Background: 6 years of backpacking and hiking experience. In 2000 I hiked a 1000-mile section of the PCT. Base pack weight is usually in the range of 22-26 pounds, although I am currently slimming down to a much lighter packweight. I day hike usually every week, and take a longer (2-3 day) trip once every six weeks or so. I also take longer trips (5-7 days) as often as possible, usually once or twice a year. I almost exclusively hike solo, and have a particular affinity for exploring the canyon country of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.

Test Item: Tracks Compact Travel Staff

Manufacturer: Cascade Designs http://www.cascadedesigns.com

Specifications: length-adjustable between 48-54 inches, length when folded-19 inches

Material: Aluminum, with foam grip, rubber tip with plastic basket and walnut knob on top

Price: $65

Weight: 10.5 oz

Use: I used this staff for 3 years, on many dayhikes and backpacking trips around the Southwest US (mainly Arizona), as well as on a 1000-mile section hike of the PCT through the desert and High Sierra.

Features: The staff has a push-button length adjustment, with seven different sizes to choose from. The staff also breaks down into three sections which are shock-corded together (similar to a tent pole). The staff has a webbing wrist loop which is adjustable. The walnut knob on the top of the staff screws off to reveal a camera mount, making the staff into a monopod.

My Evaluation: I don’t really have a lot of good things to say about this staff. I received it as a gift, so I guess I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. However, I will say I was somewhat happy to have lost the staff on a recent 6-day hike in the Superstition Mountains, as now I can replace it with something better.

First, the things I like about this staff. The foam handle remains comfortable and nonsticky even when my hands are really sweaty. I’ve used trekking poles with plastic handles and I prefer the foam on the Tracks staff. Also, the wrist loop is well designed and fits around your wrist well. The walnut knob, despite my suspicion when I first received the staff, did not deteriorate when exposed over time to rain and moisture. And the camera monopod is quite nice. One nice thing about the removeable wooden knob is that you can remove the wrist loop once the knob is off, so if you don’t use wrist loops that is a nice feature.

Now, the problems. First, I do not like the push-button length adjustment. I prefer the twist-lock adjustment such as Leki poles have, as it allows you to fine-tune the length of the staff just right. It also takes a bit of work to adjust the length of the staff, so I tended not to adjust it to different lengths for going uphill or downhill. With a twist lock you can adjust the length of the staff very quickly and easily.

The foam handle, while comfortable against my hand, developed a very annoying habit after a year or so of use. The glue which apparently held the foam in place broke down after a while and the foam handle would slide down occasionally while I was gripping the handle tightly. It was very annoying to have to stop and slide the foam back up into position.

The third, and biggest flaw to the Travel Staff was in the rubber tip. I was on an all-day hike in the Superstitions and was using the staff to help me descend when the rubber tip and attached plastic basket broke clean off the bottom of the staff. This was only after about 5 months of use! I put the staff in my daypack and took it home with me. That night I attempted to superglue the plastic basket with attached rubber tip back on. I took the staff out on a dayhike a few days later and the fix didn’t hold. The rubber tip broke off again after just a short hike. However, given that the bottom of the staff sometimes has to support quite a bit of my weight on the descents, I didn’t really expect the superglue to hold. I continued to use the staff after that, and quite a bit of dirt/grit was over time forced into the hole in the bottom of the staff, which added a few new ounces to the weight of the staff.

Recommendations: The foam handle definitely needs to be more strongly attached to the pole, and the tip of the staff needs strengthening. One possibility would be to use metal for the basket and end and put the rubber over that. Plastic just doesn’t seem to be a strong enough material for something that has to intermittently bear a load.

Owner Review by Chris Ramias

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