Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Trekking poles making odd noise

+0
−0

My hiking poles have started making an odd, springy noise with every step. The noise sounds like the poles themselves are vibrating each time I plant them into the ground, and it starts about an mile or two into a hike. The poles work well, but this noise is slightly alarming. Is something in the poles about to give?

Information that may help:

I'm using a pair of Black Diamond trail ergo cork poles. They're aluminum, the locking mechanism is the latch/pressure type, and they don't have shock absorbers. I usually extend them to about 115cm. My usual hiking stride is a short nordic walk, to give me speed while supporting my knees a little.

History
Why does this post require attention from curators or moderators?
You might want to add some details to your flag.
Why should this post be closed?

0 comment threads

1 answer

+0
−0

Based on where the pole is striking the ground, the surface hardness, and the extension of the poles you can get some vibrations and noise (I do). My guess is since the poles aren't extended all the way the shaft surfaces (where the extra length is hiding inside the pole) are colliding and causing that noise. You might be able to add a small o-ring to the level locks to help dampen the movement. Or try extending the poles all the way to see if it still happens.

As far as safety goes I wouldn't be concerned. The material won't suddenly have a catastrophic failure and the vibration noise (either from the locks or shafts colliding) isn't unusual. That being said, if you don't like hiking to the sound of your poles vibrating it might be worth replacing the poles.

If you regularly use a 115 cm pole then just purchase a single length pole which would be lighter, cheaper, and eliminate the noise. You just won't have the adjustability. Or maybe going back to a carbon fiber pole would be better.


Some links...

History
Why does this post require attention from curators or moderators?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/7017. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

Sign up to answer this question »