10 oz. (single pole)
Telescoping (lever lock)
Aluminum
Cork and foam
Great value for those who only need a single pole.
Average build quality and pretty heavy at 10 ounces.
The most trekking poles can be purchased in pairs however some backpackers and hikers prefer to go out with just one pole (including the members of our team). If you’re one of them, going to go with one of the Mountainsmith Dolomite is a nice option to save money: for $30, you can get an aluminum set-up that is of high quality, with cork handles, EVA foam choke-up grips and three pieces of telescoping that is compact enough to be carried around. The lock levers aren’t exceptional and the construction doesn’t be as sturdy as our top picks however, the Dolomite definitely is a good price.
It is clear that there are disadvantages to using one pole, such as one like the Mountainsmith Dolomite. One of them is that you miss out on the ability to pack a full set of poles for situations where stability is essential for hiking over especially rough or steep terrain. Additionally that many tents with trekking poles or shelters need two poles for setup (including top models such as The Zpacks Duplex and Gossamer Gear’s The One). One of the issues we face particularly regarding The Mountainsmith Mountainsmith is its weight of 10 ounces that makes it one of the most heavy models we’ve ranked. If you want a light but more expensive alternative, Gossamer Gear sells their LT5 model on a single pole that costs around $98.
