Black Diamond Women’s Distance Carbon FLZ Poles – Test and Review
"I found the poles to be incredibly light weight, like a comfortable extension of my arm"
I couldn’t wait to get going with the new Distance Carbon FLZ Poles, Black Diamond’s premium trekking poles. First, I had to set the poles to the height I required. The packaging they come in provides a guide on the back in relation to your height as to where the poles should be locked into place. I found finding the height I required to be a simple and straight-forward process. The poles have various height markers along them where you can then lock the pole into place at the desired height with the FlickLock Pro technology.
I took the poles out on their first run along a rather muddy route and found that when they got stuck in the mud, the poles would pull apart leaving the bottom section dangling and needing putting back into place. It turned out to be quite irritating throughout my run, although this turned out to be a user error rather than a product error, having not read the instructions for the poles before using them meant I had not assembled them correctly!
They were now locked into place when assembled and had no movement between the 3 sections at any point on my run. I found the poles to be incredibly lightweight, like a comfortable extension of my arm. They powered me on the uphills and secured me on the downhills. In the sections they were not required they were light enough to carry assembled without the need to pack them away. When they did need to be folded away they were disassembled in seconds. For me reassembling took a little longer.
The pole handle is comfortable to grip and quick drying in wet weather conditions, and the secure wrist strap made of recycled material is soft on the wrist and fully adjustable with a little storage pouch to store excess ends.
The joint support between the three sections appears strong and durable, with the ability to adjust the tension throughout the poles keeping them secure. The poles I tested were a turquoise and black colour – a great colour combo making them aesthetically pleasing to look at and they also look great in photos!
The tips are interchangeable with options of either carbide or rubber tips, both included with the poles. They are easy to change over with a good pair of pliers.
The assembly and disassembly of the poles certainly took some practice for me and with a price tag of £180 I’d say they were on the pricier side when it comes to poles, but it is 100% worth it if you’re after ultralight weight poles to add to your kit.
Review by Laura Yates
Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ Poles – Women’s
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Black Diamond have kindly given us this short video on how to assemble and fold away the poles.
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