Leki Thermolite XL Vertical | Review - Outdoors Magic

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Walking Equipment and Accessories

Leki Thermolite XL Vertical | Review

Walking poles are essential over long distances, or with heavy packs. The Leki Thermolite XL remove any excuse for not using poles

For long distance hiking, trekking poles are a very wise thing to bring with you, especially if you’re carrying a decent load. Using poles improves your balance – you’ve four legs now – and takes pressure off your joints, especially when you’re trotting down a long Lake District mountain.

Appropriately used, walking poles are a great tool that will help you walk further and faster. But buying them can be a bit of a minefield.

The most important thing to bear in mind is what you’ll be using them for. Will it be short runs, your Nordic walking group sprinting around the park, long, single days on the mountains, or multi-day backpacking expeditions?

Once you’ve worked that out, you need to factor in the price you’re willing to spend on quality. Will you tolerate cheap ones like scaffolding poles or will only accept eye-wateringly expensive ultralighters?

It’s also worth thinking about how much you’ll actually be using them; if it’s just those endless downhills on stone paths you need them for, then you want a pair that will stow away easily. Oh, and it is a pair you need; one pole is little more than pointless if you’re trying to help your joints.

“The Leki Thermolite XL strike the perfect balance for all of our needs.”

We also recommend anti-shock poles – these alleviate the sharp vibrations through your arms when you plant the pole down. Beyond these main aspects it is down to personal preference of the handle, adjustments and locking.

We’ve found the Leki Thermolite XL the perfect balance for all of our needs, that’s to say long day hikes or backpacking trips with our house on our back.

The grip, in particular, we found super comfortable with the Ergonomic Aergon foam extending right down the pole for grip adjustment on steep ascents. Photo: Chris Johnson.
The Trigger S allows you to click your straps in and out out faster than usual. Photo: Chris Johnson.
The telescopic pole also comes in three parts meaning they take up very little room when stowed . Photo: Chris Johnson.

Firstly, they are very light at just 242g each, meaning they put little strain on your arms when using them, and they’re barely noticeable when packed away. The telescopic pole also comes in three parts meaning they take up very little room when stowed and the SpeedLock 2 mini lever makes them very quick and easy to adjust the height.

The grip, in particular, we found super comfortable with the Ergonomic Aergon foam extending right down the pole for grip adjustment on steep ascents.

Leki has been making poles since 1948, continually innovating and improving what is arguably a very difficult thing to improve. The Thermolite demonstrates the culmination of years of fine-tuning, resulting in, what we reckon, is almost the perfect option.

“I wish I’d had these poles when I went to Nepal earlier in the year. For me, these are the ideal poles for multi-day treks in mountainous locations, thanks to their light weight, the hand support glove, and the extra foam length of the grip. Though a little technical on your average UK hike, for winter walking on icy ground, rocky Alpine backpacking trips, and my next Himalayan adventure, these will be the poles I choose first.” – Athena Mellor, OM Gear Tester.

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