Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I searched for a 3K carbon hiking pole and did quite a bit of comparison before making my decision. I decided on the Peak Walk 3K and the Cascade Mountain 3K. What I was searching for was a very lightweight 3K carbon fiber hiking pole without the expensive price tag and very resilient. Before deciding on these two hiking poles I looked at the higher end models down to the mid range models, and set up a spreadsheet to compare just about everything I could think of. (I geek out over the details!) For me these two poles fit the bill of what I was looking for in terms of specs. These two poles are very, very close to one another with a few exceptions and I’ll break them down and include some pics (Peak Walk on the right and Cascade Mountain on the left.) Weight: (CM lists 7.8oz per pole which is inaccurate along with a few other specs.) PW - 7.51oz per pole, CM - 8.32oz/pp (.81oz diff. Per pole/1.62oz per pair for you ounce counters.) Thickness: PW - 9/16”, CM - 5/8”. (The Cascade Mtn. is noticeable thicker which I like.) Storage Bags: PW is waterproof but the CM is better in all aspects. It’s made of ripstop, better webbing strap, better buckle, better draw string, better cord cinch and a separate zippered pouch for storing the extra feet. I won’t be using the bag, but it’s a really nice one. The attachments for the CM are heavier duty than PW, but I won’t use those either. The tips on the poles appear the be the same. Handle - the handle on the PW are a very comfortable EVA foam type handle. The CM is cork, but not as comfortable to me. It’s pretty firm. Handle Strap - the PW is a very comfortable strap and padded where it makes contact with your hand. The CM has a soft material like the soft side of Velcro sewn on the strap where it makes hand contact. Quick Locks - the PW has aluminum metal flip locks which I really like, because you don’t won’t to lose a lock on an outing of any real distance. The CM on the other hand has lightweight plastic flip locks. Sheen/Finish - the PW has a nice matte grey finish, where the CM has a gloss finish that looks almost 3D with the carbon fiber. It’s pretty cool. There is also a metallic Silver reflective tape on each pole. Collapsed Length - CM is 26.25” and PW is 24.75” long. Both have a 1 year warranty. My final note is that the PW has a very comfortable grip, but has a bouncy-shuttering effect and feel when it’s planted firmly in the ground where the CM has a solid and sure footed feel in the hand. What it boils down to is metal flip locks or a better performing 3k pole. This may be information overload for most, but there may be some researchers out there that I hope this helps out. You wouldn’t know this information otherwise unless you order both like I did. All in all, they’re both really nice poles. It’ll come down to what categories are the most important to you, but I personally think I’m leaning towards the response and performance of the CM.