Black Diamond Spire Elliptic

Detailed user reviews for Black Diamond Spire Elliptic trekking poles are found at a few hiking gear sites, including BackpackGearTest.org, Trailspace.com and BackCountry.com. These sites feature no shortage of praise for Black Diamond Spire Elliptics, which are universally loved by users. The most thorough testing of the Spire Elliptic poles can be found on BackpackGearTest.org's website, where three very experienced hikers offer detailed performance reports and photos.

Spire Elliptic trekking poles are user favorites largely because of Black Diamond's proprietary locking system called FlickLocks, which allows users to change pole length on the fly -- a helpful feature to have when the terrain changes. By contrast, other adjustable poles use twisting systems that require the use of two hands. The length of the Spire Elliptic trekking poles adjusts from 41 to 55 inches. A pair weighs just 20 ounces; despite being lightweight, however, these poles are sturdy and comfortable, reviewers say. Because telescoping poles weigh more than fixed-length ones, those who want the very lightest trekking poles can consider the Gossamer Gear Lightrek 3 trekking poles (*est. $130 per pair), which come in fixed-length sizes that only weight five ounces per pair.