Adding Trekking Pole Loops

After endless trips trying to secure a trekking pole to various packs in such a way that it would be totally secure and not rattle around or get caught on things I finally gave up and modified the pack to carry a pole properly!

I should explain that I like to carry my pole with the point carried facing down. I find this is less likely to catch on things and protects the internals of the poles by allowing water to flow out of rather than into the poles.

On the Jam pack (left)I have sewn an 8cm loop of 15mm nylon tape onto the existing ice-axe loop. This provides a very secure fixture and does not damgae the pack in any way. The 8cm loop is good close fit but too tight if you habitually use the rubber foot that many Leki poles are provided with.

On the KIMMLite pack (right) i have sewn a 12cm loop of 20mm nylon webbing onto the base of the pack very close to the seam so that the loop is visible from the front. I did this instead of using the supplied cord-and-clamp method. The 12cm loop is big enough to carry the pole with the rubber foot in place.

In both cases the loop is too small for the basket to fit through.

Finally, depending on the pack I tend to use secure the top loop around a contoured part of the handle so that the pole cannot move.

By carrying the pole in this way I can be sure that if I can fit through a gap in rocks or in foliage that the pack and everything else will also fit. There is nothing more irrating to me than moving through a confined space and having pieces of gear catch on things. That is also why I tend to prefer tall narrow packs to short wide ones.