1 lb. 4.3 oz.
Folding (lever lock)
Aluminum
Cork/Rubber
Collapsible to 15.5 inches.
Heavy for a folding model.
The design is foldable Leki’s well-loved and comfortable cork grips, and a reasonable cost of $140, the Micro Vario TA is among our top poles in this class. The aluminum model folds to 15 inches, making it one of the smallest poles on our list. We are awestruck by the Leki’s SpeedLock 2 locking system–it can be tightened using a small dial, and there are no tools required. Its ability to effortlessly maintain the locks’ tightness is a bonus to the durable quality of the poles.
As you would expect, there are disadvantages to this model. Similar to other trekking poles the Micro Vario Cor-Tec TA is small, however it’s quite heavy, weighing more than 1 pound and 4 ounces for the two poles (the price is a compromise of a lower cost and aluminum construction). Furthermore the folding poles generally aren’t as sturdy as their telescoping counterparts. This makes them one of the less heavier aluminum poles in this list. But, they’ll be more resilient than the carbon fiber Gossamer gear LT5 and the BD Distance Carbon Z above, as in Leki’s premium Micro Vario Carbon.
