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J. Hallsworth; UK: Having been a daily user of conventional poles for some time - I am fairly well placed to make a comparison. This will be my fourth (and final) set of poles and really there is no comparison. The wonderful hand grip makes complete sense, really simple, yet so sophisticated, making the traditional poles seem clumsy and complicated. Keeping the upper arm in place came quite naturally and I’m pleased to say that getting used to the new technique has not been any sort of problem.
G. Ison; UK: I am not really a “review” type of person but on this occasion I have decided to comment. I have just returned from a camping trip to the lakes (UK) with my brother and a friend. Packing light is not so easy in the winter and hence we all had 18kg+ rucksacks with us. Just before the trip I decided to get myself some poles. I had been toying with the idea in the last couple of years as my knees hurt on descents. I spoke to Heather (on the phone before the trip) and decided to give Pacer Poles a try. I was also considering some of the higher end Leki offerings. The poles arrived the day after ordering and I have to say that one of my initial concerns about their weight was unfounded. Once in the hand they are barely noticeable (for reference I bought the carbon’s). I set the poles up according to the instructions and also watched the various video’s on the site. The poles spent 6 days/nights of hard walking in appalling conditions and I am a total convert (which surprised me a little). The poles provided benefits on all types of terrain, flat, up and down (but especially the down – my knees didn’t really hurt for the 6 days, maybe a slight twinge on the downs but nothing compared to walking without poles). Now this is no miracle, its just science. Instead of my legs/knees taking a complete battering with every step some of the load was transferred to the poles and my arms. The benefits going uphill were also obvious and the additional stability provided by the poles on some of the very step sections was also great. My friend was walking with some fixed length Elan poles. I tried them (whilst he tried the Pacer’s) but was very keen to swap back. The handle on the Pacers is the part that makes the difference (and of course the part that is so different to other manufacturers). It is simply fantastic to hold and you can feel the propulsion provided with each step. I wore thin liner gloves and mitts and dexterity on the pole was fine. I also tried thicker mountain gloves which were ok but if you have a particularly bulky pair of gloves holding the handle may be a slight issue. Remember that you are only lightly holding the handle not griping the life out of it and hence good blood flow to the hands seems to help keep them warm. There is a technique to be learnt with these poles which is different to the technique I see many pole users adopting. It took me the first day to get this sorted. By day two they were like an extension to my arm. Don’t worry about stowed length they won’t be on your rucksack. All in all I can not fault them. Now I can hear some of you saying I must have rose tinted specs on, I haven’t. I am fully aware that some of the benefits described would have been gained from my second choice of Leki poles. However, I think that it is the handle and technique used with these poles that set them apart from everything else. As always you pay your money and take your chance but if you are looking for poles I would strongly recommend that you consider these.
J. Tonkovich; USA: I borrowed a pair of Pacerpoles while snowshoeing in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle. Even though I own 2 pairs of graphite poles, I felt the difference with your poles was significant enough to buy a pair. Thanks
J. Barber; UK: Since using the poles I am finding a huge difference, am now at the front when I was at the back; everyone should have these poles!
Greg Mendoza; USA: Pacerpoles have kept me on the trails and have been a big factor in helping me to lose almost 200 lbs. After 2 plus years and close to 2000 miles in the Mojave Desert my Pacerpoles look a bit battered and scarred but are still going strong. For my money there simply isn't a better trekking pole. Your products and service are simply the best. Thank you.
Gene Jarstad; USA: "I have used “regular hiking” poles for many years to reduce wear and tear on my knees and to increase the strength of my shoulder and upper body. Generally, I have been pretty happy with “regular poles.” However, once in a while my wrists would get a little sore from the straps or from the pressure on the wrists because of the angle of the poles vs. my hands. I got to try a friend's Pacerpoles one day and they felt great and just made sense. My wrists and hands are in a very natural position to push on the poles. There is no tweaking of the wrists. After a day of hiking with the Pacerpoles, I have no wrist, finger, or arm pain of any kind.
It seems that, as we grow older, it just makes sense to use more ergonomically designed exercise gear to prevent injury and aches and pains. Pacerpoles do just that. I love them!
The best in hiking!"
O.Bartrum; UK: Pacerpoles have accompanied me on the last 100 or so Munros I have climbed (as well as trips to Nepal and the Alps) so I feel very attached to them. I have just 8 Munros left which I hope might complete this year, it's not so easy when you live in Hampshire!
W.Hare; NZ: South Island - trekking south/north: email to say how well they have stood the test of 830km to date on the trail. Despite a couple of hundred kms of road walking the tips are basically unworn. And a lot of rock rumbling in rivers & on ridge/mountain tops have left them battered but unbroken. Have saved me from quite a few crashes too as well as keeping me upright & breathing deeply! Position of the hand grips is sooooooooo comfortable (caused a number of folk I encountered to want to have a look & feel!) & the poles are delightfully light. No snow encountered (have stopped for winter)but will go back next summer to work on the 670km left on the south island. Even now I still have to remind myself to walk tall sometimes - particularly when I am tired or my feet hurt - but I can immediately feel the difference when I do. Thankyou - awesome poles
M. Lemon; UK: It is about 15 years ago on the Scottish mountains that I realised that my sense of balance was not so good and I started to use trekking poles. However I did not find them particularly comfortable to use and was worried by the need to use the wrist straps to get the full benefit. A few years ago I had major surgery and was determined to get fit again. I am 78 years old so am not trying to break any records or get into Nordic Walking. So what of Pacer poles. Firstly they are supportive and comfortable to hold which encourages me to use them all the time. They give me confidence when conditions are slippery. On good surfaces I find I get into a good rhythm and inevitably walk at a faster pace. Due to failing eyesight the poles are necessary to judge the ground levels particularly going downhill. I would not be without them and would not have achieved my present level of fitness without them. So, I would like to thank you for such a successful and valuable product.
Dr B. Vivian; UK: I was given a pair of Pacer Poles for Christmas and have used them on every walk in the hills (Cairngorms, Malvern Hills end to end twice, Peak District, Lake District and Brecon Beacons) since then. I find that I got used to them very quickly and have found them absolutely fantastic. Easy and comfortable to hold and manipulate the poles while walking. I had a bad motorbike accident more than 20 years ago and my left leg has 6" of titanium plate still in there gets sore and tired after long days out. With the poles, I can walk 7-8 hours, with an overnight backpack, comfortably and at the end my leg is not tired. I have not had any soreness in the hand, either from gripping the poles or in the wrist as the ergonomic position is simply perfect. The extra poise and balance that the poles give me really does help to reduce both impact and rotation on the ankle and lower leg, also hip soreness at the end of the day seems to be a thing of the past due to much better overall posture (oh yes my left leg is 1/2" shorter than my right).
I have started walking a lot more as a result, enjoying the movement and the lack of soreness at the end of the day. Once set up the poles are really solid and I have had no problems with 'pole-collapse' which I have had with other brands. I would recommend the Pacer Poles, without any reservation and hope that they last a very long time. What I have noticed is that as I start walking I'm automatically using them - even on the road straight from the car and before the hill starts - and I also notice the number of people that carry their ordinary poles in their sack. I wouldn't dream of carrying these poles when using them is such a joy. Thanks
W. Parker; UK - I find your web site one of the most interesting and informative I've come across and I've learned an awful lot from it. I have been using my poles mostly for urban walking and on the beach, and am finding them very easy to use. I seem to have adapted to them very quickly and am enjoying them very much.
Lorraine McCall; mountain/wilderness guide UK - I have been running about recently - in the last couple of months my wee pacerpoles have taken me to the high atlas, kilimanjaro, china and nepal............
A. Hunt; UK - Just back from snow-shoeing in Sud Tirol, where the poles performed superbly. The rest of the group were all using conventional poles with straps, and it was immediately clear that the Pacerpoles could be placed more accurately and consistently than the others. This was confirmed by swapping poles. I was also able to exert more force on the climbs and descents, in particular in circumstances where for safety reasons the others were advised to take their hands out of the straps.
It took a while to decide how much to extend the poles to compensate for their sinking into softer, powder snow, but at least I was able to do this, unlike those fellow walkers with fixed length poles. Once I had a rule of thumb worked out, I could quickly adapt to changing snow conditions. Again, the larger, optional snow baskets that I'd switched to at the beginning of the holiday were the envy of those using normal poles.
John Macpherson; UK, North Pole Race - "I can say unreservedly that the Pacer Poles we used for the 2009 North Pole Race (450 Nautical miles) across the Ice were the single best piece of kit we took with us. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
On a more practical note we experienced some of the terrible ice conditions in the arctic and despite personally breaking all my ski bindings (plus replacements) and both skis (no replacements were possible) the pacer poles not only never let us down but were bought home rather ceremoniously."
L. Joyce; Seattle, USA - "Snowshoe season is again with us - it's the best part of 6 months in these parts ( November and into May - if you can get down to Rainier for that last month). I can't tell you how much I rely on my Pacerpoles to get me through. We can easily have a 10 foot base of snow, so you never really know how deep your poles are going to sink into the snow, even with snow baskets. The extra control I get from the ergonomic handles has kept me from plunging headlong numerous times. And because the snow height tends to be well above the brush level we do tend to adopt a more direct route, up and especially down, rather than taking the more gentle switchbacks of the summer route. Faceplants are much more likely if you don't have the right poles! And, of course, those strenuous climbs are where the added vertical thrust is truly appreciated - weight off those quads which are burning badly enough at 6000 ft elevation or above, where the oxygen supply is 20% lower. A further, not inconsiderable, bonus - free hands. You can wiggle your hands and restore warmth to cold fingers after lunch much more easily if you don't have straps reducing the blood flow."
John Dunn; www.arcticlight.com Expedition to Ellesmere Island Canada - "Try as we might for 750 km and during 50 days of use on Ellesmere Island we could not break our Pacerpoles! They were absolutely essential to the success of the trip and I have no idea why anyone would use any other pole. Best summed up by Clive who, when faced with another dodgy river crossing, said "if anything happens, don't worry about me but be sure to rescue my poles!"
Lars Nielsen; Denmark - "I have used a couple of days to try-out different shaft lengths and personalizing the shaft lengths (quite surprised on how big a difference 1 or 2 cm´s is doing). I tried using my standard trekking poles in the Pacerpole way, and I found that the handles wasn´t up to the job, but also that there was a potential in using poles in that way. The Pacerpole handle really makes it much more natural. On my training walks with the Aarnpack and the PP, the statistics of the GPS tells me, that I walk about 1 km faster than I use to do with my old backpack and poles. I also get much less tired, and walk longer before I take a break, although I have a lot of short breaks to watch or to take photos of the nature or birds/animals, which I didn´t as often before. In that way I get a lot more from my walks/trekking. I really am looking forward to a 3 day trekking in Sweden in November, and experience the benefits of using the poles all of the way, but the winter over, will only be shorter training walks. When carrying poles along on a trek, it will be a big difference that they are not dead weight most of the way!"
Graham Hopkins; USA - “I through-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail with a pair of Pacerpoles from Canada to Mexico, a distance of about 2658 miles. I loved the poles. They gave great power on the up-hill climbs, and good control on the descent, the largest of which was 7,000ft. I truly have to commend you for a great creation.”
Geoff Cohen; Mountaineer - ”I returned from Corsica at the end of May. We did nearly all the GR20, missing out the first and last two stages as we were short of time. There was quite a lot of snow in the northern section. The Pacerpoles were excellent, and I certainly convinced my companion, Gordon MacNair of their advantages. I was also able to show them off to various Belgians and Germans we met en route. Then when I went up Mt Rotondo on my own - it was in pretty wintry condition and I had neither axe nor crampons, so the Pacerpoles were invaluable for safety."
"One day (in September) we went up to a hut - not with very heavy sacs but with big mountaineering boots. I was using my old poles while my friend had the Pacerpoles. I was very struck by the difference: the conventional poles seemed really awkward after having used Pacerpoles."
Jayne Eaden; Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail - "You may remember that I ordered a pair of poles as I had borrowed a friend's prior to doing the Inca Trail. Here are both of us, complete with poles, at our destination! It is a tough walk made immensely easier with the poles. Neither of us suffered any aches and pains in our knees even after thousands of Inca steps!"
Eric Jones; Climber, Basejumper - "Just returned from a three week walking trip in Colorado and Alaska, five months after a complete knee replacement. The Pacerpoles were brilliant, once I got used to them I found that all the advantages you claim over ordinary poles were true. Many thanks, my old poles will be in the Boot Sale next week!!"
Update: ..."It's now nine months since my knee replacement, I was climbing after six months and two weeks ago skiing in Switzerland. This progress has been achieved in a large part by the use of the Pacerpoles. They gave me so much help to regain the confidence in getting my knee working again. Again many thanks."
Katherine Vanyai; Australia - "I just wanted to let you know that I was incredibly impressed by how my new pacerpoles performed on a three week trek in the Dolpo region of Nepal. They made all the difference getting over 5000m plus passes and I never had a moment of hand or wrist soreness unlike with other poles I've used. Even without doing much practice at home it only took two days on the trail before using the poles felt completely natural. They stood up to 22 continuous days of use with just a few scratches and barely needed tightening at all."
Sue Page; Australia - "I bought my pacerpoles twelve months ago when desperate to do a multi day hike inspite of a knee injury and they instantly became my new best friends. Now, at the end of the day, not only are my knees happy but I have the added bonus of energy in reserve. I only wish I had discovered them sooner!".
Mark Inglis; NZ, Everest 2006 - “I could get significantly more power out of them ... (and on) very tough days, they certainly meant that even when very tired and fatigued you could use them with accuracy and confidence. The Pacerpoles really are like going from an old hard tail mountain bike to one of the new full suspension XC bikes, light, plush and you are able to keep your power to the ground while staying fresher.”
Shane Anders; Australia - "I am contacting you to let you know how incredibly happy I am with the pacerpoles. I have had them about 2 months now, and for the first few weeks used them on relatively flat to undulating walks. I noticed a drastic improvement in posture, stride mechanics, and speed and power. This was most noticeable on the slopes, although they weren\'t very steep. I also noticed a big reduction in soreness in my legs after longer walks. The other thing I noticed, and my physio partner pointed this out to me in more detail, was how I was engaging my core muscles in the walking action, which I think would have been almost non-existant before. I have noticed after 2 months a very significant increase in core strength, which I attribute to using the poles.
The real surprise however,came 2 weeks ago when I finally got to test the poles out on the climb up Mt. Warning. This is a fairly consistent climb of around 800 metres with a very steep section at the top. I had a fairly heavy pack, and I soon noticed how easy the climb was on my legs. The descent however was sensational, I cannot believe how stable it was with the poles. I went down the entire descent without one mis-step, and fast, and with much less pounding on the joints and muscles."
Karl and Linda Hegenbarth; UK - "Just to let you know we have received our second order, we have used our poles on different walks and have found them invaluable. With arthritic hands they have made walking so more enjoyable. We saw your review in the BBC Country File Magazine and are so glad we did."
Sybil; France - "My story may be common-place, if not you may wish to know it. I am 84 and 5 years ago had a hip replacement. My daughter bought me the poles to help me walk again. I do a half to one hour walk daily here. My brother and his wife visited me for 2 weeks. We walked around the Lieux falaise in hot sunshine. It took us four and a half hours and involved walking over some very rough rocks. We also did walks in the Gorges of Opidette and St Pierre. I had thought I would never again do these walks, but did so with confidence thanks to your Pacerpoles.
Stuart Skinner; UK - "I have just returned from the US having successfully hiked the Appalachian Trail. I have nothing but great things to say about my pacerpoles. They were the envy of many hikers and the subject of great interest. Everyone seemed to want to pick them up and try them out! They allowed for a much more natural movement than the traditional style of poles that I have previously used. I was proud to use such a great, innovative British product and am indebted for their assistance on my 2,179 mile hike."
Don Roscoe; Outdoor Educationalist and Author - Continued use of the poles has only served to convince me that Pacerpole is a significant step forward in trekking pole design.
Pamela Browne; UK - "As an experienced Pacerpoler, and volunteer walk leader for the Walking4Health (Natural England) scheme, I have to say that I have encouraged all of my 'walkers' to try Pacerpoles and those who have - which I guess is 90%, have now bought their own, several have put them on their Christmas wish list, and even the most sceptical are now realizing the very real benefits to be gained from using these truly revolutionary poles. To sum up in a few words I would say BUY THE BEST, FORGET THE REST!!"
Fergal MacErlean; Outdoor journalist - "I've found the pole handle design is a huge improvement on anything else on the market. I've fairly big hands and found no problem with the shape. On uphills I liked the way they forced me to adapt an upright posture which I know in my heart of hearts is the way I should be walking, especially with a pack. On downhills on very steep terrain I felt confident in using the poles. More so than with any other poles I've used and especially when turning as they provide a very stable base. On the flat I quickly adapted to pushing on the poles to maximise my energy and enjoyed the resulting powerful gait. I found on trails these poles really work to maximise the body's efforts and can actually help to turn the weight of a pack into an advantage as you power forward."
Nigel Wragg; UK - "We’ve now done a couple more walks including some good up and down sections. Uphill we definitely have more power and the action is easy to maintain. Previously I’d tried a similar action with standard poles but the handle made it awkward and therefore not sustainable. Downhill is more stable. With a standard pole I swing the whole arm to reposition the pole and then it can require a lot of effort to maintain stability. The flick forwards of the PacerPole with a still upper arm is very easy and then the stability through the cocked wrist is excellent."
Stephen Goodwin; Author and Outdoor writer - "The pacers have continued to roam the world with me - back to Nepal, Austria, Scotland etc in the last six months, and plenty of Lakeland. The poles are looking wonderfully battle-hardened now."
Ray Goldring; Mountain Safety Organisation, New Zealand - I did a comparison with my standard ski pole type and there were some really advantageous differences. The ski grips are cumbersome and far less precise and a lot less comfortable. The controlled forward motion of the Pacerpole was very natural and the tip could be accurately placed, whereas the ski pole type had to be swung forward and as such the target spot for the tip was often missed.
Colin Mortlock; Outdoor Educationalist and Author - Pacerpoles can provide maximum efficiency uphill and considerable security on descent. Mine are like old friends and go with me whenever I am on the hill.
Sir Chris Bonington; Mountaineer - Pacerpoles are excellent and I will certainly be using them as my poles in the future.
Dave Kay T.D., F.R.G.S., International Mountain Leader - " I used the poles during a 14 day walking trip to Slovenia in July/August 2005. Initially I thought that I would probably just use them for a couple of days and then revert to my old 'ski style' poles for the longer, harder walks. However, I found the advantages of using the Pacer Poles was such that I continued to use them throughout the trip.
I found them a terrific advantage on steep gradients both up and down. As well as the obvious benefits in terms of reduced strain on the wrists due to the unique moulded handle, the way that the poles fitted into the heel of the hand provided much increased stability and thrust without tiring the arms and shoulders. On steep downhill sections the ability to 'lean' on the poles, massively reduced pressure on the knees and increased both the speed and comfort of the descent as well as contributing to safety by reducing the possibility of a slip or trip.
I will be recommending them to my clients."
Geoff Gadsby; Backpackers Club member - ”my new Pacerpoles are excellent - I'm hooked, even after just a couple of outings. On the Howgills weekend we were camping at Ravenstonedale on the Fri, and on Sat had a good undulating route 'across the grain' of the north ridges and valleys to Tebay and across the M6 to camp in the Whinsfell area. My companions commented that I was leading a cracking pace on the ascents - unusual for me as I'm usually trailing at the rear! On Sunday, an easier return along the Coast-to-coast route.”
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