I am 6'7" and was having a hard time finding trekking poles long enough. I stumbled across these and bought a pair. These are the first trekking poles i have owned, but i must say I am extremely happy with them so far. They are light weight, and more than long enough for my height and even someone taller than I am. My knees get sore on long descents, so i wanted to try some poles. These made a huge difference. Well done Diorite Gear!
I bought these poles in early 2021 when they were still CNOC branded. I’ve enjoyed them and used them for a good bit of hiking and backpacking in all kinds of terrain. I originally wanted them to use with a tent that needed an extra tall hiking pole, not wanting to use a pole jack. Even without that requirement (they DO get extra long), I’d consider them again especially now they have the full array of replacement parts available. That said, I went to purchase a lower pole section and a few tiny parts today and the shipping cost was nearly $28 for $29 worth of parts (about $20 shipping for the $28 lower pole section alone). I also have a small business and know pretty well what shipping costs, even cross country. But this seems excessive for such small and lightweight items, so no doubt it includes non trivial handling charges. This cost does make me think twice about the true usability of this repair option, unless you are local and can pick up your parts yourself. That said, the poles are good and the parts prices themselves seem reasonable, so I’m only deducting one star in my estimation of the overall product.
Hi Will,
Thanks for your feedback and glad to hear the poles are working well for you! As for the shipping, we don't add any extra fees and just charge what it costs us. We know international shipping fees are unfortunately extremely expensive, but it sounds like you may be domestic. $20 shipping for one section seems more than our system should be charging for a domestic address unless it's rural or otherwise difficult to reach. Feel free to reach out to contact@dioritegear.com and we can help sort out what's going on. Thanks for your review!
I bought these poles so I could get back into hiking. I hike year round and went with the EVA for durability. Unfortunately the EVA is incredibly uncomfortable with and without gloves. Further, a small drop in a rocky area took a chunk out of the foam, rendering that pole useless. Not sure if the cork would have been any better. Can't afford to find out.
The locking sections seem a bit flimsy and I am consistently worried they will come undone. They also don't lock in the length I want well over extended distances, necessitating a pause to realign them.
They are extremely lightweight and so far none of the carbon fiber sections have broke. Other than that I'm not all that pleased with them.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your feedback and we're sorry to hear the EVA isn't working out for you. Grip choice is definitely a personal preference. For the locking of the poles, we'd recommend tightening the gold screw for a tighter close of the FQL's (friction quick locks). This will help keep them in place! Hope this helps and thanks again for you review.
These have been through all types of conditions and have served me well, surviving all the abuse I've thrown at them. I lean on them pretty hard, especially while descending steep terrain and they always feel solid.
I've been using these poles for over two years now (CNOC branded, but the same poles). Prior to that I'd broken multiple poles from other manufacturers. The tips have been replaced and I did swap cork for EVA handles to reduce the weight a bit. It is great to be able to do that. It is also good to know that if I do snap a section, I can order another one and be back in business.
I don't see too many of them on the trail, but I'm assuming that they'll catch on at some point. In the meantime people are missing out. Mine have 2,000+ miles on them whereas I was likely to get 500 or so out of the previous carbon fiber poles that I'd purchased. Highly recommend!