Review

I used to dislike trekking poles and preferred the freedom of hiking without them, so when I purchased my Zpacks Solplex tent it was necessary for me to purchase their carbon fibre poles specifically designed for the tent.

Why the carbon poles?

They’re significantly lighter than most trekking poles on the market and because I didn’t use poles at the time I wanted the lightest solution, so it’s good that Zpacks offer the poles specifically designed for the tent.

How well does it work?

They fit the tent perfectly and hold it up. Be sure not to pitch your tent on really soft ground as any wind will drive the poles into the ground and your tent will be flapping in your face in the middle of the night. I had this issue on a section of the Welsh 3,000s and had to abort the wild camp.

Do you still use them?

I’ve recently started using two trekking poles on all of my hikes from now on because with some practise I’ve found they really help with crushing the miles and there’s much less strain on my body. They also double up as my tent poles and work far more efficiently. With my Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork trekking poles, you can use the telescopic adjustment of them to tweak the hight of them to adjust the tension of the tent, making for a far more secure pitch. The poles do come in handy for shorter trips where trekking poles aren’t needed though.

Value for money

If you don’t use trekking poles while walking then these are perfect because they’re so much lighter and work well, so $44 is fine. But I now recommend using trekking poles for crushing the miles and the way they drive into the softer ground on a windy night is quite off-putting. The trade-off you go for is up to you. Happy trails!

Gallery