When hiking, you’ll probably need to adjust the length of your telescopic or folding poles at some point. Let’s look at how to adjust your hiking poles quickly and effectively.
For better performance, comfort and safety, adjust your pole length to suit the climbs, descents and terrain along your route. You’ll likely need to lengthen both poles on descents, shorten them on climbs, or adjust just one when crossing a slope. That’s why, when hiking, it’s important to have adjustable multi-section poles, whether they’re telescopic or folding.
Hiking poles have different locking systems, either twist-lock or clip-lock. Let’s look at how to adjust each type.
- Twist-lock system: this is the most common and affordable system, but it’s also the oldest and has a few drawbacks. It’s important to take care when using it.
To adjust the length of your poles, simply loosen the screws, slide the sections until you reach the desired length, then tighten the screws at the right setting.
Be careful: poles can sometimes loosen on their own while you’re walking. This can catch you off guard and may even be dangerous, so make sure the twist locks are tight enough. But don’t overtighten them: they’ll be difficult to loosen, costing you time and patience. Aim for a firm, manageable fit.
- Clip-lock system: this is the best option for telescopic poles and is also commonly found on adjustable folding poles.
To adjust the pole length, open the lever and slide the sections to the desired length. Then close the lever at the right setting. This system is more modern, stronger, more reliable and quicker than a twist-lock system. A screw usually lets you adjust how tightly the lever clamps the pole.
Bear in mind that not all folding poles are adjustable. If you plan to use them for hiking, we strongly recommend choosing poles with adjustable length.
