Komperdell C3 Carbon Power Lock Poles Review by YMMV Reviews

Komperdell C3 Carbon Power Lock Poles

Manufacturer Description

100% Carbon especially designed for Trekking, extra light for perfect swing dynamics.

Features

• Sizes
  • Packed size – 69 cm (27.2 in)
  • Maximum length – 145 cm (57.1 in)
  • EVA foam grip

•  KOMPERDELL Trekking strap
• G´Reptile grip zone
• 3-sections
• upper section – 100% carbon, 16 mm diameter (0.63 in)
• middle section – 100 % carbon, 14 mm diameter (0.55 in)
• lower section – TITANAL.HF, 12 mm diameter (0.47 in)
• POWER LOCK II system
•  Vario summer basket
• Tungsten/carbide flex tip
• Measured weight – 242 g per pole (8.5 oz)
• Retail – $200 per set

YMMV Review

In writing my knowledge base article on Trekking Poles, I wanted to review a couple of poles with lever locking instead of the twisting lock that my current poles have. I actually have used trekking poles for some time but mine were a basic model that was no comparison to the ones Komperdell let me review. If you would like to read more on Trekking Poles in general, click through to the knowledge base article below.

Design 

The C3 Carbon Power Lock Trekking Poles are a lightweight 3-section trekking pole. The poles are able to be packed down to 69 cm (27.2 in) in length when not in use and can be extended up to 145 cm (57.1 in) long when in use. The top two sections of the pole are made of 100% carbon. Carbon is extremely light and strong material. It also has shock dampening characteristics, which help dampen the vibrations up the shaft. The lower sections of the poles are made of Titanal.hf alloy. Titanal.hf is also used in space industry – especially for parts exposed to excessive use. Titanal.hf most important property is that it has a high density at comparably low weight. Titanal.hf is an aluminum alloy. Its mechanical density is comparable to steel, but its weight is only one-third of steel.

G'Reptile Extended Grip

The grips on the C3 Carbon poles are made of EVA foam. The grip section is this material while the top is made of a hard plastic. The strap is adjustable to your hand and wrist size. It is made of webbing with a softer texture on the inside. Below the main grip, the pole is wrapped in G’Reptile material. This grip zone is a special coating for extra firm hold even when wet. This lower grip zone is great for times when you need to use both hands on one pole or grip down the shaft. Overall, the materials and features of these poles were developed to create light weight poles with excellent swing dynamics. Komperdell does make a women’s model of these poles with a shorter length, smaller grip, and feminine color scheme.

Performance 

These are the best trekking poles I have ever used. The C3 Carbon Poles hardly weigh a thing making them easy to swing and not adding any extra effort to use. The poles adjust really easily. After having other trekking poles with the twist locking mechanism, I am so happy to test out a pair with a lever lock. Not only are they easy to lock, but they are also easy to unlock. With twist lock poles, it has always been relatively simple to lock them, but many times it is darned near impossible to get them unlocked. I ended up getting marks on my palms from gripping and twisting so hard. I like the power locks. The poles are 2/3 carbon fiber, and it seemed that the carbon dampens the vibration from rocks and the ground when putting the poles in the ground.

Main Grip and Strap

The strap is comfortable around the wrist. I did have trouble with one of the straps not adjusting easily. I always seemed to want to go back to the same spot. After some working with it, I got it where I wanted. The grip is nice and comfortable in the hand. I also tested the Contour Titanal poles and did actually like the grip on those poles a bit more. This grip was nice but I just liked the other slightly more. The G’Reptile below the main grip is very easy to hold onto. The material used for this extended grip does not slip, ever. The poles come with the vario summer basket. This is a good size for most applications except for snow. The vario system makes it really easy to adjust baskets if needed. The other baskets can be purchased separately. Melissa also tested these poles out and was an instant fan. Not only did they give her more balance on confidence on the trail. She also felt like they were very light and liked the grip as well. She did not feel like the grip was too big for her, but I must add that she does not have much experience with trekking poles. After testing these, she definitely wants a pair for our adventures from this day forwards.

Power Lock Mechanism

Overall 

These are some nice trekking poles. They are well-made and feel solid all around. The main grip is very comfortable, and the extended grip is tacky and has an interesting feel to it. The locking mechanisms are such an improvement over the twisting lock trekking poles. They are easy to adjust, and since they are so light they take nearly no effort to swing. The one thing I find puzzling on the poles is the lower section does not have any length numbers for sizing. This makes it a bit more difficult to get the correct length every time so little adjustments might need to be made to get it right. There is a price for getting such high quality and lightweight trekking poles, but if you plan on using them a lot, you cannot get much better than these. As always, your mileage may vary.

Bottom Section is Not Numbered

Pros

• Carbon dissipates shock up the shaft
• Lightweight
• Comfortable grip and extended grip
• Powerlocking mechanism is easy to use

Cons

• No numbering on lower section of poles
• Expensive but worth it

Faction Agent Wins Top Alpine Ski Award

The Agent, previously known as the Alias, has a multitude of awards already but we are stoked to announce another on the list, from FindtheBest.com who have rated the Faction Alias as the top Alpine Ski.

Agent Pro, 2011/12 model

The Alias, has been renamed the Agent for 2011/12 and the Agent Pro is an unchanged model from the Alias 2010/11 model.  However, due to the popularity of the ski, we have developed two further models, The Agent 100 Lite and the Agent 90 come with our STP technology, that allow us to produce a lighter ski with the same torsional rigidity, a softer ride and better edge grip. We have produced two models the Agent 90 - which is 92mm underfoot and the Agent 100 – which is 102mm underfoot for those who spend more time off piste and in the powder.

Agent 90 Lite

The Alias and Agent have also been selected as award winners from Backcountry Magazine in 2010 and Ski in 2011. For any further information you can find it on our gear pages on the website or check out the comparisons on Find the Best.

Backpacker magazine Gear Review: Fenix flashlights MC10 Angle Light

GEAR REVIEW: HIGH-POWERED FLASHLIGHTS

We tested four unique high-powered lights using lithium batteries for lightweight super power.

Backpacker Magazine – Online Exclusive by: Joe Flowers (text and photos)

Fenix MC10 Angle Light

---

Fenix MC10 Angle Light
The right-angle wonder

This light screams “neato” coming out of the box. The head moves back and forth on an axis to provide light while sitting on a surface or hanging in a tent; the flexing light can also attach to a pack strap or pocket. One button on top of the head flips on the light. While caving, it worked well for lighting lunch, and I just clipped it onto a branch when I was cooking in camp. The angle light has three levels of output, and two types of flashing modes, with the highest level being 125 lumens (the lowest is 5). When you run it at the lowest level it lasted the longest out of our testers. On the low level, with lithium batteries, the light lasted over 3 days while left on. On the high mode, it lasts about 1.5 hours.

The SpecsWeight: 2.6 oz. with lithium battery, 3 oz. with alkaline
Status: Replaced by MC11
Price: $44.95
http://www.notosora.com/fenix/

Fenix flashlights HL20 headlamp review in Backpacker magazine

GEAR REVIEW: FENIX HL20 HEADLAMP

Some headlamps only provide a little light to get you by. Not so with the 105-lumen Fenix HL20–and it runs on a normal AA battery too!

By Joe Flowers, Photos and Text. Backpacker magazine online exclusive.

Fenix HL 20 Headlamp (Joe Flowers)

---

From snake hunting in South Carolina swamps and trudging through countless trails and bushwhacks in Lineville Gorge, NC, to exploring caverns in Speedwell, VA, the Fenix HL20 proved itself to be one tough lightning bug. Bikers and frequent wilderness wanderers will enjoy a comfortable strap that doesn’t bounce, and a beam that throws over 200 feet (tested on a football field).

Essentially a battery case with aluminum light housing on top, the headlamp can be adjusted up or down vertically. The HL20 has three modes of output. On an alkaline battery, it averaged about 1 hour and 30 minutes on the full light mode (105 lumens), about five hours on medium (48 lumens), and the low mode has lasted over two days (4 lumens). The modes are cycled by pressing a large button on the right side of the headlamp, which was manipulated easily even with muddy thick cave gloves. Be careful though, as the big button is easily turned on in a pack, so flip that battery when storing! Oh, and if you crash your plane, it has an SOS mode that blinks for 15 hours (fortunately I didn’t have to test this feature).

While backpacking in Linville Gorge, I brought lithium batteries (33% less weight, longer life), and went without a change on the entire trip. Certain headlamp companies (some Petzl models for instance) don’t like lithium batteries in their headlamps which is a bummer, but the HL20 loves them! One AA is much easier to carry than three AAAs; plus, they work in the GPS too.

The plastic housing went through epic punishment over the year of testing. During a snake research trip, the light fell off the hood of a Jeep going 45 miles an hour, and it didn’t even suffer a scratch. On multiple cave visits, this light cleaned up well despite heavy mud in every crack possible and even survived a 2-foot water dunk when it fell off a rock during lunch. At night while car camping, the low lumen output works great for reading, without bothering tentmates.

On the downside, the beam is not focusable. It has a tight, well defined spot, but light dispersal is six feet wide on the low setting. A clip-on light dispenser comes with the headlamp and works, but I never really used it because it’s fragile. I’ve seen the same dispenser break on other Fenix models.

Bottom Line: Good price, one battery, high output
Status: Replaced by HL21 
Price: $34.95
Batteries: 1 AA
Weight: 2 oz.
http://www.notosora.com/fenix/

Granite Gear Blaze AC 60 Editor's Choice Award - Backpacker Magazine

Editors' Choice 2011: Granite Gear Blaze AC 60 A lightweight pack with best-in-class suspension for heavy loads.

Faction 3.Zero Wins Backcountry Magazine 2012 Editor's Choice Award

2012 Editors’ Choice Awards - Freeride Skis Faction 3.Zero

FACTION 3ZERO
 www.factionskis.com
Retail $889 

“Straight up makes skiing more enjoyable all over the mountain.”

Sizes (CM): 167, 175, 183, 191
Dimensions (MM): 142/112/132
Weight/pair: 9 lbs. (175cm)

High on Argon: Q & A with founder of inflatable jacket company by Gear Junkie

High on Argon: Q&A with Founder of Inflatable Jacket Company

June 21, 2011

Handheld cartridge air pumps are usually reserved for bike tires. But two years ago, Klymit, a company in Ogden, Utah, introduced a line of jackets that get their insulation not from goose down or synthetic fill, but from gas. The gas, argon to be precise, is pumped in via a handheld gun and small C02-like cartridges. The result is one of the more innovative, if not questionable, outerwear technologies of the last decade. For this article, contributor Yoon Kim spoke with Klymit founder Nate Alder, the man who invented the inflatable jackets (and now sleeping pads, too) with the aid of some obscure household items, including a bike pump, canisters from a wine distillery, and an old pair of Reebok Pump basketball shoes.

Yoon Kim: Can you pop your jacket in a bad wipe-out while skiing?

Nate Alder: I’ve wrapped myself around many trees following skiers because I board and I am yet to have a puncture. The materials are durable, so it’s not likely. But if it does happen, we include a patch kit with every jacket, which is [the same type as] used for river rafts.

Inflatable jackets from Klymit

What happens if your gas cartridges run out and you’re left with a deflated jacket in the backcountry?

Similar to what happens when you run out of gas for a stove — you can be SOL in a lot of situations if you’re not prepared or don’t bring the proper equipment. But one Klymit canister will do five inflations and each inflation can last weeks to months. Worse comes to worst, you lose a canister or forget it, you can use the dry air pump and you’ll be as warm as down.

Backing up, what exactly is Klymit and how is a Klymit jacket different from any other jacket?

When I was a snowboard instructor back in college I noticed that existing fiber insulations have three setbacks that consumers have just learned to live with: inefficiency, bulk, and the inability to adjust. We wanted to make warmer, thinner, and adjustable insulation, but what really sets us apart is that, although we are hands-down the warmest insulation on the market, we are also the only adjustable insulation. With the turn of a dial, you can adjust your insulation needs without batteries [you can pump argon gas in at will and also let it flow out for less insulation when needed]. While fiber insulations gets four-times heavier and colder when wet, Klymit NobleTek is waterproof. Our jackets fit snug to minimize drafting, it’s totally buoyant, and interestingly, one military application we found is that it can conceal the body heat signature for night-vision heat sensing.

Argon gas cartridges

I have a very comfortable Primaloft jacket that I happen to really like. I use it as a midlayer under my shell when snowboarding. Why should I replace my Primaloft for your jacket?

Temperatures vary all day long. Each time you want to adjust, not only do you have to go back into the lodge, you have to guess whether a layer will take you from too cold to too hot. That’s what adjustable insulation does: it takes the guess work out of adjusting. You adjust on the fly, without layers and without guessing. In terms of packing, all you need to pack is a base layer and a jacket and that’s everything you need to bring on a trip.

Close-ups: Klymit vest

Beyond winter sports, do your jackets have a market?

Here’s a scenario for sailing, kayaking, or any other wet sports: If you’re wearing fiber insulation and you fall into the water or it gets wet, it gets four times colder and four times heavier than when it’s dry. You can swim in a Klymit vest and it won’t change the thermal properties; argon gas cannot get wet and no matter how wet you are, you will stay warm. On top of that, our jackets are as buoyant as a life jacket so if you fall in the water while sailing, not only are you warm, it could keep you above water until your wife, or whoever, can pull you out.

For cold-weather use and for active sports, you mention that the fabric is waterproof. How do you address breathability?

We use a similar membrane that you would find in a Gore-Tex material. It’s not as breathable as an eVent fabric because it has to have micro pores, which is how it’s able to stop the argon from leaking. The argon gets stuck and water does not and thus it is breathable and can wick body moisture. We are also rolling out strategic breathable panels on our new vests in the fall.

How do you go about filling, deflating, and refilling a jacket?

Choose a vest that fits slightly loose when deflated so air can circulate between your body and the vest. Then take one canister, screw it into a Klymatizer, which is kind of like a compressed gas bike valve, and plug it into a connector on the vest hidden in the left pocket. The canister can inflate the jacket in half a second.

Large argon gas tank

Once a customer buys the jacket, they will need to keep buying new cartridges, which seems like a big commitment for a jacket. How do you address this?

A few things. . . each canister gives multiple inflations and can last years. We have a demo product in our office that has been inflated for two years now. You can get quite a bit of use with the canisters we give you. But we also offer free top-offs through our retailers. We supply our retailers with a tank of argon about the size of a paintball tank, which they send back to us when it’s empty.

Do the math for me. Why would I pay $200 to 300 for one of your jackets?

All those layers you were mentioning earlier, how much did they cost? Anywhere from $500 to $700 I would guess? Well, our $300 jacket replaces the need for mid-layers and comes with gas.

Klymit camp pads have cut-out patterns to reduce bulk (here placed inside a sleeping bag)

Tell me about your product line other than the vests and jackets we just covered.

Our other big line is our camping pads, which are lighter, more compact, more durable, as well as cheaper than our competitors’ products. The Inertia X-Frame pad is one of our most important products. Currently, we have two model types on the market. We plan to introduce new ones at the Outdoor Retailer trade show this summer.

—Yoon Kim is the editor of Trail’s Edge Blog.