so i was in wally world today. noticed some stuff that caught my eye. in particular, i noticed that ozark trail brand has a collapsible trekking pole now. any thoughts on it? or do i NEED to spend $100 on a trekking pole?

There are those who will argue quite convincingly that you don't NEED a trekking pole (or two) at all. A lot of gear stores will loan you a pair to see whether you like them prior to purchase. Look around and see if you can find this service locally and give them a try.

I haven't got to many other thoughts on this other then my friends and I's experience with em. They are ok for only being $12 and they seem to do the job just fine, only thing is don't expect to get more then a year out of em the locks on them start to break, I had to duct tape on of my locks in place one a trip once, yay!! for duct tape.

I do intend on buying a better set but i have a budget of $200 a year on backpacking gear and unfortunately poles did not make the cut this year, maybe next year. But till then these poles work out fine for me, especially for the price.

If nothing else they were at least good enough to convert me to using poles and NEVER going back to not.

Hope this bit helps a little.

it does. poles are required for my shelter (tarptent contrail). now i just need to figure out whether or not i need one or two.

Ozark Trail is Walmart's own generic camping/clothing brand. And despite prejudices about Walmart quality, they are some suprisingly decent items often enough.

The poles in question will not likely last at long as a higher quality pair of poles. If you were planning an AT thru-hike, I would say look for a better set.

BUT, if you are new to poles and can't borrow a pair from a friend to try out, by all means give them a try. For the money, you won't beat them.

The biggest complaints I hear is that the expanders, which help lock the pole segments in place tend to break fairly easily. But it's better to spend $12 and decide you don't like poles than $100.

If you're only trying them for a tent pole, consider buying a tent pole from Six Moon Designs. They are the same height as a typical pole and weigh less.

they don't seem to sell them on their website?

You have to click on Page 2 of the Store Page.

$25, 1.8 oz.

Or you could order them from TarpTent for $5 , under Extras in the order section..
Franco

I took my wife's pair apart and the plastic pieces at the end of the pole sections have cheap screw holding them in place. That is what came loose making the pieces not sit properly and seem like they were broken. After replacing with a longer beefier screw it performs a bit more reliable. Every now and then the plastic pieces still become unset which can permanently lock the section in place or leave it loose.

Anyhow I read that some Walmart store are now selling poles under the brand "Outdoor products" and they now have flip locks like the Black diamond brand treking poles. You may want to pick one of those up instead.