I set trekking pole length by the official height chart of the model I buy, not by a formula. No. 1 is the SHINANO Folder TWIST115, adjustable from 100 to 115cm, 212g per pole and 36cm packed. No. 2 is the FAST-115 Carbon W at 202g per pole, about ¥4,000 cheaper.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Choose length not by "what multiple of your height" but by "how many cm you can move it between uphill and downhill." SHINANO officially recommends shorter on the way up and longer on the way down, which a fixed-length pole can't do. So I settle the middle length from the height chart, then take a carbon folding pole that moves 15cm or more up and down.
Key points
- The common "height × 0.63" gives about 106cm for a 168cm hiker. The makers' height charts put 115cm against the same 168cm, a gap of about 9cm
- The adjustable range is 25cm for SHINANO's FAST and Long Trail, 15cm for the Folder TWIST, and 40cm for Black Diamond's Trail
- SHINANO explains that about 5kgf acts on a pole on flat ground, and about 23kgf on a big step. A pole is a balancing tool, not something to put your full weight on
Set trekking pole length by the height chart, not "height × 0.63"
For a 168cm hiker, the common "height × 0.63" formula gives about 106cm. But Black Diamond's official chart puts 115cm against heights of 165–172cm.
The gap is about 9cm. So I open the official height chart of the model I'm buying first, not the formula.
How I chose
The first thing I looked at wasn't weight but how many cm the length can move. SHINANO writes officially, "shorter uphill, longer downhill," and I split the upper and lower ranks by whether a pole allows that use.
Next I lined them up by weight per pole and packed length. Hiking in Japan and abroad, I've found there are days when the poles spend more time strapped to the pack than in your hands. This ranking is made from what you can buy on Rakuten.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SHINANO Folder TWIST
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥23,490 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥29,480, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanOnly three things matter in choosing trekking poles
- Length: decide the middle length from the official height chart, then choose a model where that length falls in the middle of its adjustment range
- How it packs: folding is 36–42cm packed; telescoping (lever-lock types without twisting) is 55–65cm
- Material: carbon is light and aluminum is cheaper. Compare weight per pole
Quick table of the 6 trekking poles
Scroll the table sideways →
| Rank / model | Length range | Weight | Packed length | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 SHINANO Folder TWIST115 | 100–115cm | About 212g per pole | 36cm | ¥30,250 |
| No. 2 SHINANO FAST-115 Carbon W | 90–115cm | About 202g per pole | 55cm | ¥26,400 |
| No. 3 SHINANO Long Trail 115 | 90–115cm | About 230g per pole | 55cm | ¥15,400 |
| No. 4 BD Distance Carbon FLZ | 95–110cm | 308g | 34cm | ¥35,750 |
| No. 5 BD Trail | 100–140cm | 480g | 65cm | ¥18,700 |
| No. 6 SHINANO Folder UL (115cm) | Fixed | About 104g per pole | 42cm | ¥14,300 per pole |
What length for a 168cm hiker? The calculation
The fixed-length pole charts agree across the two makers. Black Diamond's Distance Carbon Z puts 115cm against heights of 165–172cm, and SHINANO's Folder UL puts 115cm against 167–172cm.
Dividing at the middle of the chart gives 115 ÷ 168.5 = about 0.68. That's 5% of height longer than the formula's 0.63.
With an adjustable model, if you set this 115cm inside the range, you can go shorter uphill and longer downhill. For SHINANO's three 115 models, 115cm is the top of the range, so there's no room left to extend on the way down. That's a weak spot for people around 170cm tall, and SHINANO also has a 125cm model.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it's ranked here |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Folder TWIST115 | Carbon, with 15cm of adjustment, and the 36cm packed length is the shortest of the three SHINANO poles. |
| #2 | FAST-115 Carbon W | 202g per pole is 10g lighter than No. 1, but packed length is 55cm, 19cm longer. |
| #3 | Long Trail 115 | ¥15,400 for 2 poles is about half of No. 1, but at 230g per 1 pole it's 18g heavier than No. 1. |
| #4 | Distance Carbon FLZ | 34cm packed is the shortest of the six, but it's the most expensive and its weight can't be compared per pole. |
| #5 | Trail | A 40cm length range is the widest of the six, but its 65cm packed length is the longest. |
| #6 | Folder UL | 104g per pole is the lightest of the six, but the length can't be changed. |
No. 1 SHINANO Folder TWIST115 | folds and changes length too
A carbon three-section folding pole that packs to 36cm. On top of that, it adjusts from 100 to 115cm. Doing folding and telescoping in one pole is what's great about this model.
The weak spot is the adjustment range, 10cm narrower than the FAST's 25cm. It suits people 141–167cm tall who want one pole to handle both climbs and descents.
No. 2 SHINANO FAST-115 Carbon W | 202g per pole with the balance in your hand
The top section is aluminum and the middle and lower sections are carbon. It moves the center of gravity toward your hand so it swings easily. 202g per pole is the lightest of the SHINANO three in this article.
What to watch is that it's 55cm even folded. It suits people who strap them to the side of the pack as they walk.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SHINANO FAST Carbon W
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥19,800 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥28,922, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 3 SHINANO Long Trail 115 | ¥15,000-range for a pair
Aluminum called extra-super duralumin (7075), ¥15,400 for 2 poles. About half the price of No. 1, with a 25cm length range.
230g per pole is 18g heavier than No. 1, which is the trade for the price. It suits people choosing a first pair and keeping the price down.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SHINANO Long Trail
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥11,880 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥15,400, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 4 Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ | 34cm packed
It folds to 34cm, the shortest of the six. The length is 95–110cm, locked with the FlickLock Pro. For people who want it in a small pack, this 34cm pays off.
But the price is the highest of the six. It suits people who also run trails.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥31,216 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥88,440, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 5 Black Diamond Trail | 40cm length range
100–140cm, the widest length range of the six. A powder basket comes with it.
It's 65cm even folded, so it's awkward to carry inside a pack. It suits tall people, and families who want to share one pole at different lengths.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Black Diamond Trail
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥17,749 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥20,251, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 6 SHINANO Folder UL | 104g per pole
At 115cm it's about 104g per 1 pole, under half of No. 1. A set of 2 comes to ¥14,300 × 2 = ¥28,600.
The length is fixed and can't change between climbs and descents. It's one pair for people whose height-chart size fits exactly and who just want it light.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
SHINANO Folder UL
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥12,800 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥14,300, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it at L-BreathSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanHow much force acts on a pole? The makers' numbers
According to SHINANO, about 5kgf acts on a pole on flat ground, about 23kgf going up and down big steps, and about 48kgf or more when you nearly fall. It also writes that a pole is a balancing tool and that putting your full weight on it is dangerous.
The Folder UL at 115cm has a load rating of about 29kgf, a gap of 6kgf from the step's 23kgf. When choosing a light pole, also read the load rating number beside the weight.
Who is it for?
The adjustable Nos. 1–3 suit people who walk mountains with long climbs and descents. You can change the length many times in a day: shorter uphill, longer downhill. The fixed-length No. 6 suits people whose height-chart length fits exactly and who put lightness first.
For mountains where you use both hands for long stretches on rock or ladders, you could choose No. 1 or No. 4, whose short packed length is easier to strap to the pack. For people who run in the mountains, the light, 34cm-packed No. 4 is a candidate, and I compared shoes in trail running shoe rankings. For shoes for walking, see hiking boot rankings.
If your current poles match the height chart and the locks don't loosen, what you have is enough. If you hardly ever carry them inside the pack, packed length doesn't have to matter.
Whether you put poles inside the pack or strap them outside changes the capacity you need. I worked out pack capacity in how to choose a pack by use.
I looked at packs that let you attach poles to the shoulder straps in the karrimor AR 20 review.
FAQ
What multiple of my height should trekking pole length be?
Dividing the official height chart for fixed-length poles gave about 0.68 times height (115 ÷ 168.5). Start by looking at the height chart of the model you're buying.
Should I use one trekking pole or two?
This article compares per 2 pole. SHINANO sells most models as a 2-pole set, and the Folder UL is bought 1 at a time, so a set of 2 comes to ¥28,600.
Folding or telescoping?
For short packed length, folding (34–42cm); for price and length range, telescoping (55–65cm). The Folder TWIST does both in one pole.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- SHINANO official online store: Folder TWIST115
- SHINANO official online store: FAST-115 Carbon W
- SHINANO official online store: Long Trail 115
- SHINANO official online store: Folder UL
- Blue Sheep (Black Diamond's authorized distributor in Japan) official online store: Distance Carbon FLZ
- Blue Sheep official online store: Trail
- Blue Sheep official online store: Distance Carbon Z
