AllOutdoor Review – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
Patrik Orcutt 04.14.23
Black Diamond is a company that needs no introduction in the outdoor space, but here is a quick rundown for those who are uninformed or new to the outdoor industry/community. Black Diamond was born from Chouinard Equipment and was a natural continuation of the passion and ethos that Yvon Chouinard and his friends started in 1965. Peter Metcalf and the employees of Chouinard Equipment took over in 1989, changed the name to Black Diamond, and moved to Salt Lake City to be at the base of the Wasatch mountains. Today, they are a massive outdoor brand that focuses its products in the alpinism sphere while offering everything from trekking poles to tents. Back in 2019, I decided I wanted to get into hiking in a big way and would need to acquire a set of trekking poles for all of my upcoming hikes in or around the Alps after moving to Europe. I happened to walk into a local outdoor gear shop and saw the Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles sitting on the discount rack for a price of $100 and snatched them up that day.
I tested the Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles over the course of the past 4 years with all of my testing taking place in the European Alps in the winter months. I have used them on over a dozen separate snowy / ice hikes.
The Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles were independently purchased and reviewed by myself and Black Diamond has not been allowed to preview this review.
Specs – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
- Collapsed Length: 65 cm | 26″
- Series: Trail
- Usable Length: 105 – 140 cm | 41″ – 55″
- Weight per Pair: 590 g | 1 Lb 4.81 Oz
- Produced in: United States
- MSRP: $160
Comfort – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
The Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles (TPSTP) have a very comfortable grip that is wrapped in a suede material making it hard to lose your grip even if your hands are sweaty. The material can also be found under the shock absorbers meaning you will still have a nice material to grip when snitching down on the poles for those extreme trails with high elevation gain. This material is actually a soft-touch ergonomic grip top with EVA foam. The Shock absorbers work as advertised and help lessen the blow on your wrists in a noticeable way. When you’re doing the same movements for hours on end like hiking, any cushioning at critical points is important for long-term performance.
Locking Mechanisms- Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
The SmashLock technology allows for quicker deployment and collapsibility of the poles but still provides a rigid platform for intense trails. The poles are constructed of 7075 Aluminum shafts that have what Black Diamond calls “FlickLock® Pro adjustability”. What this means to me is that the poles are easy to adjust and the inclusion of markings on the interiors of the poles makes getting them set up the same easy.
Packability – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
Coming in at only 26″ when collapsed means these poles are not the most packable when compared to their competition but can still be stored on the side of your pack with ease. Only weighing 20 oz, you won’t forget that is on your pack but that weight won’t slow you down.
Versatility – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
Black Diamond considers these to be all-season poles and while I mostly agree with that statement if you really want to use these in deep snow, get different foot cups. The ones that come standard are a good all-around option but like all things that are multifaceted, they usually, struggle at specific jobs.
Durability – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
In the four years have been using these poles I have never had them serviced and after some pretty epic hikes they have some scars to show, but they still work great to this day. The locks do need some attention as some are really tight but that is nothing a screwdriver can’t fix in a few minutes.
Competitive Options – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
Likes
- Anti-shock system
- High-quality materials
- Built to last
Dislikes
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Not great in deep snow
Wrap Up – Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles
As I’m sure you can see from the images in this review, these poles have seen a lot of abuse in their time and still work great. They are a bit expensive and yes your non-hiking friends will give you a hard time spending so much money on a set of poles but it is so worth it. I think the greatest compliment I can give the Black Diamond Trail Pro Shock Trekking Poles is that they were the first pole I ever bought and I honestly think they will be the last.
