Trekology Trek-Z 2.0 Review

Foldable poles are taking over the trekking pole market, but they can be expensive. Trekology's Trek-Z is the first truly affordable pair that uses this design configuration. It scores well across almost all of our metrics (withstanding weight) and comes with powder and trail baskets, boots, and narrow tips.

Comfort

The Trek-Z features a soft foam grip that is lightly contoured and very comfortable to hold. The top of the grip handle is rounded and coated with rubber, making these poles easy to grasp in any configuration. The wrist strap is silky and soft, for added comfort when carrying heavy packs or hiking up steep hills. This pole ticks all of the boxes for a modern, comfortable pole.

The only downside to the comfort of these poles is their weight. It isn't a deal-breaker, but our experienced testers noticed the heavy weight after just hours on the trail, especially compared to other poles we were testing. These are both heavy to pick up and heavy to swing forward with each step. If stowed in a backpack, they add considerable heft to the user's load. Still, these are comfortable poles overall, thanks to their grip design.

Weight

This pair weighs 26.0 ounces — they're one of the heaviest pairs of poles that we've ever tested. This weight comes from the solid aluminum construction of the shaft sections, additional metal reinforcements at the shaft joints, and a vinyl protector for the inner tightening cord. These touches add to the product's durability, but also make it an unwieldy pole to use for more than a couple of hours.

At more than twice the weight of some lightweight poles on the market, the Trek-Z feels heavy to experienced users and isn't suitable for missions where light weight is important. We wouldn't carry these up and over an alpine climb, or take them on hiking missions where we were trying to move quickly. But to inexperienced users or those who spend all of their time on trail, the additional weight might not be noticeable.

Versatility

With a foldable design, small packed size, comfortable grip, and a plethora of tip and basket attachments, this pole is relatively versatile. However, if your goal is to go light and fast in the mountains over long distances, you'll likely be seeking a lighter-weight pole. Long-distance speed hikers and thru-hikers will also find this pole too heavy to be used for day after day.

The Trek-Z strikes an interesting balance between durability and versatility. Most foldable poles are designed for lightweight missions and versatility in mind. This pole retains the foldable design but sacrifices some versatility for extreme durability gains. Most users won't be affected by the pole's heavy weight, but users on the extreme sides of the spectrum, like day-mission alpinists and month-or-more thru-hikers, will certainly want a lighter pole. Because of their bargain price and compact shape, they are an excellent option for international travelers. Our lead female tester guided a family, consisting of a father, mother, and kids, who used and loved the Trek-Z for weeks while hiking in the Swiss Alps, appreciating their compact fit in a suitcase.

Locking and Adjustability

The Trekology Trek-Z extends easily and then locks into place with a satisfying click as the snap button pops out through the shaft sections. The aluminum lever lock is easy to adjust and manipulate, but the pole only affords 7 inches (17cm) of length adjustment, which is less than other products on the market. In general, however, we like the locking mechanisms on this pole.

Breaking down the pole is intuitive — simply push on the lock button firmly to release the shaft sections. The length adjustment lever is easily tightened by hand by spinning an aluminum dial.

As previously mentioned, the length of the Trek-Z can only be adjusted by 7 inches, which is low compared to other poles on the market, but still enough to cover most lengths that users want.

Packed Size

The Trek-Z packs down to 15 inches when folded and collapsed completely. This is about average for the foldable poles and much shorter than the packed size of all of the telescoping collapsible poles on the market. This makes it suitable for use when traveling, scrambling, mountaineering, or for winter snow travel.

We also like how the Trek-Z comes with a drawstring bag. This helps you keep the poles tidy and folded when packed, and prevents the sharp tips from damaging other items in your pack or from snagging and unfolding when you pull them out of a pack. The bag is also nice for keeping all of the included tip and basket attachments together.

Construction Quality

The Trek-Z stands out for durability. All shaft sections, reinforcements, and locking mechanisms are constructed with aluminum, which makes this pole bombproof. In our testing, we never detected any signs of weakness. We backpacked wearing heavy packs, crossed streams on slippery rocks, and used it to pitch lightweight tents, and this pole never gave us cause for concern.

The downside of the aluminum construction is a heavier weight compared to lighter materials like carbon. This pole takes durable construction to the extreme, and we aren't sure that the pole needs to be as robust as it is, except for use in rugged trekking to remote destinations. If you need a durable pole when venturing to parts of the world where a replacement pole will be hard to find, this pole is a great choice, as it will be hard to break.

Should You Buy the Trekology Trek-Z 2.0?

The Trek-Z 2.0 offers an incredible value, making it one of our top choices, especially for users on a budget. For a fraction of the price of the best poles on the market, you'll get a small packed size and enough comfort and adjustability for any hiking trip. Even our discerning testers don't mind the added weight for most uses. Mountain runners, alpine climbers, and lightweight through-hikers might want to spend more money for a lighter pole, but most other trail users will find exactly what they need in the affordable Trek-Z 2.0.

What Other Trekking Poles Should You Consider?

If you like the foldable design of the Trek-Z but want a better grip and lighter weight, the MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon is our top choice. Even lighter is the Black Diamond Distance Z, which doesn't have any length adjustment, but still boasts a comfortable grip and a reasonable price. The Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z is one of the lightest poles on the market, at a fraction of the weight of the Trek-Z 2.0, but it's a lot more expensive. If you're looking for a women's-specific foldable pole, the Leki Cressida FX Carbon is the best option, but it's also astronomically expensive. If you're looking for a similarly durable pole with more refinement, the Black Diamond Pursuit is a great choice.