Does anyone NOT like Pacerpoles?

[Kiwi-family]

Is it just or is there a touch of intolerance and snobbery in this thread?

Not sure, but I do know I asked the original question because I genuinely wanted to find out if anyone had had a poor experience with Pacerpoles. I went on to buy some and use them all the time.
Dougfitz, I did not know of the kiwi stick-ban conversation, and certainly every week when I'm out in the Waitakere Ranges I come across people with hiking poles (no pacers though!!)

 

[Saint Mike II]

I am a "pole-person" but as Pacerpoles are not sold through retail outlets in Australia I was reluctant to buy something I could not do any sort of performance testing - not even get my hands around the grips etc. Yes I know I was told by the UK distributor that I could send them back if they were unsuitable, but that would just add to the cost - I would have had to pay the freight both ways. So I ended up buying a Leki pair that I was able to size adjust and be happy with. So if Pacepoles want to expand their sales either ship for free (lol - the price will just go up) or find an Australian distributor. Strange as they may think it, their are a number of ethical retailers in this country. :?

 

[jl]

So if Pacepoles want to expand their sales either ship for free (lol - the price will just go up) or find an Australian distributor. Strange as they may think it, their are a number of ethical retailers in this country. :?

There were a number of stores that used to sell them, but Heather the designer / owner stopped some years ago. Many Adelaidians visit me and use one of my sets of (pacer) poles to practice on the hill outside my place. I always have them on show for people to try when I run the Camino course with the WEA. I have just purchased my third set - mine have had many thousands of kms of wear - they don't wear out that quick!

 

[Magwood]

I purchased a pair of pacer poles earlier this year, probably due to reading this thread. Having never used poles before, I found them instantly comfortable and natural to use. Having made a significant investment in these poles, I was loathe to leave them unattended in the albergue pole pots along the way. When we stayed in the parroquial albergue in Estella we were instructed to leave our poles in the pot outside the building in view of the street. I just couldn't bring myself to do this, and when the hospitalero wasn't looking, I quickly dismantled them and smuggled them in the sleeve of my rain jacket and subsequently stowed them under my bed. It was probably the only rule that I broke along the way. I got a little less precious about them as my journey progressed.

Having read so much about pacer poles here, I was amazed that I did not see one other pair on the camino Frances during my walk in April/May this year.

I did have an issue with my poles whereby I found that they would gradually collapse a few inches during a day's walk unless they were screwed in place with considerable force (by someone with a stronger grip than I have), and then I couldn't undo them to make adjustments. Eventually I got a very strong guy to fix them at an appropriate height and didn't adjust them again for the rest of my journey.

I didn't use them for a couple of months after returning home, they had been left collapsed and I took them out in this condition on a recent walk and carried them under my arm until we were 'off road'. When I came to use them the sections were totally immovable and I had to ask a local householder to borrow a pair of pliers in order to free them. I mailed Heather the supplier about the problem and she told me that the poles should be dismantled between use and since I have done this, I have had no problems with them. They need no particular exertion to fix them, and none to release them.

Sorry to ramble at such length, but I wanted to point out the solution to the problem that I had, and to say how concerned and helpful Heather was in dealing with my problem. I can highly recommend both the equipment and the customer service of pacer poles.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hi Magwood - there are some rules that I do obey (like leaving boots outside) but I also packed my poles into their carry bag and kept them with my backpack. Your problem with "screw adjusting" was one of the issues I had with Pacer-Poles - my Leki poles have a strong flexible cord that holds them in place - not sure what's going to happen when the cord expires!!

 

[jl]

I mailed Heather the supplier about the problem and she told me that the poles should be dismantled between use and since I have done this, I have had no problems with them. They need no particular exertion to fix them, and none to release them.

Sorry to ramble at such length, but I wanted to point out the solution to the problem that I had, and to say how concerned and helpful Heather was in dealing with my problem. I can highly recommend both the equipment and the customer service of pacer poles.

What a star Heather is - the saying "5 star" service grossly understates the customer service she provides. She is always happy to help by phone or email.

 

[Sixwheeler]

Just used a pair of Leki Micro Sticks - the 'titanium' rather than carbon. Wonderful but not adjustable so you need the correct length. Very light and comfortable and fold down VERY short to go inside pack for travel, visiting churches/restaurants etc. Note they are left and right handed. As with all poles they only work if used correctly and most are not. And please, whatever you use put rubber tips on and take spares. I met a Nordic Walking group out training, not a rubber tip among them = deafening!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

not a rubber tip among them = deafening!

I stop and smell a rose. They move on; problem solved! If I get irritated, it ruins the moment. Since I am in control of the irritation and not the other walkers, it seems like a sensible solution (not that you were expressing any irritation, so I am leaping to a conclusion). The same solution works for oblivious iPod users that don't even return a greeting, magpie groups of weekend pilgrims, cell phone chat, drunks, snorers, etc.

I am taking my Pacer Poles to the coffin with me...

 

[Magwood]

Just thought I'd share - have received a mail from Heather at Pacerpoles regarding a new accessory - neoprene mitts. The cost is £22.50 but I don't know the weight. See a YouTube video here

.....Camino Frances with my daughter: http://magwood.wordpress.com

 

[jl]

Coming from Australia I have the usual paranoia about sunburn and the resultant skin damage. I always walk in a long sleeved shirt for protection and to protect my hands while using the pacer poles I use a fingerless "mitt" that covers the back of my hand. In Australia these are readily available from the anti cancer shops.

Janet

 

[vicrev]

I like that,Pacer & Pole sounds like a British( I wont say Pommie) comedy duo.........I call my poles Heckle & Jeckle................Vicrev

 

[whariwharangi]

I noted on a 10 day walk around Torres del Paine that there were several broken walking poles left beside the trail. People were using them to support their weight in very uneven trerrain and causing side loading. I wondered what would have happened if people subsequently fell on the broken pole. For this reason these poles should not be considered trekking poles; they are walking poles only. What really bothered me was the broken poles were left abandoned in an otherwise pristine environment.

I tried using one pole on a glissade down a snow bank much as one would use an ice axe. I quickly realized the aluminium walking pole isn't strong enough to sustain the loads being placed on it in that role.

On hiking trips, while carrying a backpack, I carry one pole to use as a brake on downhill sections. It really helps reduce strain on the knees.

I carried the single pole on the Camino. I used it on the steeper downhill sections but otherwise it hung uselessly on my hand. When the weather got cooler I found the aluminum pole was radiating heat from my hand, even when wearing gloves, and so the pole ended up strapped to my pack for about half the distance.

The camino is mostly even ground often on flat terrain. There are some sections where it is nice to have but its not necessary to have.

I find throwing rocks at aggressive dogs to be as effective as swinging a pole.

If I walk along another camino I will leave the pole at home.

 

[fiona99]

Pacer Poles? Please return to the thread subject....PACER POLES

Just about to purchase my first set of walking poles...not used any poles in the past.....have decided rightly or wrongly to get Pacerpoles........I think my choice has been swayed by the fact they have been developed by a Physiotherapist.....what they don't know about posture, walking gait, wear and tear on joints ect ect could probably be written on back of postcard. If they don't suit me will only have myself to blame....but certainly think they are worth a try. Have similar style grips on my bike and they are soooooo comfortable.....maybe that has influenced my choice too

 

[fiona99]

I like that,Pacer & Pole sounds like a British( I wont say Pommie) comedy duo.........I call my poles Heckle & Jeckle................Vicrev

he he ...love it

 

[Dutch]

I just walk Au Naturel. No poles needed

 

[fiona99]

I just walk Au Naturel. No poles needed

He He Did I forget to mention that I am trying to avoid taking my zimmer frame......!!!!

 

[Dutch]

He He Did I forget to mention that I am trying to avoid taking my zimmer frame......!!!!

 

[grayland]

"Whisper ..." To North Americans..."Zimmer frame" is a walker.

 

[cher99840]

"Whisper ..." To North Americans..."Zimmer frame" is a walker.

Thank you. I had no clue. I'm hoping my pacer poles will ward off that need for a few more years.

 

[fiona99]

"Whisper ..." To North Americans..."Zimmer frame" is a walker.

Sorry I was trying to get this thread back onto the subject of Pacer Poles.....It seems I have failed and there could be a new one about zimmer frames....he he

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'll never criticise pacer/hiking poles --- but a proper hiking staff is better once you've learned how to choose and use it. But it's very hard to find the right one !!

Learning how to use a staff takes weeks, and most people have done their Camino in that time ; certainly didn't know how to use mine until the second time I used it ; so I think for most people on the Camino, the poles are simply easier and more practical.

... though I would definitely recommend to anyone starting from further away than SJPP to use a staff instead of poles ...

 

[fiona99]

I'll never criticise pacer/hiking poles --- but a proper hiking staff is better once you've learned how to choose and use it. But it's very hard to find the right one !!

Learning how to use a staff takes weeks, and most people have done their Camino in that time ; certainly didn't know how to use mine until the second time I used it ; so I think for most people on the Camino, the poles are simply easier and more practical.

... though I would definitely recommend to anyone starting from further away than SJPP to use a staff instead of poles ...

Thanks Jabba Papa....Will just have to see how I get on with the pacer poles for now.....also very impressed by the number of camino s you have completed ....although haven't done one yet myself.....was looking at video of the norte route......think I have caught the bug......as would love to walk it too

 

[dougfitz]

but a proper hiking staff is better once you've learned how to choose and use it.

I may not think much of pacer poles, but I wouldn't recommend going back to the Dark Ages. Modern technical walking poles offer significant advantages over a staff, and I wouldn't go back to using a staff having now used both.

Most of the advantages attributed here to pacer poles will be gained from any technical pole used properly. It seems to me that the only clear advantage of pacer poles is that appear impossible for a novice to use incorrectly.

I have previously commited on this forum to trying them out at the first opportunity I get, so I expect to be seeking the indulgence of one of you pacer pole users on the CF around May next year.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Just imagine....converting dougfitz to Pacerpoles ;-) I'd love to lend you mine, but our second pair is currently lent out to someone else and I use the other every week!
Now that zimmer frames have been mentioned (and seeing as I started the thread in the first place I think I can join the thread diversion)....my father-in-law has just had significant spinal surgery and is currently using a walking frame. His surgeon hopes to get him to crutches soon - but father-in-law (bless his heart) has been wondering out loud about using Pacerpoles instead!!!!

 

[xin loi]

Assume none of you bird hunt carrying a 4 kilo shotgun in your hands while walking through brush all day. You don't need hiking poles to walk!

 

[fiona99]

Just imagine....converting dougfitz to Pacerpoles ;-) I'd love to lend you mine, but our second pair is currently lent out to someone else and I use the other every week!
Now that zimmer frames have been mentioned (and seeing as I started the thread in the first place I think I can join the thread diversion)....my father-in-law has just had significant spinal surgery and is currently using a walking frame. His surgeon hopes to get him to crutches soon - but father-in-law (bless his heart) has been wondering out loud about using Pacerpoles instead!!!!

Thread diversions are good....sometimes.....I hope your father in law makes a steady recovery.

 

[fiona99]

Assume none of you bird hunt carrying a 4 kilo shotgun in your hands while walking through brush all day. You don't need hiking poles to walk!

No would not go bird hunting........sticking to me pacer poles......

 

[fiona99]

Assume none of you bird hunt carrying a 4 kilo shotgun in your hands while walking through brush all day. You don't need hiking poles to walk!

Think that question belongs in a different thread......

 

[dougfitz]

Think that question belongs in a different thread......

Or a different forum?

 

[bystander]

Just thought I would add this photo of my Pacer Poles personalised with Hi-Vis tape for identification and visibility.
On left pole, on camera mount, is a Canon PowerShot SX280 HS WiFi.

 

[Kitsambler]

Just imagine....converting dougfitz to Pacerpoles

We could begin a Kickstart campaign

 

[dougfitz]

We could begin a Kickstart campaign

I am delighted you think my conversion would be a worthwhile cause

 

[fiona99]

Just thought I would add this photo of my Pacer Poles personalised with Hi-Vis tape for identification and visibility.
On left pole, on camera mount, is a Canon PowerShot SX280 HS WiFi.

Thinking of doing something similar to mine......which I have now tried and like very much.....perhaps we should start new thread......Best dressed pacer poles....he he

 

[Kiwi-family]

Bystander, your pimped poles make my one strip of high-vis tape look positively pathetic!

 

[nidarosa]

I have had mine for a while now and walked at least 60kms with them so far. I find that I tend to grip them too hard at the beginning of a walk, that the handles tend to get sweaty now and again - and it's not very warm at the moment - but I have also found that they make me/help me walk straighter, faster, better, and I don't get swollen hands anymore, nor do I get the stiff neck and shoulders I feared from holding the upper body still and straight for hours at a time. And I hope they are also the reason I didn't get a pain in my hips today like I did on Saturday when I walked exactly the same stretch!

Oh, and I don't like orange so I took the loooong orange straps out and replaced them with two shortish loops of black bungee. Works a treat! Now where can I get a pink spot for the right hand one??

 

[Kiwi-family]

Oh, and I don't like orange so I took the loooong orange straps out and replaced them with two shortish loops of black bungee. Works a treat! Now where can I get a pink spot for the right hand one??

I almost changed my orange straps to any other colour, but there was still that orange spot, so I left them;-) Then we got a carbon fibre set too - they have black straps but orange writing all over them! I have come to love orange.

 

[bystander]

Bystander, your pimped poles make my one strip of high-vis tape look positively pathetic!

Rachael, my Pacer Poles may out-pimp yours but the backdrop to your photo totally outguns my very bland picture!

 

[koknesis]

I am a big fan of the pole use because skiing is impossible without them this fact somehow has translated also to the activities in the absence of snow. for instance rollerblading is much more fun with a pair of long poles, which allow you to develop decent speeds. on the less smooth surface running with nordic walking poles allow significantly reduce impact on your feet, as a pretty scientific research has shown : http://www.european-athletics.org/f...on_Awards_2012/Open_-_Winner_-_Manuscript.pdf
but first off, Dougfitz is absolutely right, it is far more important the proper use of poles you have chosen, than particular pole type. last year I walked CF with nordic walking poles. did not see many of those, but even then most of them were used rather in tracking fashion, than in nordic. and actually there is not so much noise when you learn how to properly land the iron tip on the hard surface. however the biggest impression on me made two ladies walking with staff, who did this so graciously, that the first thought was they must be walking camino goddesses

 

[bystander]

........ however the biggest impression on me made two ladies walking with staff.......

Crikey, that ups the ante on my pimped poles!

Do you mean I should be thinking of bringing my butler, valet, and chef ?

 

[nidarosa]

Just thought I'd add a pic of my pimped hot pink tiger striped alloy Pacerpoles .. leaving for Spain in a week to walk with carbons for comparison. The walk up to O Ceb should be a doddle!

 

[nidarosa]

Also, just thought I'd add that even though I have spent a good deal of time with my Pacers and thought - and still think! - that they are right up there with sliced bread and free health care, the constant reminders from @dougfitz (cheers, doug!) and others to use the poles properly led me to actually consciously consider my gait and my pole movements today. Turned out I had two speeds/modes: amble and rocket. I placed the poles slightly further forward in amble mode, probably because it is convenient to stop and lean on them that way. Then while I had a break at a beautifully situated watering hole I rewatched the Pacerpole instruction videos on my mobile to compare my pacerpoling technique to Heather's. A little email nudge from Heather herself, who by the way should get an award for her customer care and service, put me straight and with a little tweak and half an inch change to the length of the pole, I was practically dancing along the last 10kms today!

Yes, there is a learning curve, as there is with anything, but it is so worth it. In the case of Pacers it is all available online so have a look if you haven't already.

 

[zzotte]

I love my Pacer poles once I got over the learning curve

Zzotte

 

[lexbres]

Has anyone used them and not liked them?
I had never considered using poles until I read about them on this forum. That is to say, when trekking in Thailand, I used a bit of bamboo on steep downhills to try to alleviate a tears-inducing knee pain, and in NZ bush I carry an old stick....but the thought that there are real proper poles was a new idea to me.
I've borrowed a pair of Lekis, which are OK, but Pacerpoles *sound* so much better. Certainly I've found positive reviews on this forum - but are there any bad experiences?
Just wondering.

Bought these for my boyfriend last Christmas and he loved them up until they broke this past month. The pieces got stuck together and we can no longer extend the poles. We contacted the owner and tried to troubleshoot but nothing work.

We asked for a warranty but there isn't any. The owner asked us to buy new pieces instead. I wanted to support small businesses but for the price, it feels like we wasted a great deal instead of just going to REI and guaranteeing we get what we pay for.

 

[trecile]

Bought these for my boyfriend last Christmas and he loved them up until they broke this past month. The pieces got stuck together and we can no longer extend the poles. We contacted the owner and tried to troubleshoot but nothing work.

We asked for a warranty but there isn't any. The owner asked us to buy new pieces instead. I wanted to support small businesses but for the price, it feels like we wasted a great deal instead of just going to REI and guaranteeing we get what we pay for.

Which kind do you have? I was having trouble extending my dual lock poles and this is what helped me.

If the lower shaft section happens to become harder to pull to expose the pin (so it becomes very difficult to click into place) ..... then the tensioning cord inside has become twisted, and so shortened. To untwist this yellow cord, just push-up the lower section into the middle shaft section. Grip the yellow knot housed in the cap at the top of the middle section (a pair of pliers may be needed to grip it) and pull this cord out through the hole as far as it will go; untwist the cord. Finally, pull out the bottom shaft section - which should be restored to normal tension.

Pacerpole Dual Lock product page

Trekking poles, Walking poles, Pacerpoles apply biomechanics to whole body movement

www.pacerpole.com

 

[dick bird]

Oh thanks for the reminder! I need to get new tips myself.

Check this out, don't take my word for it, but I have been told that the main function of the black rubber tip is to prevent the metal tip ripping a hole in your backpack when you are not using the pole. That and deadening that annoying clacking sound as you walk through a sleepy Spanish village at 5 o'clock in the morning.