Cascade Mountain Tech Ultralight Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles Review
JUMP TO: SPECS | PROS & CONS | HOW IT PERFORMED | FEATURES | ACCESSORIES | SUMMARY
Author: Steve Edgerton | Updated: Dec 7, 2023
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The Cascade Mountain Tech Ultralight Carbon Fiber trekking poles occupy an exceptionally rare category of ultralight hiking gear: the cheap and ubiquitous big box store item that is adored by gear-obsessed experts.
You can find CMT trekking poles everywhere, from Bass Pro to Costco: not the typical haunts of ultralight aficionados, to say the least. They are a fraction of the price of specialty carbon fiber trekking poles. Unsurprisingly, this comes with some sacrifices in build quality and performance, but probably not as much as you’d expect. From casual explorers to career thru-hikers, CMT trekking poles provide unbeatable value at an entry-level price.
SPECS
MEASURED WEIGHT: 10.9 oz / 308 g
SHAFT MATERIAL: Carbon Fiber
HANDLE MATERIAL: EVA foam
POLE DESIGN: Telescoping shaft with lever locks
COLLAPSED LENGTH: 30 in / 76.2 cm
MAX LENGTH: 52 in / 132.1 cm
PROS
Unbeatable price point for a collapsible ultralight trekking pole
Compatible with any trekking pole shelter
Replacement parts are widely available
CONS
Prone to vibrations on hard surfaces
Large packed size
Lever and hand grip materials feel cheap
HOW IT PERFORMED
WEIGHT: Weighing 10.9 ounces per pair, the CMT Trekking Poles are among the lightest trekking poles available. They feel light and maneuverable in my hands, which is a real difference maker on long days spent picking through technical terrain and for extended uphill sections of trail.
COMFORT: The ultralight weight of the poles goes a long way in improving overall usability, but the realities of their budget-friendly price mean comfort suffers in other areas. The stiff EVA foam hand grips are textured, almost like a pumice stone. They soften a little with use, but some may find the grips too abrasive. The poles are also prone to vibrations on hard, rocky terrain, which can exacerbate hand fatigue.
Featherlight weights and extended grips add to the CMT trekking poles comfort and versatility, but not everyone will love the stiff and texture grip foam.
VERSATILITY: The telescoping poles extend to a maximum usable height of 130 cm. This adjustability and extended foam grips make the poles highly versatile — both grip style and pole length are easily changed to suit varying heights and terrain. You can adjust pole length quickly via the single lever lock for better performance while climbing and descending. The poles are also long enough to be compatible with any trekking pole shelter.
DURABILITY: Carbon fiber shafts are inevitably not as durable as heavier aluminum alternatives. The CMT shafts are prone to failing if unduly weighed or caught and bent at awkward angles, but they are sturdy overall, given their ultralight construction. The levers and fasteners are my biggest durability concern, as the materials feel cheap, and the fasteners can loosen over time.
However, these poles are popular among budget-conscious thru-hikers for a reason. Their durability is similar to carbon fiber trekking poles that are three or four times as expensive. Replacement shafts, tips, and levers are also cheap and reasonably easy to acquire. The cost-effective repair potential helps extend their overall lifespan.
The quick lever locks are effective, but feel somewhat flimsy and fragile. They are fortunately cheap and easy to replace.
PACKABILITY: The poles feature one lever connecting two shafts. Many folding and collapsible poles have two connection points and three shafts. The single lever design of the CMT poles saves weight and eliminates one potential failure point, but results in a large 30-inch collapsed length. The limited packability is not too much of a concern If you hike with poles in hand almost exclusively. But it is a significant downside for trail runners, fastpackers, and hikers who prefer to stow their poles away on less demanding terrain.
The large collapsed size is one area where the CMT poles simply don’t compete with pricier alternatives.
NOTABLE FEATURES
EXTENDED FOAM GRIPS: The EVA foam grip extends down the top part of the pole shaft to facilitate additional grip options, like choking up your hold on the poles for steep climbs.
QUICK LEVER LOCK: A quick flick is all that is needed to open the lever lock and adjust pole length on the go.
ADDITIONAL POLE BASKETS: The CMT poles come with mud baskets, large snow baskets, small rubber tips, and wide treaded rubber tips. The rubber tips can be installed over the tungsten carbide tips for better tread and to protect fragile alpine terrain.
The trekking poles come with multiple basket and tip options for varying terrain and trail conditions.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
FINGERLESS GLOVES: The stiff foam hand grips and pole vibration are probably the CMT pole’s most noteworthy weak points. But both can be mitigated by wearing fingerless biking or hiking gloves, essentially mimicking the system employed by Leki’s premium ultralight poles like the Ultratrail FX.One.
REPLACEMENT PARTS: Replacement shafts, levers, grips, and tips are all reasonably affordable and the poles are often stocked at mega retailers like Costco and Walmart. There is a reason why we named them as the best trekking pole for ultralight reliability: they are easy and affordable to repair (or even outright replace) and available in almost any town in America.
SUMMARY
The Cascade Mountain Tech Ultralight trekking poles may not have the build quality of other top ultralight poles, but they definitely punch above their weight.
While the construction and materials of components like hand grips, levers, and vibration-prone shafts perhaps leave something to be desired, the CMT poles provide excellent value: many carbon fiber trekking poles are quadruple the price to chase increasingly marginal improvements in comfort, performance, and packability.
These poles are a great reminder that price is not universally correlated to quality, and that ultralight does not have to be ultra-expensive. They are an affordable and effective option for new hikers and dedicated ultralighters alike.
DISCLOSURE
Cascade Mountain Tech provided me with a free sample for this review – but the views expressed here are all my own. The review might also contain affiliate links, which help us keep churning out more content.
MORE INFORMATION
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Happy hiking and take care out there in the wild!