Used to think expensive trekking poles were a waste, then my wrist gave out on day 3 of the JMT

Broke down and bought a pair of Black Diamond carbon fiber poles for $160 after borrowing a friend's cheap aluminum set for the first two days and my left wrist was killing me from the vibration. Now I can't imagine going back, has anyone else had joint pain solved by splurging on lightweight gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason_foster682mo ago

Huh, real quick though - cheap aluminum poles actually transmit more vibration than carbon fiber. That's probably why your wrist hurt so bad. Aluminum is stiffer so it sends all that shock right up your arm, while carbon fiber soaks it up way better. So it wasn't just the weight difference, it was the material itself making the big difference. Did you notice the carbon poles felt less harsh on rocky sections?

sanchez.mary22d agoMost Upvoted

Totally agree with @mason_foster68 on that. The vibration thing is real, I switched from aluminum to carbon a few years back and my hands stopped going numb on long downhill sections. It's night and day once you push past a few miles.

charles9192mo ago

Wait, you're telling me cheap aluminum actually vibrates MORE? I had no idea. I always thought stiffer metal would be better at dampening that stuff. That explains why my wrist was toast after that 14 mile day in the Smokies last fall. I was using those $20 Walmart poles and my whole arm was buzzing by the end. Didn't think the material itself could make that big of a difference on the rocky parts.