A set of telescoping or adjustable ski poles can be quite useful for backcountry skiers and people who split their time between resort skiing and chasing powder. Longer poles are more efficient for skinning up, since they let you take longer strides. Shorter poles are easier to manoeuvre around when you’re skiing in deep snow.
Grips with soft rubber on top of harder rubber are often more comfortable to hold that single material grips. Some poles have extra grip below the main grip for shifting your hands down the shaft when you’re walking on sidehills.
Ski straps come is all kinds of shapes, materials and construction. If you’re planning to use your ski poles as hiking or trekking poles in summer, padded straps are a nice option. For safety reasons when you’re tree skiing or skiing in avalanche terrain, some backcountry ski poles have detachable straps that will release when pull on hard enough. These can also be removed for skiers that prefer to ski without straps.
The size of the basket determines the level of float they provide; bigger baskets give way more float than smaller baskets for skiing at resorts. Smaller baskets also work for using your ski poles as trekking poles on summer hiking trips. Some baskets have hooks designed to help flip up your alpine touring bindings into ski or hike mode.
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