Guide 3 min
Trekking poles: from 290 g to 540 g a pair
From 290 g to 540 g a pair: the 10 pairs of trekking poles in the catalogue weighed one by one. Folding doesn't mean light: up to 210 g apart.
In the WildKit catalogue, a pair of trekking poles weighs from 290 g to 540 g. The lightest, the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z, folds and is made of carbon; the heaviest, the Komperdell Explorer Contour, is telescopic. Between the two, 250 g.
All 10 models are weighed as a pair, as their name says. A single pole weighs half that: from 145 g to 270 g.
How much do trekking poles weigh?
From 290 g to 540 g a pair across the 10 models in the catalogue, and 7 of them weigh 480 g to 540 g. Only two models come in under 440 g.
| Poles (pair) | Pair | Per pole | Folding (product page) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z | 290 g | 145 g | folding |
| Komperdell Carbon FXP.4 Compact | 380 g | 190 g | folding |
| Leki Cross Trail FX Superlite | 440 g | 220 g | folding |
| Forclaz MT500 | 480 g | 240 g | not stated |
| Black Diamond Trail | 500 g | 250 g | not stated |
| Forclaz MT100 | 500 g | 250 g | not stated |
| Leki Makalu FX Carbon | 500 g | 250 g | folding |
| Leki Khumbu Lite | 520 g | 260 g | telescopic |
| Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork | 530 g | 265 g | non-folding |
| Komperdell Explorer Contour | 540 g | 270 g | telescopic |
The catalogue weighs the pair, not the pole: the weight per pole is half the pair. Folding is what the product page says; where it says nothing, we claim nothing.
Are folding poles lighter?
Not always: the four folding pairs run from 290 g to 500 g, a 210 g gap between two folding carbon models. The Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z weighs 290 g; the Leki Makalu FX Carbon, also folding and carbon, 500 g, as much as the Forclaz MT100.
At the other end, the lightest telescopic pair, the Leki Khumbu Lite, weighs 520 g: 20 g more than the Makalu, 230 g more than the Distance Carbon Z. Folding describes how they pack, not what they weigh. Read the number before the word.
What share of your wild camp bag?
Against the 8 kg target for a wild camp, a pair of poles takes from 4 % (290 g) to 7 % (540 g). The gap between the two ends, 250 g, is 3 % of the target.
It's one item among many, but you choose it once and carry it on every multi-day trip.
What the configurator does with them
Trekking poles are among the extras added by default for a wild camp or a trek, not for a day hike. The configurator takes one of them, meaning one pair, picked in the tier you ask for, then by price, then by weight: at equal tier and price, the lightest comes first.
They count in your weight, even when they're in your hands. Only the top, the bottoms and the socks you wear while walking come off the total.
What to remember
- A pair of trekking poles weighs from 290 g to 540 g across the 10 in the catalogue; 7 weigh 480 g to 540 g.
- Folding doesn't mean light: a 210 g gap between two folding carbon pairs.
- On a wild camp, a pair takes 4 % to 7 % of the 8 kg target.
Poles add up with the rest of the bag (see how much your bag should weigh), and as with your footwear, the pair's weight is what counts. Describe your trip to the configurator. We add poles from the first night and show their weight in the total.
Written by Thanaël Fontaine. Published .