Leki Skytera FX Carbon SL Compact Trekking Poles

Just as Nick Cave believes in an “interventionist God”, so do I subscribe to an interventionist approach to hiking (trekking poles, ibuprofen, processed cheese etc). I’m all for making life easier on the body. But I have history with trekking poles. And not in a good way. I’ve busted more than I care to remember. Durability is my primo concern (I hike rough tracks, not the Three Capes). Low weight is good, too.

Which gets us to the Storm Trooper aesthetic Leki Skytera FX Carbon SL Compact poles. After some local warm ups, I took them on a five-day Blue Mountains barge ‘n’ bash bushwalk.

In theory, the walk was on track. Thanks to the camouflage overgrowth, it felt more like off-track. I constantly stumbled due to holes and sticks and head-smacking branches. The Skyteras came out of the melee unphased and undamaged, however, and constantly helped me not go face first into the dirt/rock (ie they withstood sudden pressure-bouts of my body weight slamming into them).

With these being foldable poles—which makes them super packable—and with my history of breaking poles, I was a little concerned about ‘floppiness’. But any doubts about durability and reliability were allayed once deep in the jungle. The Skyteras’ single locking mechanism—where height is also adjusted—is robust and intuitive; once the initial single lock clicks in, the pole’s three sections are firmly secured. This is a plus; a single lock vs multiple locks minimises the likelihood of section ‘slippage’.

All the characteristics you expect of quality poles are there: contoured grips, adjustable wrist straps, easy-to-adjust length. The grips are extended, too, to assist with steep climbs. The Skyteras are comfortable and, at just 173g per pole, truly lightweight. They are carbon, after all. One thing to note is that due to their internal locking system, it’s important they are wiped down after use to remove grime.

They aren’t the cheapest poles on the market, but they are good value. And they’re packable, super lightweight and strong. I have no hesitation in recommending them.

If you liked this piece, you should subscribe to the print mag. Only a fraction of the great stories we run in the mag make it to our website; if you want to read them, head to subscribe.wild.com.au.