My hiking pole broke halfway through a 12-mile loop in Shenandoah

I was about 6 miles into the Rose River Loop trail last Saturday when my left pole just snapped at the third section. It was one of those cheap twist-lock ones I got for $30 on Amazon. I ended up using a fallen branch as a makeshift pole for the rest of the hike, which actually worked okay but my wrist was killing me by the end. The trail had a lot of rocky sections and stream crossings so it was pretty rough without it. Anyone else have a piece of gear fail mid-hike and have to improvise? Any recommendations for poles under $60 that wont break?

2 comments

2 Comments

christophermorgan1mo ago

My $30 pole folded faster than my camping chair last year.

jenkins.alice1mo ago

Omg @christophermorgan yours folded? lol mine snapped clean in half the first time I tried to set it up. I grabbed one of those cheap telescoping poles at the outdoor store thinking it would hold fine for a tarp shelter. Nope. Broke right where the twist lock was supposed to tighten. Spent the rest of the trip trying to McGuyver it with duct tape and a stick. I learned my lesson on that one.