problems.  I found them to be rock solid tools to provide balance and knee support on the trail. 

The Overland Carbon trekking poles performed well during my stream crossing of Russell Creek where they provided additional points of contact for support and balance while jumping from bolder to bolder or wading through the water.


Length packed and extended: There were no problems packing these poles on the outside of my pack (Granite Gear Vapor Trail, size Medium) under the center compression straps.  They did not extend above or below my pack while on my back.  During my Russell Creek crossing, I had them fully extended to 55 in (140 cm), and they performed well, as expected, at this length.  My typical trail conditions found me using them at 47.25 in (120cm), except during excessive downhill grades than lasted for more than roughly 100 ft (30 m).

Reliability and security of adjustment/locking mechanism: I was quite impressed with the ease and reliability of the "LockJaw" locking mechanism.  It was always easy and quick to release and tighten them for needed adjustments.  More importantly, I never had any slippage of the lock during intense use and load, which is much better than my experience with poles from another manufacturer.  I also never experienced difficulty with the lock "engaging" while trying to tighten it after adjustment.  This has been a problem for me with other poles I have used.

Grip comfort: I really expected the EVA foam grips to be hotter and sweatier than they were.  Never did I notice sweaty palms.  I do not "grip" the grips, but allow them to pivot in the crook of my thumb and index finger, relying more on the straps, securely placed over the back of my hand.  I was surprised to actually notice the "Anti-shock" capabilities of the straps.  I was particularly skeptical of this in my initial report.  There was visible and tactile evidence of the stretch panel on the straps bearing tension during loading, both while climbing and descending.  Unexpectedly, there was no irritation or rubbing from this action.


On the other hand (so to speak) the fact that there is no left and right handedness on the handles resulted in the straps fitting differently between my hands. Since there is no "handedness", the straps do not lay across the hands in a mirror imaged fashion (note pictures to the right).  This difference resulted in the strap on the left hand being a source of irritation, heat and early blistering.  I found that the seam between the soft, white padding in the strap, and the bulk of the nylon strap itself was the point source of friction.  You can see in the picture of my bare left hand that there is a distinct indentation and redness on the back of my hand, just below the lower thumb joint.

The padding material in the straps, the part against the skin, while soft, also suffers for lack of breathability, making them hotter on the hands during prolonged use.

Basket durability and removal: The basket material is noticeably softer than those on other brands.  I noticed this on the trail when it would catch on rocks, or sink into uneven ground, causing it to bend and warp.

When using the poles as tarp supports, I placed the handle grip down, on the ground, and used the tips up, tarp tie-out loops over the tip.  The tie-out line went over the basket and down to the stake in the ground.  This method caused the basket to, again, bend and warp.  When removed after two days in this position, the basket remained in the warped position, although it was still pliable.

I have not had occasion of need to remove the baskets yet.  During my initial report, I documented that the removal was possible, if rather difficult.

Tip durability: During my use so far, there has been no degradation, chipping or visible wear in the carbide tips.  I almost had a chance to test the tip breaking angle of 30 degrees when, while crossing a steel grate bridge, the tip became wedged in one of the gaps.  Fortunately, I noticed before too much force was applied, and there was no damage.

Ease of grip strap adjustment:  I have found that tightening the straps is very easy and convenient to do by simply pulling down on the wide flanges tail of the strap.  Tightening on the other hand is a bit more involved and not easy to control due to the force required to loosen.  I do find that when care is give to properly loosening the wedge that provides the friction lock for adjustment, things work better.  Still though, I find it generally difficult to loosen the straps when needed, which thankfully is not too often when proper adjustment is finally dialed in.

Pole flexion and effect on pole stability under load:  My plan to measure the degree of flexion under load has not yet panned out.  I can report that these poles are rock solid performers under load and that I can not perceive any noticeable flexion caused instabilities.  They definitely do not bend as much as my Titanium ones do under similar conditions.  Whether or not this is entirely good is still up for grabs.  Poles that are too rigid will be more likely to snap rather than bend, making them completely useless for support.  A bent pole, while no longer fully adjustable in length, can still be used and possibly bent most of the way back to vertical.  A broken pole is simply broken and therefore unusable as a trekking pole.

Ease of pole maintenance and cleaning:  I find the Overland Carbon trekking poles to be easy to separate and clean.  I still have some harder trail conditions yet planned for testing that will subject them to lots of volcanic pumice rock and grit on the trails.  These are the conditions  where I have noticed the most need for cleaning the joints and locks of my other poles.  I will have more to report on this in my Long Term report.

Test Plan

I began using trekking poles as a method of alleviating chronic knee pain I have been experiencing on down hill slopes while hiking and backpacking.  The use of trekking poles, along with the adoption of ultralight backpacking principles, has resulted in the desired relief from pain and allowed me to extend and increase my outdoor backpacking activity.

Continuing with my original test plan, I will use my experience with the OverLand Carbon trekking poles to further evaluate these poles in the following areas:

• Weight
• Balance
• Length packed and extended
• Reliability and security of adjustment/locking mechanism
• Grip comfort
  
• Basket durability and removal
• Tip durability
• Ease of grip strap adjustment
• Pole flexion and effect on pole stability under load
• Ease of pole maintenance and cleaning
• Impact dampening capabilities of carbon-fiber poles
• Anti-shock wrist straps
  

I also regularly use my poles as tarp/fly supports and will be assessing how the OverLand Carbons function in this role.  I recognize that this is not an advertised function of this product, and yet given that MSR produces several shelter systems that make use of trekking poles as structural support, I believe it should be a factor considered when reviewing their trekking poles.  My tests will be on homemade tarps and Hennessy Hammock tarps.

The trail conditions available at my planed test locations include (but may not be limited to):

• Even grade <=15% PCT trails
• Glacial snow pack crossing
• Crossing streams on rocks and logs in the Oregon Cascades and its foot hills
• Lava beds in the Central Oregon Cascades
• Volcanic scree, gravel and sand
• Wooded trails with dense undergrowth

The test locations will be as follows:

• Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon Cascades:  July 29 – Aug 1.  (Completed as of this report)
  
• Silver Falls State Park, Oregon: Aug 15 – 20.  (Completed as of this report)
  
• Three Sisters Loop, Oregon Cascades: Sept. 3 – 7
• Opportunistically, I will use these trekking poles for day hikes ranging from level foot paths to Oregon Coast Range hikes up Mary’s Peak.

Summary

• Baskets and Carbide FlexTip are available at retail stores, by special order through local retailers or from MSR direct.
• LockJaw^TM locking mechanisms are not available through retailers or by special order.
• To replace or repair the LockJaw^TM locking mechanisms, the owner must send the pole(s) to MSR for repair under warranty.
• The warranty on the MSR OverLand Carbon Trekking poles on the hang tag is 3 years.  In an email communication from an MSR Customer Service Representative, I was told the warranty period was 5 years for these poles.
• Repairs to the LockJaw^TM locking mechanisms after the warranty period would be "a nominal charge of around $15".
  

Things I like:

• Weight.  At only 1 oz (28.35 g) heavier than my titanium poles, these are an excellent alternative for those seeking the lightest telescoping trekking poles available.
  
• Versatility (balance, tarp/tent poles, knee strain relief)
• Adjustment markings on two sides of poles.  This makes it easy to see where the poles are being adjusted to from almost any angle.
• The "LockJaw" locking mechanism is smooth and easy to adjust and reliable in its hold.
• Length.  In my initial report, I suggested that the extended length of 55 in (140 cm) was not necessary.  I must now retract that, having used the fully extended length during a potentially hazardous stream crossing.
  

Things I dislike:

• Lack of grip "handedness", resulting in irritation and early blistering.
  
• The basket is quite difficult to remove once attached and is easily distorted under normal use.
• Availability of replacement parts, especially the LockJaw^TM locking mechanisms.

Biographical Information

Reviews > Trekking Poles > Poles > MSR OverLand Carbon > Shane Bryan > Field Report