Do it yourself adjustable Trekking Poles (for about $15)

This Instructable describes how to build a set of fairly light weight adjustable trekking poles. The inspiration for this project came from a short trip I took with a friend last year. He was using his REI poles and he had an extra pair that I could use. I had never used them before but i thought, "what could it hurt"? It turns out I loved using them. Especially when going down hill, and while crossing rivers. When we got back I though I would get a pair, that was until I saw the price tag. Poles range from $50(for crap) to more than $150 for nice ones. That was and still is out of my price range, especially in this economy. I did some research and found several plans for the do-it-yourself'ers out there, but I did not find anything that I really liked. I wanted them to be adjustable so they would be comfortable for all situations; up hill, down hill, ect. I tried to come up with a way of doing this for a while and it finally came to me, it has been done before, let's see how the pros do it. This also gives us a chance to recycle!

Step 1 Gather Materials

1. Aluminum Downhill Ski Poles, (Thrift store - $3.99)
2. Fiberglass Cross Country Ski Poles, (Thrift store - $4.99)
3. 18mm replacement "expanders" (Outdoor Equipment store - $4.25)
4. 2x 5" M8 bolts, (Hardware Store - $2.50)
5. Epoxy Putty (I already had this), (Hardware Store - $?)

The replacement "expanders" were the trick, I might still be scratching my head if I had not found these.

Comments

[geppetto425]

What the heck is a 2 x 5" M8 bolt??? I stuck a 3/8" bolt in the expander and it's working just fine!

[thatoneguydavid]

2x = quantity of 2 5" = the length of the bolt i used M8 = a metric size "M8" (Leki is original a European company) I am not sure how well a 3/8" bolt will work. it may be a close fit, but you will likely ware out the threads in the expander. good luck

[geppetto425]

I'm in the process of making these for myself. A couple of suggestions- before the epoxy dries, insert the bolt with the expander on it into the top pole so the bolt will be properly aligned and straight, make sure there is no epoxy on the outside of the shaft! Also I found two light aluminum ski poles that slide inside each other, I feel safer without a fiberglass bottom section that could break easier. Great instructable, you just saved me at least $100 that I can put towards my sleeping bag! (Getting into ultralight backpacking at age 58.)

[botronics]

Can you make a hiking pole out of PVC pipe?

[thatoneguydavid]

it may be possible? but PVC is heavy and very flexible, so the stability would likely suck unless the diameter were large, which in turn would make it heavier.

ski polls are all over thrift stores, they are cheep, and they are designed for a similar purpose. that is why i used them.

good luck

[dyermaker8]

sad but true,. walmarts got ya beat,. 13.88 for a single pole or 20 for a set of 2.

[thatoneguydavid]

I saw these, as well as the ones available at Fred Meyer. yes they are cheap but: 1 the weight is about twice what mine weigh 2 the Leki clamps in mine hold much more weight, and are replaceable if they ever where out. (try to do that with a wally world brand)

[srohwer]

I think I've got it, but could you confirm? 1) Cut off fiberglass poles and use the bottoms 2) Install expanders on fiberglass poles 3) Cut off aluminum poles and slide over expander and fiberglass pole. 4) Twist and tighten. Thanks, and nice job. I'm headed to the thrift shop tomorrow!

[thatoneguydavid]

that's it.

[admanrocks]

Have you tried them out yet? and how much weight do they hold for you?

[thatoneguydavid]

I have not taken them on the trail yet, but they can take my full weight. I will likely take them out this weekend. I'll let you know how they do.