Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles - Carbon Fiber Walking or Hiking Sticks with Quick Adjustable Locks

First, I am not a hiker (by any stretch of the imagination). I have spinal issues and have difficulty walking any distance. I am that woman who grabs a cart in the parking lot at the store to help me get around. I LOVE these poles!! They are very easy to use once you get the hang of them. They are easy to adjust consistently with the markings printed on the poles, and the thumb latches can be tightened or loosened to facilitate that. When you get them it is important to take the time to figure out the proper height, adjust the hand straps (the hardest part for me), and technique for using them. I found a number of videos on YouTube which helped (and were better than the manufacturer's tutorials). The different feet are easy to switch out and you really do want to use them - they definitely help! I find them particularly good when walking on an uneven surface. I think it's probably the position my back is in (slightly tilted forward) that reduces the pain I experience when walking. They are lightweight but sturdy and easily slide in and out of the well constructed carrying bag. I keep them in my car because they come in useful when going to an outdoor concert on the lawn, if all the handicapped parking spaces are taken, etc. An additional plus is that I was able to use my medical coverage's wellness reimbursement benefit to pay for them (which I'm generally unable to use). I have no idea how these would work for serious hiking but they are helping this 64 yo woman continue to lead an enjoyable independent life. I am SO glad I purchased them!!

If anybody had ever told me that I would be extolling the virtues of trekking poles last summer I would have laughed at them, why would I review trekking poles? I love to walk, but mountain climbing, off road excursions or snow and ice activities are not my favorite things. But life has a way of making us rethink things sometimes. And, just a week before Christmas in 2015 I fell and sustained a tib/fib plateau fracture to my left knee which required two surgeries to repair and five months in a wheelchair. My surgeon's prognosis was dismal and ultimately she thought I would have to have knee replacement surgery, but she was not encouraged that it would be a particularly favorable outcome because the fracture was so severe that my knee and foot were constantly very swollen and painful, and I was still taking a boatload of pain medicine after five months. One afternoon though, a very nice couple saw me walking with a walker and recommended the Cascade Trekking Poles and adjusted the height to the appropriate level and "Voila" the pain or swelling have nearly disappeared. Having the poles at the right height places the stress on the pelvic girdle where it belongs, thus removing the pressure on the knees and reducing the pain and swelling.. If one Googles the Cascade website they will find a video that teaches one how to adjust the poles to the appropriate settings. Be certain to purchase the snap lock poles because I understand that the other option is not nearly as secure as the snap lock.I have read some reviews that claim these poles are quite fragile but I am an absolute klutz, I kid you not, always have been and always will be. I can hurt myself opening a bandaid. So no matter how careful I am with my poles, they have often hit the ground, on concrete, hard floors, and in the garden. They have been dropped, stepped on, tripped over, you name it, and yet they remain resilient and intact. I use and abuse them everyday, from sun-up to bedtime and they continue look like new. I have found many uses for these poles besides ambulation, reaching for my shoes, mopping up water or other substances spilled on the floor, moving thorny rose bushes out of the way, or sweeping cobwebs from the ceiling when I remember to look up. If a reach or a task needs doing, the poles engage more often than not. They are absolutely amazing and useful, an incredible value for an incredible product.Although I can now walk unassisted, my mind is predisposed to limping which aggravates my knee, so I will continue to use these for sometime in the future just to cement the idea of proper positioning to my brain and improve my posture.My surgeon reports that she is beginning to see quite a number of patients using these trekking poles so I suspect they will soon be common place in the patient as an ideal recovery tool for knees, backs, and other alignment complaints and requisite surgeries. So good on Cascade Trekking Poles, I am sure they did not anticipate a side road into the medical community, but it is wonderful that they are useful to all populations and not just for outdoor sports enthusiasts.As per Amazon's wonderful service the poles arrived on time, and were well packaged. I highly recommend these tools to others, whether using them for recreational activities or medical recovery. They are well made and certainly worth the price.Still laughing at myself here as I trek along~*~

As an elderly person , I started having balance problems , and wasn’t yet to the point of needing a cane. I’ve now been using this item outside my apartment where there is a chance of getting bumped by people, for four years, and really like its lightness, and yet very sturdy. This is my second buy, due to loosing one of them.

I just finished a grueling trek in Nepal. These were a good value and comparable to much more expensive products, and held up on the 80 mile Himalayan Everest base camp trekI have been using them to climb up and down trails on my local river bluff. Some reviews have mentioned slipping, but i just gently tightened the clamps and experienced no more slipping. There is still a lot of room to tighten the adjustment, so only tighten as needed. I like the fact that they have rubber grips below the cork so rather than adjust them for constant up and down, I just changed hand position.I had to knock off a star because the hand straps slipped and I was constantly tightening them.I am glad I got these early and have had a chance to work out with them. If you are not used to using trekking poles, they are going to use muscles that you may not be using normally. (I noticed strain on my triceps right away). So get your poles early and start working out with them.