The Most Sustainable Trekking Poles
Nothing beats an old tree branch, but here's the next best thing.
The Most Sustainable Trekking Poles
Table of contents
About one-third of the trekking poles we reviewed contain recycled materials. Of the five trekking poles that do, three incorporate them into the wrist straps, and two pairs of poles use some recycled material in the pole grip. Notably, three models that have recycled materials are made by Black Diamond: the Pursuit, Distance Z, and Distance Carbon Z. While recycled materials are becoming increasingly common in outdoor gear, trekking poles lag behind other categories due to minimal amounts of recycled content.
Offering replacement parts is an easy way for brands to help consumers extend the lifespan of their poles and reduce waste. For example, a pole’s sharp metal tips can be the first parts to wear out; if you can’t replace the nubs, an otherwise usable pole may be consigned to the landfill. Luckily, over two-thirds of the trekking poles we reviewed have an option for replacement parts. Some of those are just replaceable tips, while others include replacement joints or entire pole sections. Black Diamond stands out in this category thanks to its catalog listing every component of its 15 trekking poles. The catalog provides details on the various compatibilities of each part so that customers can order replacements as needed. Leki and Gossamer Gear are also top brands for pole replacement parts.
Keeping gear in use longer is one of the most effective ways to reduce its environmental impact, which is why we weigh longevity as 25% of a trekking pole’s overall sustainability score. Our longevity rating reflects our best estimate of how well a pole will hold up over time. Trekking poles with high longevity ratings are typically built with thick aluminum shafts, which are more likely to bend than snap (which carbon fiber poles are more likely to do). Telescoping designs typically last longer than folding models due to stronger structural integrity, and metal lever locks are more reliable over time than twist or plastic mechanisms. Additionally, screw-in tips are easier to replace than glued-in versions, making them more easily repairable. Finally, poles with built-in maintenance tools or field-adjustable components are easier to repair mid-trip and maintain for long-term use.
The Black Diamond Pursuit, REI Co-op Traverse, and Leki Makalu Cork Lite stand out as the most durable trekking poles we’ve reviewed, each earning top marks for longevity. The Pursuit features a thick aluminum shaft and thoughtful touches like a built-in hex tool for easy field repairability and easily replaceable screw-in tips (read the Pursuit sustainability report). The Traverse also has a 7075 aluminum shaft and durable metal lever locks. While the carbide tips can’t be easily replaced, you can buy aftermarket rubber caps to extend the life of your poles. The Cressida Cork impresses with its strong HTS 6.5 aluminum, telescoping build, and hand-adjustable lever locks—but it lacks screw-in tips. All three models are built to last many seasons on the trail.
Initially, we included sustainable grip material as a product-level category, but after some debate, we decided to exclude it from our ratings. We used sustainable grip material as a cover-all term for things like natural cork and algae-based foam. When it comes to grip material in trekking poles, the choice between cork or foam is often a matter of personal preference. Foam is lightweight, ideal for those looking to cut grams. Regarding sustainability, however, cork is generally the better option—natural cork is sustainably harvested from the bark of cork oak, one of the few trees that can regenerate its bark after it is removed. However, it doesn’t seem like there are currently any third-party certifications for cork, and we weren’t able to gather enough information about “natural cork” from the companies using it to qualify as a category. Of the 16 trekking poles we reviewed, just 3 incorporated a sustainable grip material: The Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork and the REI Co-op Traverse use natural cork in the grips, and the Black Diamond Pursuit incorporates an algae-infused sustainable foam grip extension.
We found that over three-quarters of the companies producing the trekking poles we reviewed use recycled or reduced packaging. This includes brand-wide use of recycled packaging as well as companies reducing the amount of packaging used to ship the trekking poles themselves. Of note, Black Diamond has reduced its trekking pole packaging by almost 50% compared to 2019. For more information on what specific brands are doing to reduce their packaging impact, take a look at our sustainability reports for each pole.
Black Diamond, REI, and MSR are the only three trekking pole manufacturers we have reviewed that track their greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact. Of those, REI leads the way with its comprehensive greenhouse gas tracking program, science-based emissions reduction targets, and progress reporting. REI is also Climate Neutral Certified by the Change Climate Project, meaning that in addition to making substantial reductions, it offsets its emissions by purchasing carbon credits. To learn more about REI’s emissions reduction progress, take a look at our REI Co-op Sustainability Spotlight. Many of the other poles in our review are made by small manufacturers that told us that they did not have the capacity to track their greenhouse gas emissions, which is typical for cottage industry brands.
An annual impact report is a sustainability criterion for all product categories because a well-documented and informative annual sustainability report provides a level of accountability for brands to decrease impact and show progress toward their goals. Just over a quarter of the brands we reviewed for trekking poles publish an annual impact report. REI, for example, has a comprehensive and detailed annual impact report that meets our criteria with flying colors. MSR produced an impact report in 2019 (though it has not published one since). In contrast, although Black Diamond tracks its greenhouse gas emissions, the company does not release an annual impact report and offers limited transparency about its sustainability initiatives.
Almost two-thirds of the brands manufacturing trekking poles meet our criteria for responsible manufacturing, though brands meet this criterion through a multitude of methods. REI is a Fair Trade USA-licensed brand that manufactures many products in Fair Trade Certified (FTC) factories. On the other hand, most Leki products are manufactured in a company-owned factory that is subject to strict fair labor and environmental regulations in the Czech Republic; the brand also has short, local supply chains to cut down on greenhouse emissions. Zpacks and MSR also meet this criteria—read more about their efforts on each trekking pole’s sustainability report.
REI stands out as a leader in sustainable trekking poles, with the company earning the highest average rating for its poles as a result of its impressive brand-level sustainability initiatives. It partners with Fair Trade USA, has significantly reduced its packaging, and provides detailed carbon footprint tracking data in its comprehensive annual impact report. Longevity scores for REI poles span a wide range, so check each pole’s sustainability report for more details if longevity is an important factor in your decision-making process. Zpacks, Gossamer Gear, and Black Diamond follow REI (in that order) for average sustainability scores, with each brand excelling in different initiatives. Note that we only review one pole each from Zpacks and Gossamer Gear, so the average score reflects that pole's score. In contrast, we review four poles from REI and five from Black Diamond.
For those of you seeking a single superlative option, REI Co-op’s Traverse stands out as the most sustainable trekking pole overall, even though it doesn’t incorporate recycled materials, and REI does not offer replacement parts beyond extra pole baskets. That said, REI’s impressive brand-level sustainability efforts earn it high marks in every other criterion, and the Traverse’s standout longevity rating leaves the pole with a strong sustainability score. If you prefer a pole with more product-level sustainability features, check out the Black Diamond Pursuit, Distance Z, or Distanze Carbon Z, all of which incorporate recycled materials and extensive offerings for replacement parts.
Looking ahead, we can expect to see more recycled materials incorporated into trekking poles. As technology and product design continue to improve, this is a straightforward way to improve sustainability in this category. We also expect to see an increase in bio-based materials, likely in pole grips, as this is a technology that brands are starting to employ across several gear categories. Finally, brands will likely continue reducing the amount of packaging used to ship and sell trekking poles.
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