Nearly all of the gear we rent and sell - including trekking poles - at our retail store in Tempe and to our customers around the country has been tested on actual hiking or backpacking trips by the LowerGear owner and/or staff. For anything we haven't taken out ourselves, we consider user reviews and evaluations in outdoors magazines and relevant credible web sites before adding it to our offerings.

To help you make the best camping and backpacking gear choices for your next trip, feel free to give us a call for our recommendations. If you prefer to do your own research, read the product descriptions on each item, check out our selection of videos and informational pages, and read other user's reviews and descriptions of the backpacking and camping gear we carry.

Below are user reviews on some of the hiking poles we offer for sale or rent.  If we didn't find a review on the exact item we carry, we include one on a similar product that will give you a close feel on what to expect. We scavenged these reviews from other sites out on the big world web, so we don't really know the folks that did the write-ups.  But, it never hurts to hear a second or third point of view.  If it just gets confusing, you can always give us a call for clarification.

Leki Corklight Trekking Poles

I purchased the Leki Corklite Trekking Poles in early 2012 for use on what was, at the time, an upcoming hike on the Appalachian Trail. Having never used trekking poles before, I took them out for a test run on a local 22 mile hike here in Florida. I didn't think I'd find them very useful here on such flat ground but I was quickly proven wrong! The poles made a tremendous difference in the ease of carrying my 42 pound pack. We loaded the packs with everything we knew we'd need for our A.T. trek just to gain the experience of carrying it all. Since then, I've used the poles during a 20 mile round-trip hike that included the AT Approach Trail and then most recently on my 32 mile hike from Springer Mountain to Neel Gap. I credit my Leki poles for saving me more than once from falling on slick rocks/ground during torrential rains and also for helping me move my ULA Catalyst and myself up and down the mountainous terrain. I love the SpeedLock system! I never had any issues with the poles retracting unexpectedly. The strength of the poles amazed me...and trust me, I used them to pull the weight up some pretty big steps/climbs. I can say for certain at this point that the purchasing these Leki poles was some of the best money I've spent on gear. I hope to be carrying them on an AT thru hike in 2013! Great piece of gear!

Leki Trail Trekking Poles

I lack a comparison as these are the first trekking poles I've owned. I've used them on multiple long hikes and also on overnight backpacking trips. They make a huge difference when carrying a 40 lb pack.

The poles are sturdy, lightweight, and durable and have held up to the beating I've put them through. They adjust quickly and easily and the locking mechanism is reliable. Adjusting them without stopping also proved easy to do.

I'm not sure what benefits there are to the more expensive poles but I'm very happy with these.

Want to learn more about other types of backpacking and camping gear?  We have broken out our gear reviews by major equipment category.  In addition to the hiking pole reviews above, see our other gear review pages:

For more information, see our full line of hiking poles for sale or rent.