Trekking Poles

Hi, I've been hiking since August on the PCT. I've gotten most of my equipment, sheared off weight and am in pretty good shape. My question regards trekking poles, I current have MSRs which don't retract. I'm currently looking at Lekis, any suggestions as to which one? I've had 3 spine surgeries in the past 8 years, so poles are a real plus for me. Thanks for any suggestions.

A lot of PCTers like the Leki Super Makalu poles.

I'd recommend not getting the anti-shock device. It does nothing for me (my old poles, Leki Makalus, have them) and makes a LOT of noise (click, click, click at every step gets annoying really fast). You might want to try renting or borrowing first to see what works best for you. I thought I'd have trouble with my carpal tunnel syndrome, but I don't.

I currently use the Leki Carbonlite poles and are very satisfied with them. They are quite pricey but I fortunately caught them on a good sale. It's a real plus to have less weight to lift with each arm swing!

Excellent website on how to use your poles: Pete's Pole Pages.

You are absolutely on target. Anti-shock devices are silly. Anti-shock is why arms bend at the elbow.

I use Gossamer Gear's Lightrek 4s-- the pair weigh around 7oz.
http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek4_Trekking_Poles_Matte_Black.html

Thanks so much for your input, glad to know about the anti-shock feature, I couldn't imagine how that would help. Will do my research now into which one to purchase. Thanks again, this site has been a real help in so many areas.

I'll second the Gossamer Gear recommendation. I have a set of their older adjustables and have been happy with them. I think they're around 3.6 oz each, but don't quote me on that. Another good brand to try is Titanium Goat, but I don't know if they sell fixed ones: http://www.titaniumgoat.com/poles.html