March 1st, 2017: Portland area Costco locations are carrying trekking poles again! Look for them in the seasonal section and check the end of this review for this season’s changes!
October, 2016: This review was updated to reflect 2.5 years of experiences with “Costco’s” Cascade Mountain’s Trekking Poles.
Wandering around a Montana Costco (who doesn’t love exploring aisles of food, beer and toys) back in 2014, I picked up a couple pairs of Cascade Mountain’s Trekking poles to add to my collection and realized that for as much as I used the things, I had yet to do a review on them. Fast forward almost 2.5 years and that review has become one of my most visited blog posts and for good reason, the “Costco” trekking poles are one of my all time favorite buys and should be one of yours too.
Now I know I’ve given away the ending of my review in opening paragraph but let’s be real here, you’re probably standing in the aisle right now, trying to figure out if this $35 $30 package is the best deal of all time or just wasting your time when you could be collecting tasty food samples. I know they certainly seemed too good to be true when I picked up my first set but hey, Costco… return policy, right? Wrong. I mean, sure, you get the return policy and all, but I’m here to tell you that you won’t need it on hiking terrain, these things simply rock.
Putting the poles to the test: But enough of the unexplained accolades, it’s time to back up why I’m saying this. Odds are you’ve never visited my blog before and know nothing about me so here’s the run down: I’m an avid adventurer in the Pacific Northwest, an aspiring alpine mountain climber and that means I’m out on the trail — a lot. As I’ve progressed from needing a set of trekking poles to rest against an hour into my climbs to weekly summits, I’ve had a lot of chances to try out and challenge the reliability of my gear, especially my trekking poles.
When I first got into mountaineering and the training that goes with it I had my eye on a $99 set of aluminum poles from Black Diamond, right until a few blogs had me realizing that I really needed Carbon Fiber, and quick-clips and accessories too. Add it all up and I was looking at a $150 investment after spending more than I care to admit on the rest of my gear so when I saw Costco’s package from Cascade Mountain, I figured it was at least worth a try for the price.
Before picking up the Costco pole I had never used a trekking stick of any sort and thought of them as something for my parents. Those days have long since changed and I’m completely sold on poles for uphill effort and downhill knee support though these days I often just take just one with me as a third point of contact. From training hikes around Washington and Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge on the weekdays to summit climbs up Mount Rainier, Hood, Helens, Shasta, Half Dome, The Grand Canyon and so many others, there’s been one or two Cascade Mountain poles with me at every adventure for years now, seriously.
Perhaps the best way to explain the results to you is with Mount St. Helens. In the past year I’ve made over a dozen summer-route climbs up the mountain which, after the snow melts off it, is basically 4 miles of sharp, volcanic rock, dirt and ash. Everything that goes up takes a beating and not everything has survived a season out there. I’ve completed every one of those climbs this year with the same pole, one of my original ones from 2014 in fact (its twin was donated to a Grand Canyon hiker last winter) and it’s still sitting in my car waiting for the next adventure.
On hikes they’re just that sold.
Now solid is not to say they’re flawless. Out of my three sets I am down one pole, the causality of banging snow off my metal crampons so many times that the plastic and foam handle snapped in half. A commenter on this post had a pole fail quickly on a ski run but that’s about the extent of big issues I’ve seen or heard of. Beyond that I’ve scratched every bit of all the remaining poles, lost more than a few snowbaskets and dirt feet as well as their replacements and the replacements to the replacement. At 5 out of 6 over 2.5 years, I’d call it them solid win.
What’s in the box: In addition to the set of poles you get a complete package when you purchase Costco’s version of the Cascade Mountain trekking poles:
- Two poles weighing in at 15.69 oz / 445 grams (expandable from 26 – 54 in / 66 – 137 cm)
- Two styles of rubber feet for hard surfaces,
- Medium snowbaskets (poles feature carbide tungsten tips),
- Compact sandbaskets,
- A clip holder,
- All enclosed in impossible to open packaging
The pros: As I think I’ve made clear, the poles are an all around winner in my book. Weight is something like 8oz each, material is carbon fiber and they haven’t bent or snapped despite getting stuck in pockets of rocks and ice many times. The design adjusts from 40 to 54 inches (I go with 46-48 at 6’2″) via a quick adjustment securing system.
I especially love that the poles use this “clip lock” technique for each of the two adjustable extension levels. Essentially you snap down the locks rather than the common “twist” method found on many other cheap poles and even the basic models of expensive brands. With this the clips you only need a couple seconds to get set and everything stays in place until you unclip — the same can not be said for the twist approach. Other than the one break, scratches and a little rust which I treat with WD-40 regularly, the poles have held up incredibly well and remain ready to go.
The cons: Hiking with groups of all shapes and sizes I can tell you that there are advantages to investing more, mostly around comfort. Sun, sweat, snow and water has long since caused the plastic foam handles of my past sets of poles to harden up though they were never as comfortable as a premium set anyways. This is hardly a huge deal but clearly one of those places where money is spent, the same goes for some of the weatherproofing around exposed metal and the corresponding rust that comes without it. That said, the 2017 edition has been changed to a new cork handle (maybe my review helped inspire that?!) but too soon to tell how it lasts.
The snowbaskets and dirt-feet that you inevitably lose from any pole are not easily replaceable directly but Black Diamond’s accessories actually work just fine — especially with a few drops of Gorilla Glue to keep them in place.
There are differences like I said but they’re minor. A softer handle? Not worth $110 in my book. The simple fact is that Costco’s pole kit competes with the very best — they’re light even if an ounce or two heavier. They have the far more handy and reliable quick-clip system found on fancy poles. They include a host of snow and dirt accessories. They’re backed by an incredible warranty and they come at a price that’s a small fraction of just about anything else carbon fiber.
The bottom line: I love the companies that make most of the leading poles and I believe in premium products when you want something to last. But if there’s a reason to step up here, I really haven’t seen it, at least not for the huge price gap to get the same general specs with a bigger name on it. If you feel otherwise, please, leave a comment as to why!
2017 edition trekking poles:
This season’s poles are now in stock at my local Costco and include a new color and a new cork grip handle that replicates the style of some higher end poles. Trying this out the handle feels a bit softer than previous versions though the grip and underlying design seem to be about the same. If there are any notable changes to performance I will update the review again. This year’s current price looks to be lower than last season’s as well at $29.99.
Product Overview:
- Category: Trekking Poles
- Utility: Hiking
- Pros: Extremely solid, insane value
- Cons: Lacks top quality materials
- Style: Neon yellow / green
- Price: $29.99 at Costco, about $50 on Cascade Mountain’s site
- Rating: 5 of 5
- Official Site | Buy in Costco Stores Spring – Simmer
