Trekking poles are a great piece of equipment to have with you when you’re hiking or backpacking, but they can also get fairly expensive, in to the hundreds of dollars, for some of the better trekking poles. But finding cheap trekking poles that are not cheaply built is not so difficult. Sales certainly help, but if you know what you are looking for, you can find a good, solid pair of trekking poles that wont make too of a dent in your wallet.
Cheap Trekking Poles
What to look for when you want cheap trekking poles.- Material – Your two main choices, when it comes to material for trekking poles, are aluminum and carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a lighter option, but it’s also a more expensive option. So if you want cheap trekking poles, you’re likely going to want to stick to the heavier aluminum trekking poles.
- Fixed Length – There aren’t many fixed length trekking poles out there, but a straight shaft of metal, rather than three separate shafts and all extra parts needed to adjust length, generally costs less. With a fixed length trekking pole, of course, you have to know what specific length you want, because you’re stuck with it.
Best Cheap Trekking Poles
Some of the best and cheapest trekking poles around.- REI Traverse Trekking Poles - These are a good, basic pair of trekking poles from REI, whose in house brand usually offers good, if basic products at very reasonable prices. They don't have much in the way of extras, but they're aluminum poles with three telescoping sections that will go anywhere from 26 inches to 55 inches. They're not particularly lightweight, at 19.1 ounces, or 541 grams for the pair, but what really stands out about these trekking poles is the low price.
- Black Diamond Distance Z-Poles - The Z-Poles are something rare, they're fixed length. Rather than telescoping like most other poles, these fold like tent poles. The advantage of this is that they weigh a lot less than most other trekking poles.Even being aluminum, they weigh just 11.6 ounces, or 330 grams, and the carbon fiber version is more expensive, but weighs even less. So if you don't want to spend a lot but do want a pair of lightweight trekking poles, these are ideal. Just be sure to get the right size.
- LEKI Summit Antishock Trekking Poles - One more pair of basic telescoping aluminum trekking poles. These have a few very likable features, like cork handles, that you will definitely appreciate after long enough periods of use. And as the name suggests they have anti-shock built in, which is something else that starts to pay dividends after hours of use. They also weigh a more reasonable 17.8 ounces, or 504 grams. So more expensive, but also better in a couple ways compared to the REI Traverse poles above.
