Powder Poles

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Phisherman

Member
Does anybody actually use those adjustable powder poles when skiing powder? Also, do you use your straps, like what if the pole gets caught on a tree and pulls your shoulder out of socket...
 
For me, I use fixed poles (not adjustable) and put on fatter baskets. When poling in powder, the skinny baskets will just sink in, whereas, the powder baskets will enable you to actually push.

Many poles come with 2 sets of baskets: 1 small set & 1 large set. These are easily changed out by un-screwing them.
 
i use my adjustable BD poles every day. they adjust so you can have them longer when your touring. when your skinning up a switchback you make your downhill pole longer so they are still even and help to keep your balance
 
I don't think the adjustable poles are specific for powder, they are usually specific for skinning or snowshoeing. Pretty much why they are called "trekking poles" in most circles.

Fatter baskets tend to be ideal, but not necessary. I have 3 pairs of poles I generally use. Shorter poles for every day skiing, which might consist of park skiing. Longer poles I use for powder, generally more all mountain skiing, and trekking poles I use when I'm climbing mountains.
 
Check out K2's party poles, they can go pretty short for park days but also extend and are super nice for touring. Even if you just reach a flat spot on a cattrack, you can adjust them on the fly and have longer poles for pushing. the first time i used long poles on a cattrack (after using short poles for park for years), i was amazed at how much more useful/efficient they were.
 
they do sell ski-specific poles that are adjustable. they are a bit tougher than trekking poles and have different tips and grips. i have adjustable BD poles and they are great because you can also make them super short to stow on your pack if you need your hands free. also the adjust-ability allows you to have longer poles for skinning, or different sized poles for traverses.

as for straps, if your skiing in thick trees and shallow powder where you are close enough to he ground to hit an occasional root or branch, id leave the straps off, or at least VERY loose. my old poles were made by swix, and they had a thumb tab in addition to the straps. when you arent wearing straps, the tabs work like little hangers between your thumb and forefinger, so if you drop a pole it stays in your hand, but if any force is applied to it, like getting snagged on something, the tab will bend back to allow the pole to release.

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Leki also makes poles that have a strap which stays on your gloves all the time and they click into the top of the grip, but its held by a spring that will release when enough pressure is applied. thats great because you can always wear your straps without worrying about your arm getting yanked out. the downside to that is that there are more moving parts, which means more opportunity to break.

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if your skiing really deep pow, or above timberline, its best to wear the straps all the time because there isnt much risk of them getting snagged and if you loose a pole in deep pow, its gone forever.
 
also, i wouldnt use adjustable poles in the park. they are a lot more delicate than a rigid pole and taking a digger on a rail will snap them, not just bend it a little. especially if you go for carbon fiber poles.
 
They're not "powder" poles. They're for touring and mountaineering where you have to adjust the length of the pole for the steepness of the climb.
 
I can guarantee you that you will ski more proficiently, properly, and with far less energy if you use proper length poles. Filthy park rat, you disgust me.
 
nahh man get two different poles, use poles from when u were a lil kid for the park and take new ones from the rental shop that are longer and spray paint them.
 
Just grab a pair of scott aluminum rental poles. They have oversized baskets. I've got about 3 pair of the blue ones, didn't pay a dime. And BTW, I use straps religiously (skiing all sorts of lines, 95% backcountry). some people claim you don't want to use straps for various reasons. but fuck dude, straps are loose and sometimes even come off when you don't want them to. if shit goes bad, they're gonna come off.
 
Nothing makes me sweat and yell FUUUUUUUUUU like dropping a pole on the cat track while coasting fast with nobody behind to pick up and your friends hustlin on down to the lift to wait for you. Gotta use those straps brah
 
hahahaha you sound like my father, and my best friends dad, total 80's hot doggers. I'm not worried about "proper" skiing it's all about having fun right? and what is "proper length" poles anyway the way i see it i ski 90% park so my poles are the proper length. but i respect anyone who thinks differntly, just not their style i guess.
 
Dead on. Put on your pow baskets when you're shredding pow and put on the regular baskets when you aren't. Personally, I avoid using any pole straps when I'm skiing trees- the risk of wrecking your shoulder isn't worth it to me.
 
Indeed i am. i ski pow as well. i just wait for a day that we get a foot or 2 of fresh and go hit crazy pow until its all tracked out, head back to the car and click into my park skis and finish out the day.
 
true, i get a few runs on those on a good day, but what can i say i like to shred the park. i dont know what it is but i just find it more appealing, that is unless there is 3 feet of fresh pow, i'll never pass up a delicious face shot
 
I often use my park poles in powder because im too lazy. I'll definitely agree with you that its less efficient. I don't notice a huge difference while I'm skiing, but at the end of the day, my back will be pretty sore after using park poles to ski all mountin. Probably because I'm more hunched over than I should be or something. That being said, laziness prevails, and I will probably keep using my park poles when skiing anything outside the park. There not stupidly short anyway.

 
^this guy gets it. laziness prevails! park poles in the pow with some pow baskets works just fine, i've never once had a problem. pole planting outside the pow is overrated IMO. that's honestly the only time i really pole plant but that's probably because i am a "filthy park rat"
 
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