Tri These Poles For Lightweight, Packable Support

Tackling any challenging high-country hike requires a good set of hiking poles, some that are durable, lightweight and pack away nicely. Mountain Designs Adventure Ambassador Harrison Candlin has been busy testing our latest design that meets that criteria, the Tread TF Carbon trekking poles. Made from carbon with a unique tri-fold (that's the TF part of the name) design, they are up for any challenge - read on to get Harrison's take on their performance.

Tread TF Carbon Trekking Poles

Over the last few months we've been using the new ultra-light Tread TF Carbon poles around the Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland as well as Kosciuszko National Park, putting them through their paces and challenging every design aspect. These are the best poles I've used, and since we got our hands on them, we haven't done a hike without them. They may be one of my favourite products yet.

Field Test

When we started getting into hiking, we thought that poles were an unnecessary accessory, that they were just used to look good or to use if you really struggled to walk long distances. After a few steep climbs and descents without poles, we started to realise why people really use them - they help to keep you balanced and give you a boost on the way up and through river crossings and on the way down they help your move faster and save your knees a lot of pain! Now that we use them on every hike, they just feel like an extension of our bodies.

I've used a few different sets in my time of hiking, and there's nothing worse than an oversized and heavy set that you can't fit in your bag. It makes fitting them in your pack after an overnighter very frustrating and transit through airports even harder (which in the past had led to me losing poles on the baggage conveyor belt), and you certainly don't want to be lugging heavy poles on a multi-day. This is where the Tread TF Carbon poles have changed the game for me, offering incredibly sturdy support at half the weight and half the size due to their tri-fold collapsible design. They have everything you'd expect from a solid hiking pole, with adjustable length to suit your height and hiking style (I normally have them shorter when ascending and a longer length when descending in case I slip). Not to mention they're carbon, so they're incredibly strong and super light.

All these points make buying a set of poles a worthwhile investment if you're a dedicated trail addict, ultra-light nut or someone who just needs some extra assistance. And after using the Tread TF Carbon, this is the way to go. For the slightly tighter budgets though, there is a non-carbon version also available, which still provides the excellent trail stability in a highly packable unit.

Photo Credits

All Images courtesy of Harrison Candlin

• Instagram @harrisoncandlin
• Website https://www.harrisoncandlin.com