Gear Reviews

Share your advice and personal experiences, post a gear review or ask any questions you may have pertaining to outdoor gear and equipment.
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maverick
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Gear Reviews

Post by maverick »

La Sportiva Exum Pro: I am all ways looking for the ultimate shoe.
My feet are some what narrow but widens out at my big
toes.
These shoes were comfy though I wish they had the impact-
braking system they have in there other shoes, toes slip a little
on very steep terrain.
They do breathe great which is a plus.
There adequately cushioned on rocky terrain and high
milage days.
There biggest plus is there sticky La Sportiva soles that preformed
great on edges and steep rock(smearing) which came handy when
encountering some class 5 sections in the Echo Peaks area.
I wish the were a little more cushioned and that they had a full
toe protecting rand instead of the small toe protector. Recommended.

Black Diamond Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles: I have broken so many poles that I have
all but given up on finding a pole that could stand up to the abuse
that I unleash on them, and I have found my match in these poles.
These are some comfortable poles that have an elliptic shaft that
does not torque as the other poles do therefore do not break as easily.
They are light, and address another problem by locking the poles
with double flicklocks which do not slip and are much faster to
re-adjust than the other twist locking poles.
They are expensive but worth every penny! Highly Recommended.

Osprey Exos 85 Backpack: Light and good suspension system with good extras, but the
hip belt and shoulder harness need a bit more cushioning for
heavier loads.
Great capacity to weight ratio.
My main knock on this product is that it is not durable.
The material is very thin on the main body, mesh for water holders
and back area which all definitely need to be babied.
My mesh has all ready started to rip on the back area and side
areas.
I understand the they needed to use lighter materials to save weight
but I do not want to worry about my pack after 2 outings.
This pack is mainly intended for trail hiking and for this purpose it is
great but definitely not the abuse that comes with x-country travel.
Recommended.
quentinc
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by quentinc »

Mav, what does the carbon add to the poles that makes it worth the added $?
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maverick
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by maverick »

Shock absorption, light weight.
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oldranger
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by oldranger »

Maverick

They aren't as light as my Komperdells which actually have gotten lighter due the special modifications from the friendly Red Devil Lake marmot. They weighed only 1lb for the pair before the modifications. They are also a bit tempermental about locking but once I get them secured they stay. They also have lasted 4 seasons but I have never fallen on them like one person I know (very prominent person on this board) has done to his poles.

more seriously I have heard some people have bad things to say about carbon poles because they can snap as a result of what appears to be a minor scratch. But I guess that may not be the case with yours.

Mike
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
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maverick
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by maverick »

Hi Mike

I went through 2 pairs of Komperdells, both broke after the tip got stuck in a small
hole, which resulted in the infamous twisting/torquing of the poles that snap them apart.
My other issues with these and Leki's, and other twist lock brands was that they were
difficult to lock, and some gave out during descents which can be very unnerving to
say the least.
I know you baby your gear which is great, but I am pretty rough on my gear and for an
item over $100 I would like it to last a couple of seasons, but of coarse I understand that
this is only a pipe dream, equipment is not made to last, money is made on the come-back.
The netting that is on my back, which is part of the ventilation system on my Osprey has
a hole in it all ready, and the side netting on both sides of the pack is starting
to show wear this after only 2 outings, I had my Ghost several years, which is still in
pretty decent condition.
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markskor
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by markskor »

Old Ranger writes: " but I have never fallen on them like one person I know (very prominent person on this board) has done to his poles"...That would be me, my BD Trailbacks coming down from Obelisk with Mike last season.
Went back to REI and returned the "broken" poles for a full swap out - (That is why we shop there - right?). Looked at BD eliptical, carbon fiber model first...looked good but, but since I had a similar carbon fiber pair separate (fall off) in the bottom section...(why? who knows), I opted for the eliptical aluminum ones instead.
Maybe a little heavier, but since I am hard on gear, I figured they should last a spell.
I would like to see a 3-section pole with carbon fiber on the top two sections and aluminum on the bottom section...the part that separated from "overuse".
Mountainman who swims with trout
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calipidder
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Re: Gear Reviews

Post by calipidder »

I have had Black Diamond ellipticals for several years now and have beat the snot out of them - they've saved my butt more times than I can count. And they are still as sturdy and strong as the day I got them. They need a serious cleaning (really gritty on the bottom binary mechanism), but I'm super impressed about how they've held up. They are my third pair of trekking poles and if I lost them I'd go out and replace them with the same thing. A bit heavier, sure, but I don't have to worry about them catching my entire weight when I take a bad step.
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