Customer Reviews

Hammers HP1 Anti-Shock Hiking Pole with Compass & Thermometer

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used this hiking pole to go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (and back) last month, and it performed perfectly. Light-weight, durable, and folds up small enough to fit into suitcase or backpack. The compass and thermometer are very small and stay out of the way of the handle, but come in very handy. I highly recommend this item...

Very serviceable Chinese copy of a Leki pole for less than half the price. Light and sturdy and smooth. Works well as a monopod. Kaito gave me very good service; they shipped the day after my order and packed the item well (long skinny items are expensive to ship correctly). I'm buying another one.

I was looking for a hiking pole, but didn't want to spend $50 for one and then find out I didn't like it. Saw the Kaito, saw some good reviews, and figured it was worth a try. Glad I did! Has served me well so far (25 miles of hiking since I got it) in rocky New England terrain and would buy it again.

I took up hiking for health reasons. I'm a weekend hiker and found after hiking with and without a pole I would never hike without one. Even on short treks. Great for balance i.e., creeks, streams, switch backs. Gives a better full range workout to your upper body. I find myself getting into a rhythm, helping me keep my heart pumping for my cardio workout. I love the boost this pole gives me going up mild to steep grades. I find this pole strong enough for my 200 lb. frame with no problems. The only small negative is the rubber tip wore out quickly. I replaced it with a better one from the local sporting goods store and off to the trails again. For the price I paid and the use I've been getting from this pole it has paid itself off ten fold. I can buy 5 of these for what my friend paid for his one REI pole.

I used this product to hike for two weeks.

I have three quibbles with this product.

First, After about four days the foam handle started to slip down. This got worse over time. Ultimately I put some adhesive tape under the handle to hold it in place. The handle then started to push on the tape - fraying it at the impact end.

Second, the knob that protects the camera screw got stripped around the eighth day. This speaks well for the camera screw since it is still functional, but the soft metal inside the circular knob didn't hold up.

Third, I bought three of these poles - two for my companion, and one for me to replace a broken pole. The tips on all these poles wore out on days four, six, and seven. On day four I was able to purchase two new tips. After this I was unable to find new tips to fit the poles. The tips I purchased on day four lasted until the end of the hike and are in good shape. I took the poles on the plane with me when I started the hike, but we had to check them on the way back because TSA classified them as dangerous with the metal point exposed.

Positives: The anti-shock feature continues to work and becomes more appreciated with each additional day on the trail. All three poles were functioning well except for the adhesive tape under the handle. The metal tips under the rubber stops held up well. The pole functions as a decent monopod - my movies and panorama shots benefited from its use. I prefer a tripod for stability - but when hiking that's a lot of extra weight.

My search on Amazon shows that these are still the only poles with a camera mount. The fact that they lasted for two people carrying 34 lb packs four fourteen days on dirt trails speaks well for them - if you are going to need a monopod for your pictures. From a comfort point of view I prefer the grip handles. This really only became an issue on the last few days of the hike when I noticed the difference between the round foam grip and the formed cork grip on my other pole.

This is my first "walking stick" and I don't know if I will get used to using one, or not. These seem okay - the straps are fairly soft and look durable, the extension works and the anti-shock works - it gives about an inch under strong pressure. The anti-shock can be locked out. The monopod is what sold me on these.

However, I found it difficult to set this up the first time out. Here's why:

1) The Arrows marked "lock" and "unlock" do not refer to the direction in which the poles lock and unlock - it is the opposite.

2) To start with, you need to twist the upper segment many times in the direction marked "Unlock" to finally lock it. This confused me - I twisted and twisted in the wrong direction and nothing ever happened.

3) After finally getting the upper segment locked, I tried to unlock it by twisting in the wrong direction. You twist it in the direction marked "Lock" to unlock it.

4) The Arrows marked "lock" and "unlock" refer to locking and unlocking the SHOCK ABSORBER - which requires just a small twist either way.

Simple instructions would have helped greatly, but none were supplied.

Used this on Hesperus on my first climb. Won't ever climb without one and converted my dad - a long time climber. BUT other reviews had it right - this is NOT meant for the climber who is really hard on tools. The rubber base ended up with the steel bottom breaking through it and the round cap came off. The tension coil spring was AWESOME! and we both (at various times) liked the adjustable height option. I would not only recommend it -I plan on getting another!

I used this pole on a hiking trip in the Sipsey Wilderness of North Alabama. The pole was used while hiking about 12 miles.

The quality of the pole itself is very very good. The length adjustments don't slip like cheaper poles. The anti-shock function works, but seems completely unnecessary.

The handle, though, is flimsy. The foam only surrounds the pole and does not go over the top to hold it in place. Additionally it is not adhered to the pole, so it slips down the pole if you happen to mis-step and pull down on the handle very hard. Also, the top camera mount pulled out. It is simply a ~1.5cm plug that is pressed into the top of the hollow pole. I'd hate to be the guy who loses his camera while filming over a ledge because the "cap", that is the camera mount, fell out.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this pole to anyone. There are other poles exactly like this one with better handles for around the same price.

Bought two (one for each of my two sons). We went on two hikes totalling 11 miles. One pole was used for two miles with no problems. The other pole was used for all 11. The basket fell off this second pole within the first half-mile of use. After screwing it back on multiple times, my son finally left it off. Good starter poles, but not for serious hiking.

For such a light hiking pole, it is incredibly rugged and built very well. I like the spring-loaded shock absorber and the detachable top post, so that it can also be used as a camera monopod. At this price, I bought two and it's still 50% less than a pair of name-brand poles. This is a must-have piece of equipment for outdoor photographers.