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Pacerpole Dual Lock Trekking Poles

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Pacerpole Trekking Poles are available with a lever lock and pin (dual lock) system in addition to the twist-lock system available previously. I’m a huge fan of Pacerpoles, which have a unique angled pistol-style grip that eliminates wrist fatigue and force you to hike with a more erect and energy-efficient posture.

Pacerpole Dual Lock Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles

Weight
Grip
Locking and Adjustability
Packed Size
Durability
Versatility

Excellent

Pacerpole Dual Lock trekking poles are three section carbon fiber trekking poles with a lever lock for height adjustment and a pin lock for the lower section. They don't slip and come with the unique hand grip that Pacerpole is known for.

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The new dual lock system is available on Pacerpole’s three-section carbon fiber poles. The upper lever lock between the upper and middle sections allows for smooth extension, collapse, and adjustments to personalize the shaft height. The lower lock between the middle and lower sections is pin-based and fixed length. Simply extend the lower section and it locks in place. Push in the pin with the side of your index finger to release it and collapse the section.

The Dual Lock poles have tungsten tips and removable keeper cords on the handles. They also come with snow baskets, summer baskets, and rubber tips which you can attach depending on your needs. They are also compatible with Pacerpole’s neoprene pogie system designed for cold weather hiking, which cover the handgrips with neoprene mitts and are very popular with winter hikers.

Pacerpole Dual Lock trekking poles are three section, adjustable carbon fiber hiking poles with a top lever lock and a bottom pin lock.
Pacerpole Dual Lock trekking poles are three-section, adjustable carbon fiber hiking poles with a top lever lock and a bottom pin lock.

The new locking system is simply divine – an important improvement for hikers who’ve grown accustomed to the no-slip lever locks popularized by Black Diamond trekking poles. I put up with the old Pacerpole twist-lock system because their poles were so useful despite it, but have switched to the new dual lock carbon fiber poles because they are so much more secure and reliable. It’s not that the twist locks didn’t work, but they required a lot of extra care that I can now dispense with by upgrading to the dual lock Pacerpoles.

I’ve written about the benefits of Pacerpoles quite extensively. See these posts for more information:

Here are the specs for the new Dual lock Pacerpoles:

    • Price: 107 British Pounds (4 week money back guarantee) / ~$132.00, USD
    • Package includes: mesh storage bag, two snow baskets, two rubber tips (summer baskets included on poles)
    • Max length: 133 cm / 52.4 inches
    • Min usable length: 97 cm / 38 inches
    • Collapsed length: 65 cm / 25.6 inches
    • Disassembled length: 56 cm / 22 inches
    • Weight (without rubber tips): 570 grams / 20.1 ounces

Visit Pacerpole.com to order.

A Section Hiker named Popsicle, sporting Pacer Poles
An Appalachian Trail section hiker named Popsicle, sporting Pacerpoles in Shenandoah National Park, who I met on the trail.

Disclosure: Pacerpole provided the author with a sample pair of dual-lock poles but I wasn’t under any obligation to review them. I am extremely grateful that I tried their unique trekking poles several years ago, which helped transform my posture and cure a chronic leg injury, making it possible for me to go on extended backpacking trips. I’m happy to share my experiences with their products with other hikers because I think they’re brilliant and a great value. I won’t use any trekking poles except Pacerpoles. Pacerpole is a small cottage industry business located in the UK’s Lake District. 

Updated 2020

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55 comments

  1. Sounds like your previous preference for alloy over carbon due to strength, is trumped by the new dual lock system? Although my old REI Traverse poles are screw lock, I don’t experience them collapsing all that often compared to the number of miles on them (it does happen though). These poles look interesting and since I don’t use any shelter that requires hiking poles for support, I will look into Pacerpole when it comes time for a replacement.

    • I’ve never met a tarp or trekking pole tent that can’t be pitched using pacerpoles. It’s a non-issue.

      As for carbon fiber per over aluminum, I’ve been using their CF twist locks for over a year. Simply brilliant. Light but stiff and unbreakable.

      • Good to know about using them to pitch things. Should I ever go back to sleeping on the ground they will be fine with whatever I choose as a shelter. Thanks for the info.

      • That’s good to know. I haven’t looked in any detail at pacerpoles because I just assumed they’d make it difficult to pitch some of my shelter options. I’ll look at these more closely now.

  2. THIS IS SOOOOO EXCITING!!!!! I’ve wanted Pacerpoles for years because of your reviews of them but I absolutely despise twist-locks on poles. I have wrist problems and also when it’s cold it’s very hard to get enough of a grip on the poles to twist effectively. These poles are now jumping up into my “must-have” gear list to be purchased when I get a new job and therefore have more reliable income. Thanks, Philip!

    Although I do have to say that pin locks are kind of annoying too – I’ve had them fail on me in the past – but not the deal-breaker that twist-locks are.

  3. I have the alloy Pacerpoles and I dearly love them, however, getting the twist locks to hold can be a problem if they’ve been sitting for a couple months. Once I get them cleaned and adjusted, they are okay. I found I really need to do that at home before I go on the trail. If I’ve done that, I’ve had very little problem with them loosening up and sliding down as I hike. I might have to adjust them once or twice a day. I’ve used them to pitch tents and tarps on many occasions and have had no problems at all with the handles making it difficult.

    I am seriously considering the new model when I can afford it.

    As a side note, their overmitts are awesome for hiking in cold weather.

    • With the old twist locks, I found the replacing the lower section once a year works well. Pacer pole also suggests drying them and cleaning after each use, but I’m not that vigilant.

      The new twist locks and button eliminate the need for all this. Awesome upgrade really.

      • The twist locks were quite literally the reason I didn’t buy these when one section of my poles broke a couple of years ago. I opted to replace the broken section on my Black Diamonds because the flick locks are so much easier for my weak wrists/delicate violist fingers to deal with.

      • From one violinist (me – in remission) to another. As a violinist , you really should try pacerpoles with their slanted handgrips to reduce the stress of a vertical pole handle on your bowing hand.

      • Thanks! I plan to! (Again, incumbent on a higher income bracket…I’m on a spending moratorium until I get a new job.)

      • I’m no violinist, but I do play guitar and have severe arthritis in my hands, so bad that I had to have surgery to rebuild my right thumb joint. The grips on Pacerpoles are absolutely awesome for someone with hand/wrist problems and pain. Until I had my surgery, the only time my right hand was comfortable was when it was holding a Pacerpole. I’ll never use another brand. I should post my three sets of Lekis on eBay!

      • WOW!! Now THAT’S high praise!

  4. I just bought the old style Pacerpoles in October based on your last review, and I absolutely love them. The grips are incredibly comfortable as I found the grips on other poles created an uncomfortable position for my wrists. Perhaps in a few years I will change to the new locking system if necessary but for now I am perfectly happy with the twist locks. Philip, just out of curiosity, do the new locks add any extra weight to the poles?

  5. Phillip, I use my trekking poles with my Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout tent. You think Pacerpoles would work as the tent poles?

    • It can be done, but it’s not completely optimal. It will work better if you use the PVC pipe mod instead of the lame nylon tube they use for catching the pole tips in the roof. When you position the handles on the floor, you’ll want to get them splayed out tight against the tent sides. I used a Scout for a few nights this fall, not enough for a full review.

      • More useful info for me on these. I have a Skyscape Trekker though I have not yet made that mod.

        • You don’t have to make that pvc mod, but doing so makes it easier to seat the pole tips in the roof, regardless of what kinds of poles you use. That thing SMD uses now is frustrating.

      • Funny thing is, the first time I used the Trekker on a multi-day trip, I had no problems at all. On subsequent trips, though, I was somewhat frustrated by the fabric ends that receive the pole tips. Maybe, after the first trip, I read that I was “supposed” to have problems with it! I still want to make the mod. I even bought a length of the tubing (pex, not pvc, pex is more flexible and workable).

      • Philip, what is the pvc pipe mod you talked about for smd lunar solo tents?

  6. Dang! I asked about lever locks when I bought my Pacerpoles and was told they would “never” offer them because it would ruin the balance of the poles. Although I dislike the twist locks, I love the the Pacerpoles otherwise for day hiking, snowshoeing and ski touring. I like them less for backpacking since I use a ZPacks Solplex shelter and find it doesn’t pitch as well with the angled pole grips…maybe I just need to experiment with that a bit more.

  7. I absolutely love my Pacerpoles having used them for 5 years or so here in middle Tennessee. With the regular kind my hands went numb and arthritis was troublesome. Pacerpoles eliminated it all.
    Several hiker buddies now have them after seeing mine.
    This new version goes to the top of my “must have” list. Hmmmm, I’ve got an anniversary coming up: “Honey….”

    The overmitts work great, your hands will be100% warm—get them!

  8. Heather sent me a pair recently. Outstanding. I had toyed with switching the handles with a pair of Japanese poles whose sticks were great but whose handles were a showstopper. Now I don’t have to. #-Cheers to Pacerpoles.

  9. How can you order them on the web ? I don’t see a spot for them on the website

  10. I ordered a set of the carbon fiber dual lock Pacerpoles after reading this review. I have struggled with illiotibial band (ITB) problems for 30 years and I thought these were worth a try based upon Phillip’s description of how these poles helped him. Also, I had been suffering from extremely cold fingers (probably a mild case of Reynaud’s Syndrome) on my morning hikes in Northern California. My hiking friends’ hands were fine, and my fingers were ice cold and painful. I had two winter backpacking trips coming up and was concerned about how to deal with cold hands. The first trip I used a glove liner and overmitt system with my old Leki poles and my hands were ok but not great. It was a hassle to remove the over mitt whenever I needed get out my map or otherwise needed dexterity. I ordered the Pacerpoles with the neoprene overmitts and they arrived just in time for my second trip. Amazing! I wore only a thin liner glove and my hands inside of the overmitts were toasty warm. No more fussing with pulling off a mitt when I needed to adjust something. Wow!

    Now I suppose I could try to fashion something like this neoprene overmitt for my Leki poles. But the pistol grip handles on the Pacerpoles really do make a difference to my posture and gait. I’m still in the process of learning how to get the most out of the pole design. My posture while hiking has definitely improved, and I notice that my stride and posture are improved even when walking without the poles. I will be interested to see if my ITB flareups are less frequent. I’ll check back in after the summer hiking / backpacking season.

    • Very gratified to hear this. My only advice is to make sure the pole length is such that your elbows bend at 90 degree angles and that you’re placing the pole tips slightly behind your feet when walking.

    • I also have Reynaud’s Syndrome and the Pacerpole neoprene pogies are wonderful. I went on an overnight trip with daytime temps that dropped to the the mid 20s F and didn’t even need my gloves during the day. I didn’t get the cold, pasty white, painful fingertips I usually get in that kind of weather.

  11. Phillip, based on your glowing reviews of Pacerpoles, I ordered an alloy twist-lock set. The twist locks are working fine for me and I have less problem with them collapsing when I lean on them than I do with my Black Diamond lever lock poles. Would you please explain what your maintenance procedure was for your twist lock Pacerpoles so I will know how to care for these in the future? Thanks in advance.

    • I’ve switched to the dual lock CF poles. But heather has videos at the pacerpole site on how to maintain the twist lock variety. While you can follow her instructions, I found replacing the bottom section once a year solved a lot of headaches.

  12. Now if only they came with a cork handle instead of the sweat-inducing plastic …

    • You don’t grip them that hard. I can’t remember ever sweating through my hands using them and I’ve been using them for 6 years.

      • I’ve used them 5 or 6 years and have not had any issues with sweat… and I live in Texas. I do my Texas backpacking in the winter and spring and have had my fair share of sweaty hikes but it’s not been an issue with the grips.

    • I’ve been using Pacer Poles for about 6 yrs now and very rarely use anything else. My hands tend to sweat too which makes holding the plastic grips frustrating. I pair of hiking gloves (I use OR) , full-finger in winter and half-finger the rest of the year fix the problem.
      For keeping your hands dry in the rain or a little warmer in cooler weather Yama Mountain Gear makes inexpensive rain pougies that work very well with this type of hand grip.
      You can use these with any tent that requires poles to set up, however they aren’t long enough for some tents (i.e. Zpacks Altaplex). Zpacks sells a CF pole jack (1.2 oz) that will take care of that problem if you have a taller tent.

  13. Wow! There is a lot of praise for these trekking poles. These seem to be perfect and I’m in the market. But, I’m also in the market for an ultra-light tent and have determined that the Gossamer Gear The One is the perfect tent for me. Could the perfect tent and perfect poles be incompatible?

  14. Philip, can you comment on sizing of Pacerpoles? Is the 132 cm extension on the carbon fiber poles is sufficient for you to maneuver steeper descents. I am 5’6″, 115 pounds without pack. I am undecided on the 140 cm alloy (what I use in other poles; sturdier) vs the 132 cm carbon fiber (lighter weight, better monopod use b/c CF absorbs vibrations better than Al) poles. Thanks!

  15. Thanks!
    I have the feeling that I will like this style pole, because I tend to hold my conventional style poles by the top with my palms pushing on the rounded tops of the handles, at least when needing power uphill.

  16. I ordered 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.

    • I suspect that the pieces probably got stuck together because he didn’t clean and dry them after use. They do warn you about that in the instructions. Personally, I never collapse or hardy ever collapse my poles and it’s not a problem. I do break a few lower segments a year, mainly because i fall on them, but any pole will break from that. I just purchase replacements for the lower sections. I’m still using these poles after 10 years and plan on using them forever. There is a warranty by the way, but it’s not unlimited.

  17. Any news on when Pacerpoles will be back in stock? The website says they are out of stock due to supply issues.

  18. Decathlon sells an excellent ergonomic hiking pole with a similar handles
    FORCLAZ hiking pole – mt100 ergonomic
    They are very inexpensive and very comfortable with a similar forward grip
    I use them all the time
    Unfortunately they are too short for use with tents 90/95/100/105/110 cm

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