Gear Review - REI Peak UL Carbon Trekking Poles

July 24th, 2007 Wade

REI stepped up for us this time and provided two pair of trekking poles for us to test. First up is their REI Peak UL Carbon Poles. These poles are made by Komperdell a reliable name in trekking poles and distributed by REI another reliable name in gear.

REI Peak UL Carbon Trekking Poles

• Cost - $139/pair at REI
• Weight - 12.5 oz
• Maximum Length - 55″
• Compacted Length - 27″
• Grips - EVA Foam
• Shaft Construction - Carbon

These poles are all about weight savings. From feather-weight EVA foam grips, through the carbon fiber shafts, they are super light! But despite the weight savings you still get a good pole for the money. I am used to shock absorbing poles, and backpacking with a rigid pole was a different experience in itself. They obviously weren’t forgiving when cranking down to pick up power, but on uphills they provided quite a bit of stability. The grips were good and wicked sweat well, however they were not so conducive of putting your thumbs on top to change hand positions. The baskets seemed to work well. They did screwed in instead of snapping on like Leki brand poles. The Peak UL was very strong when weight was applied to it. My 185 pound frame leaned full tilt on it a few times and no signs of weakness were detected.

Bottom line on these poles - They aren’t the cheapest on the market, and they do not have the shock absorbing feature. But, for the money, they are some of the lightest poles you can find out there. They are perfect for an ultralight-head, a long distance trekker looking for weight savings, or a globetrotter who needs something compact and light to pack in a duffel to fly to their trekking destination.

Entry Filed under: Gear, General