Overview
It’s really important that the trekking poles used with the Trekker’s Friend are strong and sturdy, especially when carrying a heavier load or on rough trails.
On this page, I’ve listed the trekking poles that I have found have worked well with the Trekker’s Friend hiking trailer. There are likely other options that could work, but there are also many trekking poles that may not be strong or rigid enough. Over the 12 years I spent developing and testing the Trekker’s Friend, I broke many poles until I found the ones listed below and learned to handle them more carefully.
- Look for Aluminium 7075 poles, that do not weigh less than those shown below
- All trekking poles shown are adjustable in length between at least 65 cm and 135 cm and have a similar construction to those shown below on this page
- “Quick locks” or “clip locks” seem to be the strongest way to join the pieces together, as shown in all poles on this page
- Two pieces may be better than three because they might be stronger, and also as they allow you to adjust the length more quickly and easily. This is good for me because I set my poles to be 130 cm long when wheeling my pack and 115 cm long when carrying my pack. However, poles that come in two pieces are harder to find and do not fold up as small as those that come in three pieces
- If you are using the Trekker’s Friend to wheel your pack in rough terrain and finding it difficult to manage (eg. if it turns over), or are going over drops, rocks or steps that are higher than the top of your foot, particularly if they are uneven, then it is time to put your pack on your back instead of wheeling it, or you will risk breaking your trekking poles
- With some trekking poles the wrist strap tends to pull through the place where it connects to the trekking pole when you are wheeling your pack. This is easily fixed by tying a small knot in the end of the wrist strap.
Pole ends that work well
You should look for top and bottom ends that are as shown below. Most hiking poles have ends like the ones shown.
Top ends of hiking poles
The Trekker’s Friend works best with hiking poles that have top ends that look like the ones shown.
The Trekker’s Friend harness attaches to the wrist strap at the top of the pole.
Bottom ends of hiking poles
The Trekker’s Friend works best with hiking poles that have bottom ends that look like the ones shown.
The Trekker’s Friend’s axle attaches to the widest part near the bottom of the pole.
Sample poles that work well
Generic (aluminium 7075)
Statistics:
- Material: Aluminium 7075
- Weight (each pole): 210 g approx
- Pieces: 3
- Type of locks: clip locks/quick locks
This is an example of the type of pole you can get from eBay or similar places for less than AU$100 per pair, that works well with the Trekker’s Friend. They may need more careful handling than more expensive poles, but nonetheless will last for many km with care.
Masters Eiger (aluminium 7075)
Statistics:
- Material: Aluminium 7075
- Weight (each pole): 215 g
- Pieces: 3
- Type of locks: clip locks/quick locks
This is an example of the type of pole you can buy in retail shops in Australia for more than AU$100 per pair. It works well with the Trekker’s Friend.
Black Diamond ‘Pure Carbon’ (carbon fibre)
Statistics:
- Material: Carbon fibre
- Weight (each pole): 282 g
- Pieces: 2
- Type of locks: clip locks/quick locks
This is an example of a type of pole you can get from retail shops for more than AU$100 per pair, that works reasonably well with the Trekker’s Friend. Most carbon fibre poles to not seem to be rigid and strong enough to give good results with the Trekker’s Friend, but these ones do.