Trekking Pole as spreader bar

[Spaceman]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this question, so I'll frame it as a DIY spreader bar question.

I'm looking to purchase my first set of trekking poles and I'd like to be able to use them for tarps as well as spreader bars on a DIY bridge. Would either of these be a good choice?

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/kom...colorFamily=99

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/lek...colorFamily=99

They are essentially the same price ($30 after sales and coupons) and the same weight (20oz). I'm leaning towards the Komperdells due to the cork handles and the slightly longer extension. Has anyone used either of these poles for a spreader bar? Would one work better than the other for that purpose?

[AdventureMyk]

You definitely want cork over rubber grips! That's not even a question. I picked up a cheap set of $19 walmart specials just to see if I liked using trekking poles and they were fine save for the rubber grips. In 5 mins my hands were sweating. In ten they were literally dripping down the poles! Upgraded to a $70 set of Mountainsmith with the cork handles and never looked back.



As for whether poles should work as a spreader bar, if they can handle a significant amount of your body weight being compressed on them why couldn't they handle simply keeping a hammock open which would be substantially less weight/flex/twist?

[locknload]

Cork is definitely nicer on the hands, espescally when they get sweaty. How are you planning on mounting the "pin" on the handle end for the spreader bar hole? There's a good video of a guy who modded some Leki poles for this. I have the same Lekis and may try it.

Found the vid.

[g2outdoors]

This is a good thread to read.

Not the poles you are looking at, but I'm sure it would apply.

[Spaceman]

As for whether poles should work as a spreader bar, if they can handle a significant amount of your body weight being compressed on them why couldn't they handle simply keeping a hammock open which would be substantially less weight/flex/twist?

I know poles, in general, have worked well for spreader bars. I was wondering if these specific poles would be good candidates, particularly whether the handle configuration was easy to modify.

How are you planning on mounting the "pin" on the handle end for the spreader bar hole?

That's what I'm not sure about. Without knowing exactly how these particular handles go together, I'm not sure if they would be easy to modify or not. Was hoping someone had been through that already with these models. For $30, I may just take a chance and see what I can come up with. I'd love something as simple as the Leki mod in the video you linked to.

[WV]

I think Grizzly Adams showed how to use a dowel rod inside the handle of the Komperdell cork models in one of his videos. There was a small cork plug in the end that came out when he pushed a dowel in from the other end. I looked for the video, but didn't find it yet.
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Found it, ... but he didn't use Komperdell poles. The Gossamer Gear poles he modified have cork handles, though, so this may prove helpful.

[Spaceman]

Thanks, WV. I remember seeing that cork plug but couldn't remember which video or the brand of pole. I was hoping there would be something similar on the Komperdell cork handles, but from what I can tell, the Komp. handle looks like a solid piece of cork (no removable plug or cap). I lack the tools and most likely the skill to drill that out and still have a professional looking handle when all is said and done. I'm thinking of grabbing a pair of Lekis to see if I can do something similar to Hair Bear's mod.

[BuckeyeFan]

Red Beard (YouTube) did a review of trekking poles and mentioned Leki as having a lifetime warranty.

[gmcttr]

FWIW...the Komperdell cork handles are a hard composite cork that I found to be uncomfortable. I ended up getting BD cork handled poles to get a more natural and comfortable cork.

... but from what I can tell, the Komp. handle looks like a solid piece of cork (no removable plug or cap)....

They are solid except for the cavity for the straps. That cavity and the pin for the straps are directly in line with where a pin would need to be inserted so they would not work for that type of mod.

[Cham102]

Watch out for the lifetime warranty on trekking poles. I bought a lifetime warranty set of carbon fiber trekking poles at REI and two years later they both broke near the bottom. I took them back to the same REI (Timonium) and they allowed me to replace them with a sturdier set of aluminum poles without a problem. Those new poles a few months later gave me a fit when I adjusted them and in a personal rage while on a mountain top in Utah I bent one of them against a tree. I went to another REI near Salt Lake City Utah and they told me I had "modified" the poles and therefore the warranty was no longer valid. With further complaints and standing my ground the REI very reluctantly gave me another identical set of aluminum poles which really aren't any better than the first set and I have learned to accept their short-comings and limit adjusting them. The moral of this story is that if you make modifications to your poles you may have difficulty with a return.