I haven't seen these poles mentioned here yet, and I've had a pair for about six months now, so I thought I'd offer my thoughts. I've used them on a few multi-day trips and several long dayhikes.

I first learned about these fixed-length trekking poles from a positive BPL review (subscription required). I thought they looked interesting but it was very difficult to find them for sale. The exception was Prolite Gear, but they didn't have my size. Some time later I found them described as women's alpine ski poles at Sierra Trading Post (no more in stock, but you can see the picture and the great price). I ordered them, and perhaps I'm being naive but I see nothing gender-specific (or skiing-specific) about the poles.

In short, I really like these poles. They're beautifully finished in black with understated logos and labelling. Weight is about as advertised: my tall 135cm poles weigh 136 grams (4.8 ounces) each, not including the baskets. They feature the comfortably-shaped Komperdell grip and have supple leather straps that have proven to be very breathable. They're very strong and stable compared to every other pole I've used, which were all adjustables.

Near the tips, the bottom portion of the poles have gotten a bit nicked from rocks, branches, etc. As far as I can tell these marks are merely cosmetic; I can't see any signs of impending delamination or failure. Still, I may apply a single wrap of duct tape to the lowest 6-8 inches just for peace of mind.

I'd recommend these poles for anyone looking for lightweight, fixed-length poles. They're a bit heavier than the Lightreks made by Gossamer Gear, but if you think proper straps are important and/or you want something a little stronger, the Komperdells would be a great choice.

The biggest downside has been that the Featherlights weren't well-advertised or easy to find. However, BPL is selling the same pole branded as the most recent incarnation of their Stix Trekking poles. (Out of stock now, but they'll probably be back). The only significant difference between those poles and the ones I have are the strap material: synthetic nylon (?) vs. leather.

Finally, for yet another option on the same poles with a different strap, you could go with Prolite Gear. Those faux fur straps might be the perfect thing to express your big-pimpin' walking style. If only they came in day-glo purple... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Interesting, that they are a one piece, carbon, and yet a bit heavier than my 3 piece Komperdell carbon fibre trekkers - my suspicion is they may actually be a bit beefier - probably not a bad thing at all.

While I love my ultralight komperdell's, I like them just for trails - if it's going to get abused more (like more serious scrambling type activity) I take aluminum ones.

Hey phat,

Are those the C3's? If so, I think they're like 6-7 ounces EACH, not per pair. I remember you mentioned those in Trailrunner's DIY pole thread, and the weight didn't seem right to me. I don't know of any adjustable pole that gets into the sub-five-ounce range. But if I'm wrong, please let me know. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Oh that's 8 for the *pair* - my bad then - yep, those are lighter - by quite a lot.

The one-piece poles look like a good idea to me.

I bought the three piece Komp Women's poles from STP about a year ago for hiking the Maine AT. My wife and I each used one. I found the weight nice, but thought they were WEAK. I fell during a stream crossing and the pole was not strong enough--it bent. I was able to bend it back straight and keep on going, but I lost all confidence in the poles.

For a hard working hiking pole, you need good strength, one-piece preferred!