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Buying Guide

How to Buy The Right Trail Running Poles

The Trail Co.
written by The Trail Co.   on 11 January 2023 

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How to Buy The Right Trail Running Poles

To the untrained eye, we know that Trail running poles can look pretty similar – especially if you're buying online. So just in case you can't make it into one of our specialty trail running stores in Brisbane, here's our advice on what to look for when you buy trail running poles online.

  • Do I need running poles?
  • What should I look for in a trail running pole?
  • Carbon running poles vs aluminium running poles
  • What size running poles should I buy?
  • What poles should I use for a trail ultra?

Do I need trail running poles?

Do I need trail running poles?

Before you start comparing Leki to Black Diamond to Salomon, or reading about the virtues of carbon fibre, ask yourself, "do I need poles to start with?".

Trail running often means making traverses across uneven terrain, going up steep hills, and undertaking long climbs. Trail poles are great for helping you tackle these elements. Trail running poles allow you to use your arms as well as your legs to stabilise yourself and drive yourself forwards, or uphill, more easily than with your legs alone. They also help with stability on technical descents with a couple of extra points of contact with the ground for balance.

Trail running poles are useful for training and racing on very steep trails, or if you want to sustain efforts on big climbs, or over long, hilly races like The Guzzler Ultra or Ultra-Trail Australia, mountain runs like the GSER, or further-afield UTMB – trail running poles can help.

If you're planning to undertake a trail race or ultra with lots of vertical gain, trail running poles can be a great addition to your gear to help you get through a big day on the trails.


 

What should I look for in a trail running pole??

  • Running poles are made from a variety of materials and come in different lengths, girths, weights, and with different grip types. The best of these things to get right is the right pole length for your body (more on that below...).
  • The right material: depending on how frequently you're going to use your poles and what sort of terrain you're looking to tackle, you might want to consider whether a more durable material like aluminium is better, of if you're using poles for racing, whether a strong, lightweight material like carbon fibre is better for you. We cover this below in carbon vs aluminium running poles,
  • Locks: check that the poles you want lock at the length you need them. You don't want them to collapse under you when you lean on them,
  • Decent grips: foam-type grips will be more comfortable in your hand than hard plastic, but will be less durable. Cork can absorb vibration, but so too can ribbed materials. Check that your running poles have a tether or strap – or Leki offer a unique trigger grip attachment with custom gloves – that will keep your running poles with you if you slip or lose your grip sightly. You don't want to lose one off the steep side of a mountain, or to snaop those awsome selfies without dropping a pole,
  • Good tips: the ends of the pole should have a sturdy material like metal on them, or are sometimes rubber tipped metal.We suggest a wider tip over pointy, unless you'll be running on ice, and don't forget to take the protective caps off them before you go off for your run. (Yes, I may have forgotten once.)
  • Basket size: Baskets are the cuff at the base of the pole near the tip and come in various sizes to add extra traction when needed. If you're trail running with poles in Australia, we reckon you don't need large baskets unless you're headed somewhere really muddy, snowy, or with very soft ground. In fact, a larger basket is more likely to glance off rocks or get caught in roots, so slimmer is better for technical trails in our opinion,
  • Do they collapse?: unless you're doing a VK or up-hill-only run, at some point you're going to want to put your poles away. A decent set of poles should be able to collapse, fold, or pack down telescopically to a manageable size in order to go into or strap or onto a running pack. Or be small enough to carry in your hands without being a trip hazard,

  • As lovers of the environment, we also think that poles are a long-term investment. Buying a set that are right for you will last for years, so it's also worth checking whether the poles you buy have spare parts available – like new tips – to keep them going even longer without having to replace them.

Trail running poles: grips and tips?


 

Carbon running poles vs aluminium running poles

  • Aluminium and carbon are both good materials for trail running poles. However, one material may be better for you and the trails you love to run. We consider the benefits and drawbacks of each when helping customers which suits them best:
  • Aluminium Running Poles:
  • + Less expensive
  • + Less likely to snap under pressure
  • + Lightweight,
  • - Can bend or be crushed under pressure,
  • - Heavier than Carbon fibre,
  • - Slightly less durable than Carbon fibre.
  • Carbon Fibre Running Poles:
  • + Very strong and stiff
  • + Excellent in-hand feel
  • + Very lightweight,
  • + Great for picking through tricky trails,
  • - More expensive than aluminium,
  • - Can snap under extreme pressure.

 

What Size Poles?

What size running poles should I buy?

How to measure what size running pole you need To find out what size trail running poles you need, we suggest you take a measurement from the palm of your hand to the floor, with your elbow bent at 90° from your waist. This is best done while wearing your favourite trail shoes, and not in bare feet. That way you'll get an accurate measurement of what you'll need while you're running.

You can use this measurement to assess and set up an adjustable pole to the correct length, or if you're in-between two sizes of a fixed length pole, go to the one that's nearest your measurement. (Up in size is probably better than down if you're in the middle.)

Poles that are the right length will allow you to add forward drive to your running, without adversely affecting your posture or causing your to stoop.

Buying the right size trail running pole is the number one thing to get right, we suggest it's not worth buying second hand or cheap poles that are too long or too short for you in the long run (pun intended).


 

What poles should I use for a trail ultra?

Carbon fibre poles are one of our most popular types due to being strong and light, so they add very little weight to a pack full of mandatory gear for an ultra.

Ultimately, we suggest that the best poles for an ultramarathon are ones that are the right fit for you. If you're using any sort of gear for hours at a time, it needs to feel right and not affect your running. Make sure you buy poles that are the right length for you and pack away and fit in a way you can get to them and use them easily over a very long day on the trails.

Top tip: it pays to practise using your running poles in your training and on your longer runs before your ultra-marathon event. As a runner, your upper body may not be used to a multi-hour workout without training.

BuyTrail Running Poles

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Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern The Trail Co. Pty Ltd’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘The Trail Co. Pty Ltd’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website whose registered office is . Our ABN is 90609730985. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

  • The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
  • Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
  • Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
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  • All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
  • Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
  • From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
  • Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of Australia.

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This privacy policy outlines how we use and protect any information that you provide us when using this website.

We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

The policy may be occasionally updated. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you agree with any changes.

What we collect

The Trail Co. may collect the following information:

  • name
  • contact information including email address
  • demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
  • other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

The Trail Co. require this information to further understand your needs and improve our service, in particular for the following reasons:

  • Internal record keeping.
  • We may use the information to improve our products and services.
  • We may periodically send you promotional emails that we think you may find interesting, using the email address which you have provided.
  • Occasionally, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email or phone. We may use the information to further customise the website.

We do not share your data

The Trail Co. will not share your data with any third party for marketing purposes, and you will not receive offers from other companies or organisations as a result of providing us with your details.

You can unsubscribe at any time

Although The Trail Co. would like to stay in touch, you can unsubscribe at any time - simply click on the unsubscribe link in any of our emails or contact us via the website to unsubscribe from our mailing list.

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The Trail Co. take your security very seriously and take all reasonable steps to keep your personal information secure. Personal information may be stored both electronically on our computer system, and in hard-copy form. We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable procedures to safeguard and secure your information.

  • SSL encryption: Secure Sockets Layer protocol protects your online transactions and provides communications privacy over the internet. This allows your computer to communicate with our server in a way that prevents forgery. Your credit card number is also "one-way" encrypted as it enters our databases.
  • Firewalls, passwords, anti-virus software and email filters also act to protect your electronic information.
  • Our security procedures mean that we may occasionally have to request proof of identity from you.
  • Credit card information is never stored. We securely submit credit card information to our bank for processing. 

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To enable our systems to recognise your computer and to provide certain features to you, The Trail Co. uses cookies. This is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic, allowing web applications to respond to you individually. The web application can tailor itself to your personal needs by gathering information about your preferences.

The Trail Co. use traffic log cookies to identify page usage. This helps analyse data about customer traffic, allowing the website to be improved, based on customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and this data is then removed from the system.
Cookies provide you with a better website experience by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful. A cookie does not give The Trail Co. access to your computer or any personal, other than the data you have chosen to share.

You are able to either accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers now automatically accept cookies, but you can usually change your browser settings to decline cookies. However, this may prevent you from taking full advantage of the The Trail Co. website.

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The Trail Co. website may contain links to other websites. However, once you have used these links and have left our site, you should note that The Trail Co. has no control over other websites. We therefore cannot be responsible for the protection of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites. These external sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website you are visiting.

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You can restrict the collection or use of your personal information:

  • When you fill in a form on the website, there will always be an option to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
  • However, if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes and change your mind, please write or email The Trail Co.

If you believe that any information The Trail Co. is holding about you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us.