How the Black Diamond Trail Poles Changed My Trail Days

I did not think I was a pole person. For most of my thirty years of hiking, poles were the thing other people carried, the ones who read too many gear magazines or maybe just liked having extra stuff strapped to their packs. I got along fine with my own two knees and a good walking stick when I found one. Then I turned 59, my left knee started complaining on long descents, and I finally admitted that my stubbornness was doing me no favors. So in the first week of April, I ordered a pair of Black Diamond Trail poles and decided to give them a fair shot.

I am telling you this story because I know exactly what it is like to stand in the aisle, or scroll through listings, wondering whether a pair of aluminum sticks is worth the trouble. I am a retired middle school science teacher, not an athlete. I hike most weeks from May to October, and I take a couple of longer backpacking trips each summer. I am not fast, and I am not trying to set records. I just want to keep hiking the trails around Missoula, Montana, without my knee stealing the joy from the last mile of every descent.

The first few outings felt awkward, I will be honest. I kept catching the baskets on rocks, and my rhythm was off. But by the third or fourth hike, something clicked. My left knee felt better on the way down, noticeably better, and I stopped thinking about the poles entirely. That is the moment I started to trust them.

What sold me was not any single feature. It was the way the poles disappeared into the hike. They are light enough that I forgot they were in my hands, tough enough for the rocky trails I favor, and adjustable in a way that actually works when you need it. The Black Diamond Trail poles have become the piece of gear I reach for on every hike over about five miles, and I never expected that to happen.

By the third or fourth outing, my left knee felt better on the descents, and I stopped thinking about the poles entirely.

Here is what a season with them actually looked like. I used the Black Diamond Trail poles on every hike over about five miles, which meant most of my weekly day hikes from May through October. They came along on all three of my backpacking trips this summer, including a two-night trip in the Bitterroot where the trail was nothing but loose rock and switchbacks for the better part of a day. They folded down to 64 centimeters and rode on the side of my pack without snagging on branches, which matters more than you think when you are squeezing through brush.

The FlickLock adjustment system was the detail that surprised me most. I had used twist-lock poles before, borrowed from friends, and I remember the frustration of a lock that slipped halfway down a mountain. These locks are simple: flip them open, slide the section, flip them closed. One-handed, fast, and they held. I adjusted them often, sometimes between trail sections, and never once did a pole collapse on me.

The grips deserve a mention too. They are made of EVA foam, with an extended section below the main grip so you can choke up when the trail tilts uphill. On uneven terrain, I moved my hand down without breaking stride. That sounds like a small thing, but after a few hours on a rocky trail, small things are the difference between a good hike and a miserable one.

I will also tell you what I do not love, because no piece of gear is perfect. The carbide tips are excellent on rock and dirt, but they make a loud click on hard pavement, so I mostly leave the poles at home on short flat walks. The rubber tips are sold separately, which is a little annoying if you want to use the poles on pavement. And at 486 grams for the pair, they are light, but they are not ultralight; if you weigh every gram, there are lighter options. For my purposes, the tradeoff is worth it.

What I'd Tell You If We Were Sitting at My Kitchen Table

If you were sitting at my kitchen table, I would tell you this: you do not need to be a fast hiker, a young hiker, or a serious athlete to get something real from a pair of poles. I am a retired teacher who hikes at a pace that embarrasses nobody and impresses nobody. My left knee gets sore on long descents, and these poles helped more than I expected within the first few weeks. They did not fix anything, and I am not going to make a medical claim. They simply gave me back some comfort and confidence on the way down.

I would also tell you to ignore anyone who says poles are cheating. That idea kept me from trying them for years, and it was a silly reason to be stubborn. Hiking is hard enough. If a pair of aluminum poles makes the last mile feel like the first, that is not cheating, that is just smart.