How to choose hiking poles?-ipanergy

1、Staff material
Commonly used materials are aluminum alloy, carbon fiber, titanium alloy

Aluminum alloy staff: cheap, commonly used 6061 and 7075 aluminum alloy, 7075 aluminum alloy high strength, good corrosion resistance, is the aerospace grade material.
Carbon fiber staff: the main advantage is light weight, much lighter than aluminum alloy staff, the price is also more expensive, but the general strength of carbon fiber staff is not the best, especially the lateral force strength is not enough, easy to break from the side. Lightweight equipment is the pursuit of many enthusiasts, ordinary users can integrate the strength and total amount to balance considerations. When choosing to pay attention to the carbon fiber content, there are some products with very low carbon fiber content, also claimed to be a carbon fiber cane.
Titanium alloy cane: relatively rare, titanium alloy is stronger than aluminum alloy, can be made lighter. But the processing is difficult and expensive.
Recommended degree: carbon fiber cane > aluminum alloy cane > titanium alloy cane
2、Handle material

Commonly used materials are rubber, plastic, foam, cork

Rubber, plastic: the heaviest weight, hard to the touch, but sturdy. Sweat easily slippery, winter use ice hands. The lowest price.
Foam material (EVA): light weight, good feel, soft, but poor durability, easy to deform for a long time. Sweating can also maintain a relatively good friction. The price is moderate.
Cork: light weight, good friction, good grip, poor thermal conductivity, winter use is not icy hands. General high-end canes use more cork, inexpensive cork canes, pay attention to distinguish the real from the fake. The highest price.
Recommended degree: foam > rubber, plastic > cork
3, handle shape

Commonly available straight handle and T-shape handle

Straight handle: hiking, climbing will generally choose a straight handle. Light weight, take up little space, easy to carry.
T-handle: commonly known as the elderly staff, general outdoor use is not recommended.
Recommended degree: straight handle > T-handle
4, locking method

There are three common locking methods, internal lock, external lock, folding staff (Z staff, M staff) internal cable connection

Internal lock: lighter weight, locking force is slightly worse, relying on the expansion bolt fixation method of locking, slightly less reliable. Relatively troublesome to use, maintenance is higher.
External lock: strong but relatively heavy weight, locking force is better, can be easily locked and unlocked. Jungle shuttle process, some of the external lock poor workmanship, easy to be unlocked by the branches, bringing trouble.
Folded inner cable type locking: storage length is the smallest, the weight should be the lightest, the disadvantage is that the length can not be adjusted. There is also a section with an external lock, you can properly adjust the length.
Recommended degree: external lock > internal lock = folding
5, the number of sections of the staff

Commonly there are three sections of staff, four sections of staff, there are also two sections of staff and even five sections of staff. More sections means more complex structure and more weight, the advantage is that the storage size is small. But as we all know, the structure of complex things, often reduce the reliability. So most people will choose a three-section staff, all aspects are more balanced.

Recommended level: three-section staff > four-section staff > other sections
Finally also consider the wallet, the most expensive is certainly the best, but in general scenarios, not necessary!