Denali Explorer II Carbon Fibre Walking Poles

Cheap and cheerful for beginners who don’t want to spend much, but will do the job.

Was going to give 2 stars but on reflection in a world of “you get what you pay for” these are not that bad. I bought them from Anaconda when I started hiking again to help with steep inclines but not wanting to fork out hundreds of $$ (yes, I’m a bit tight!).

On the positive side these poles have served their purpose to date, feeling sturdy without weighing a lot and helping spread the weight a bit on those steep hills with a heavy pack.

There are, however, a couple of negatives; It says antishock on the poles…um, no they’re not! A diagram showing how to turn on / off is kindly provided on the poles, I have used them now for over 6 months and have twisted and turned everything possible but have yet to notice anything resembling “antishock”.

Additionally, while the cork grips are very comfortable, the wrist straps are poorly secured and can easily come out.

All that said, with Anaconda’s club membership you can regularly pick these up for under $50 and if you're not that fussed they are sturdy, comfortable, and take the weight off your legs just like the $200 pair.

Background

Have used these poles on about 10 hikes from short distances to overnighters, but they are the only poles I have owned. Conditions used have been varied from well groomed flat tracks to steep rocky terrain, in weather conditions ranging from fine and mild to 100+mph wind.