REI..i both love and hate that place :) trek poles in!

[pointysticks]

i ordered some trekking poles. well, they are here.

that long winded thread over on AT got me thinking..why not? all the cool pics you guys show of them being used as tarp poles is brilliant. i just got a decent alum pair, with some 25% off coupon. that and my recent cold realization that my knees are not what they used to be.

looking forward to giving them a go this week. bag of rice in my backpack..hahah.

[dotman]

Shhhhh....don't let Paul know you moved to the dark side, he'll push you down and call you a girl

Truthyfully they help the knees and have many uses.

[ElkNut1]

LOL!!! I'll be the 1st to admit, I would never use them or recommend them!!!! Most elk country is far to rugged for them to be of any value at all.

ElkNut1

[elkmtngear]

LOL!!! I'll be the 1st to admit, I would never use them or recommend them!!!! Most elk country is far to rugged for them to be of any value at all.

ElkNut1

Paul, what if your trekking pole was also your elk decoy? Would that give it some value?

[Swede]

I agree on REI. They have some great stuff, but are not very hunter friendly. I do not use those girly sticks either. LOL

[bullrub]

REI is a yuppie store, for the down towner sportsman.

[Freebird134]

REI is a yuppie store, for the down towner sportsman.

That's a pretty ridiculous thing to say. REI has some great stuff, amazing customer service, and I've never encountered any anti-hunting sentiment. Usually when I tell them I'm getting gear to pack in 5 miles to bowhunt elk, they are pretty impressed.

[slim9300]

REI is a yuppie store, for the down towner sportsman.

That's a pretty ridiculous thing to say. REI has some great stuff, amazing customer service, and I've never encountered any anti-hunting sentiment. Usually when I tell them I'm getting gear to pack in 5 miles to bowhunt elk, they are pretty impressed.

I agree with what you are saying and have had the same experience at their stores. The thing you are overlooking is that they donate a lot of money to organizations who are clearly anti-hunting. Maybe you and I can look past that but I don't fault the hunters that can't.

[Freebird134]

I didn't know that Slim. Who do they donate to that's anti-hunting?

[bullrub]

Freebird, I'm not saying you shouldn't shop at REI, because they do have some great gear. Heck i have even bought stuff from them. But when i go into a sporting goods store and they start putting me down for be a bowhunter, saying all we do is wound game and loss them , that is the last straw. Im sure not all the REI store are like that, but for me thats was it i won't be back. I'm sorry if i hurt someone's feeling but thats life. NO ONE STOMPS ON MY RIGHT TO HUNT AND HOW I HUNT as long as it is done with in the law and the proper way.

[ElkNut1]

Jeff, the reason I like the Slip System is because of it's lightweight portable nature! It will do well for us this year as a concealment mechanism. I would not use the System as a walking stick at any time. The country we hunt has no place for a walking stick & trying to carry your bow at the same time. I know there are many who feel they could use the trekking pole side of the System & that's cool! It's just not a feature that would attract me & my elk hunting style! With packing out over a 100 bull quarters on my back & 1000's of miles with boots on the ground I've never seen the need for one yet, if I felt it would be of use I would definitely use them.

ElkNut1

[Freebird134]

Freebird, I'm not saying you shouldn't shop at REI, because they do have some great gear. Heck i have even bought stuff from them. But when i go into a sporting goods store and they start putting me down for be a bowhunter, saying all we do is wound game and loss them , that is the last straw. Im sure not all the REI store are like that, but for me thats was it i won't be back. I'm sorry if i hurt someone's feeling but thats life. NO ONE STOMPS ON MY RIGHT TO HUNT AND HOW I HUNT as long as it is done with in the law and the proper way.

I don't blame ya. I've just never gotten that attitude before. But if I encountered that I'd stop shopping there too.

I'm still really curious what anti-hunting groups they contribute to.

[slim9300]

Freebird, I'm not saying you shouldn't shop at REI, because they do have some great gear. Heck i have even bought stuff from them. But when i go into a sporting goods store and they start putting me down for be a bowhunter, saying all we do is wound game and loss them , that is the last straw. Im sure not all the REI store are like that, but for me thats was it i won't be back. I'm sorry if i hurt someone's feeling but thats life. NO ONE STOMPS ON MY RIGHT TO HUNT AND HOW I HUNT as long as it is done with in the law and the proper way.

I don't blame ya. I've just never gotten that attitude before. But if I encountered that I'd stop shopping there too.

I'm still really curious what anti-hunting groups they contribute to.

The biggest evidence is their support of the Sierra Club. Just search google for all the anti-hunting topics associated with the Sierra Club. (I don't care what their public stance is on hunting) Actions speak louder than words. When the RMEF teamed up with the Sierra Club a few years back I almost cancelled my membership.

Next take a look at each one of REI's board of directors and look into the groups that they openly support. It's pretty easy to infer what their core beliefs are.

Don't get me wrong, I have never had an employee seem anything other then supportive when I tell them about my backcounty bowhunting persuits, but ask your average Sierra Club member (or 90% of the envirnonmentalist community) what they think of hunters.

[pointysticks]

well, this took a strange twist.

[slim9300]

well, this took a strange twist.

Not really. Your topic drew me to the thread thinking you were going to say something different. I'm pretty sure every thread I have seen on A-T and other hunting forums on REI turn into the same discussion.

For what it's worth I feel the same about REI. I always seem to spend way more money their then I plan.

[JohnFitzgerald]

I too googled the same thing Slim9300 did. Came to the same conclusion. Very disappointed in REI's support of the Sierra Club!

[pointysticks]

some of the gear within REI..those companies..there is a good chance they are funding animal lovers too, no?

jetboil? marmot? sierra designs?

[slim9300]

some of the gear within REI..those companies..there is a good chance they are funding animal lovers too, no?

jetboil? marmot? sierra designs?

No joke. I am willing to bet that there are at least a few companies that support HSUS and or PETA that are sold at REI. In all honesty I don't even want to do any digging on them. I'm afraid of what I will find.

[Freebird134]

well, this took a strange twist.

Sorry the thread got so derailed! Trekking poles are a love/hate thing. Some guys love them, some hate them. I don't find them useful while hunting--like Paul said, it's hard to carry a bow and a trekking pole, plus the poles are often a little loud. But they make a heck of a difference for me when packing in or out with a heavy load and steep terrain.

I upgraded my trekking poles this year. Actually 3x. Another reason I like REI I returned my older pair that weren't locking tight any more, and bought one pair. Didn't like it, so I traded for a different pair. Then I finally drank the kool-aid and had to have the Black Diamond Ultra Z poles. So light. So small. They just disappear in my bag when they arne't being used!!!

[slim9300]

well, this took a strange twist.

Sorry the thread got so derailed! Trekking poles are a love/hate thing. Some guys love them, some hate them. I don't find them useful while hunting--like Paul said, it's hard to carry a bow and a trekking pole, plus the poles are often a little loud. But they make a heck of a difference for me when packing in or out with a heavy load and steep terrain.

I upgraded my trekking poles this year. Actually 3x. Another reason I like REI I returned my older pair that weren't locking tight any more, and bought one pair. Didn't like it, so I traded for a different pair. Then I finally drank the kool-aid and had to have the Black Diamond Ultra Z poles. So light. So small. They just disappear in my bag when they arne't being used!!!

I agree. Best poles I saw in the store and you can't argue with the weight or performance.

[Bowhunter]

I do not use them while hunting but to pack in to a spike camp or packing meat out I will use them. They help with stability and take some load stress off of the legs and back. Just how many times when we climb a hill do you grab a tree for support and to help pull yourself up? Well that tree is allways there with the trecking poles.

[Vanish]

Trekking poles are awesome for ... trekking!

I will always have mine when hiking long distances with a pack, but I put them away when going CC around deadfall. I can't see using them while hunting.

[pointysticks]

i got them.

they are alright. i didnt spend big huge money, but i got a very good pair.

just to be clear, i will use them to "get to hunting" not for actual hunting. i got hit by a car on my motorcycle. the longterm affects were unknown..i know now, my right knee is weakened. i just hope they make it easier to get waaaaayyy back there..and especially help me get back with a heavy burden on my back.

[tvbrewster]

Don't worry bout what others may think. Trekin poles help us old dudes get you out amongst the rain drops where the big bulls bugle.

Never know what might happen then!

[JimKirk]

i ve used trekking poles for many years but not necessarily when I am hunting. scouting they are great. I've also owned several pairs from REI. all performed well but my most recent pair was bought off amazon for 25$ and seem to perform just as good as some 80$ ones too. here's what i bought

http://www.amazon.com/Pace-Maker-Trekking-vulcanized-rubber/dp/B002P35JJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1344423324&sr=1-1&keywords=Pair+of+Pace+Maker+Trekking+Poles+with+small+disks+and+vulcanized+rubber+feet

used these on a recent 25 mile backpack weekend in weminuche wilderness in colorado and they performed well. served as tent poles as well.

[>>>---WW---->]

I'm not against using treking poles at all. As a matter of fact, I can see where they could be very useful at times.But what I don't understand is why anyone would pay $25-$90 bucks for them when they can cut a walking stick for free!

[Vanish]

I'm not against using treking poles at all. As a matter of fact, I can see where they could be very useful at times.But what I don't understand is why anyone would pay $25-$90 bucks for them when they can cut a walking stick for free!

Ergonomic Handle, Low weight, Adjustable height, Collapsable, Good traction, Shock absorption (option)