[pct-l] Trail Gear - Pole Tips

[Brian Watt]

Jim,

The problem with pole tips is that replacing them required an outfitter 
who has a vice with a special fitting to grip the poles and not crush 
them, and a tool to pop them off since they are (I think) glued on with 
a touch of super-glue. This is not something easily found in the 
backwoods of the trail. So my first set of poles were light Gossamer 
Gear twist-lock carbon poles and they were showing wear by the time I 
got to mile 454 and the Saufley's. However, I kept going, because they 
were a boutique vender and most outfitters only carry the major brands 
like Black Diamond, Leki, etc. However, when I slipped and broke one of 
the GG poles descending from Kearsarge Pass it required me to get new 
poles. [You can't buy just one pole.] So in Bishop I got new Black 
Diamond Alpine Carbon Cord poles and returned to the trail. So now I had 
new pole tips too - but what a cost! Soon they too began to wear too. 
Then, as was going into Old Station with collapsed poles, one of the 
flick-locks opened on a branch and I lost the last section of that pole. 
Argh! Then I had Black Diamond send me a new end section to my next 
resupply. Now I had one worn tip and one new tip which then both 
continued to wear. The picture was taken at Snoqualmie showing the 
unevenly worn tips. Based upon my earlier loss I now knew I could order 
an entirely new end section to fix the worn tip. So that's what I did 
and received a new section and tip at Skyomish. Not very efficient, but 
that's my story.

Bri/Tartan PCT 2014