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Archive 2016 · Trekking Pole Monopod

  
 
jharter
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Trekking Pole Monopod


I am considering buying a single trekking pole for my wife. I would like to get one that could be an impromptu monopod for me as well. Any buying advice? Thanks.


Mar 13, 2016 at 10:45 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Trekking Pole Monopod


jharter wrote:
I am considering buying a single trekking pole for my wife. I would like to get one that could be an impromptu monopod for me as well. Any buying advice? Thanks.

http://www.pacerpole.com/product/carbon-fibre-pacerpole

Looks great and has fantastic reviews. Add the special camera mount. I'm definitely going for this.




Mar 13, 2016 at 01:12 PM
kwilliam8
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Trekking Pole Monopod


The pacerpole looks interesting. Has anyone on FM used these? How are they as hiking poles, compared to regular hiking poles? Is the ergonomic benefit noticeable?
Keith W.



Mar 13, 2016 at 02:30 PM
Frogfish
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Trekking Pole Monopod


kwilliam8 wrote:
The pacerpole looks interesting. Has anyone on FM used these? How are they as hiking poles, compared to regular hiking poles? Is the ergonomic benefit noticeable?
Keith W.


Not too much point asking on here .. Google it and look for hiking/backpacking magazine reviews. That's how I found it when looking for poles to help my knees.



Mar 13, 2016 at 02:43 PM
Craig Gillette
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Trekking Pole Monopod


Haven't shopped for a hiking staff/pole recently but at the time, assuming it wasn't a traditional wood staff, many had removable knobs/grips of some sort and came equipped with a 1/4x20 threaded stud which would be compatible with most cameras and heads.

A few thoughts. Reviews on forums are what they are. One experience brands a brand or type as forever unsuitable, no one should ever buy that model, etc. Lots of comments on the locking mechanisms and some come set up to be fixed or sprung/shock absorbing. Of course lots of different materials. (Much like the discussions on tripods as to materials, etc.) I have a Tracks Sherlock. I finally punched another hole in the long foam sleeve as it can be hard to find the spring button or get it lined up correctly.

Trekking poles seem (maybe?) to be set up slightly differently when it comes to length. Optimal hiking length may not be an optimal monopod length. The Sherlock is a little short as a monopod (for me, I'm 6'2" tall.). I used it for a while with a Manfrotto pistol grip head. Pretty much the right length but then it was awfully top heavy and just heavy. (The head is not light but when used as a monopod head, the squeeze grip offers some advantages over a traditional ball head. Did I mention it was heavy?) Most photo monopods have multiple sections and can be collapsed to a fairly short length for packing or carrying. The Sherlock and I'd expect many other trekking poles or staffs are more limited in the number of sections and adjustability. I'm guessing it's for several reasons and strength may be one of them. I wonder about how well a monopod will take the stress of a fall without slipping, the Sherlock, with spring button length settings doesn't depend on the strength of a squeezing fliplock or twist collet to hold it's length. But monopods aren't designed for use as trekking poles as a first priority.

The longer poles may not retract enough to fit easily in some types of luggage or as carry-on ittems. Note that ski poles are not (last I looked anyways) as cabin carry-on for air travel in the US. The Sherlock looks a lot more like a ski pole than a monopod. It also has a fixed fairly sharp spike under it's rubber tip. You might want to look at that if needing to travel with it/them.




Mar 14, 2016 at 11:23 PM
dodgyexposure
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Trekking Pole Monopod


My issue with trekking poles doubling as monopods has always been the height. A pole will be about maximum 1.2m (give or take), which is really only useful as a monopod if you are sitting or kneeling - restricting its usefulness. YMMV


Mar 15, 2016 at 01:17 AM
jharter
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Trekking Pole Monopod


Thanks for the feedback. I am rethinking this. I had not considered the relatively short height of a trekking pole. Also, very few of them fold down compactly for travel. I think that for my purposes (not backpacking, just day hikes) that a solid carbon fiber monopod used as a walking stick is the best alternative.


Mar 15, 2016 at 06:24 AM
Frogfish
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Trekking Pole Monopod


jharter wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. I am rethinking this. I had not considered the relatively short height of a trekking pole. Also, very few of them fold down compactly for travel. I think that for my purposes (not backpacking, just day hikes) that a solid carbon fiber monopod used as a walking stick is the best alternative.


One of the Chinese manufacturers - maybe Benro or Sirui, I forget - has a monopod that you can buy with a Walking Stick head, then just remove it when you want to shoot. Worth Googling.



Mar 16, 2016 at 02:18 AM





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