HP-5 Anti-Shock Hiking Pole, 2-Pack, Anti Shock Hiking/Walking/Trekking Trail Poles - 1 Pair with Compass & Thermometer

I bought this for my dad, who had never hiked before (at 5' 3" & 185lbs, climbing 5 flights was tough for him). Arrived quickly and in good condition. As we were going to backpack through Sri Lanka, we decided to lighten our load and travel with only one pole rather than the pair. While climbing Sigiriya mountain and a few other hilly and rocky terrains nearby, this amazing singular pole did wonders to prop my dad's knees and thighs. Lengthening or shortening pole was easy and quick, and the grip was sturdy. Even in humid weather and sweaty palms, my father's hand did not slip nor did he complain of strap discomfort. The compass and temp reader worked rather well for us, though we did not have use for it. The pole was strapped to the outside of my backpack throughout the 8 days jaunt through Sri Lanka, bumping about buses trains and crazy tuk tuks. Other than an occasional scratch off the paint, the pole stood up well (even the bottom "plug/almost-rubber thingy" at end of the pole). I'll say this is a good buy for someone looking for a simple set that can hold up well. And the pair looks like it could last another 4-5 heady climbs! We're giving it 5 stars as we've had no comparison whatsoever.... but the fact that one pole can hold up my 185lbs dad, it's a fantastic pole!

These are good poles at a very reasonable price. They are my first pair so I can't compare them to another brand, but they are light and the cork handle is comfortable and makes for a good grip. Easy height adjustment. I'm not sure why I need two sets of compass and thermometer (they're both on each strap). I'd give a pair to a friend but I'm fairly certain if I pull the strap out to remove them I'll never get it back in and around the stay so I'm stuck with both sets. Also, no matter how tight I get the baskets screwed on (the optional snow guards) they loosen so I had to duct tape them secure. I would recommend to a friend who wants to save a few bucks.

I bought these poles based on price and that they had the anti-shock option. On my 1st hike with them them were comfortable and did a great job for hiking, but then an emergency happened that would test these poles. We went hiking in a remote preserve and my friend brought his dogs. It was very steep and grueling hike especially after one of the dogs collapsed from heat exhaustion. It was evident that if we did not get this dog to the creek and cool him down he would die. We happened to have a sleeping bag in his pack and we used the Hiking poles to create a litter, we carried the 100 lb dog on this litter to the creek and cooled him off. We then had to carry him up and out of the canyon to the truck, there were 4 of us holding the ends of the poles with the dog in the center the poles and they were starting to bend and I thought for sure they would break, an hour later we were able to get the dog into the truck and then drive like madmen to the vet, where he made a full recovery. The next day I looked at the poles expecting to just throw them away. They were bent but I was able to telescope them back into themselves without much effort and then I gently unbent them at the points they were bent. So great product in this day of throw away gear.

My 5 stars is based largely on value, not overall features and quality. I bought these in 2012 while living in Germany (Volksmarching!) and now use them for hiking trails in Texas. Over the past 5-1/2 years, I have logged probably somewhere near 1000 miles and they show no signs of wear, other than the sacrificial tips which I just replaced today because one fell off on my last hike. The cork handles have held up very well and have no damage or wear present. The poles have never collapsed, even under heavy pressure (I am 6'2" and about 240 lbs) when climbing over rocks and using them for stability.My only gripes are the compasses that do not tell direction and the temperature gauges that I have found useless (I am not quite sure why I haven't ripped them off yet). The nylon material has not rubbed my wrists or created any marks, so the straps themselves are decent. Are they as good as more expensive poles? Probably not even close, but this has been the only set I have ever used and I can't seem to replace these since they have performed so well.

Just used these on a two-day hike, about 14 miles over pretty rough terrain and lots of elevation gain/loss. I bought these because I've never used hiking poles before and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that might not work out for me in general. After hiking with these, I can say that having poles is a good thing, especially with a pack and on steep descents. However, these poles are a bit rickety and not as well-built as more expensive poles. The handles do look like cork but are in fact a synthetic rubber material, and they are not as comfortable as real cork. The other annoyance is that after you twist the sections to lock them in place, the poles will slip out of that fully-locked position after some rocky terrain. The slip is not severe enough that the pole will start telescoping, but the shock-absorbing spring seizes up when the sections are not locked. So every few hundred feet, I had to twist the second section back into its locked position. Ok for the price, but now that I know I like hiking with poles, I'm going to pay-up for some better ones.