 Need to replace my poles. I have been using Leki Makalu Compact up until now, but have lost one and they don't seem to make them any more. Are there any female users of the Black Diamond flicklock poles out there? When I tried them in a shop I found the lock quite hard to open with my thumb. Does this get any easier after a while? I do have small hands. Would like to try a pair of Black Diamond Trail Compacts but none for sale near me. Anybody know if the grip size is compact as well as the length? Thanks
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 Hi. I'm not female but thought these comments may help. I changed to the Black Diamond (Enduro) poles last year. In my view they're better (quicker and easier to adjust even with gloves)than the twist to lock type. The flicklock itself can be made to close more easily via an adjustment screw - they could show you in the shop so you can be sure it's ok.
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My girlfriend has a pair of the Trail Compacts and gets on well with them, and she has quite small hands.
I've also got a pair of the BD poles and think the flicklock adjusters are much better than the Leki twistlocks. They are quick to use and the poles never collapse.
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 My advice is just to buy a cheap set of poles. I have twice broken the lower section and recently lost the bottom section of another pole - 3 down. Last year I tried to get a replacement section - Leki wanted £14.99 plus postage and packing. I got a new pole for around £15 in Switzerland instead - Leki make. Last week I had to replace the pole that I lost a section from - £19.99 for a whole new pole - Leki make.
I therefore don't think it is worth buying expensive poles.
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 You seem to be very rough on poles, Lindsay... (-:
My fiancée and I have BD flik-lock poles. We both found them much, much easier to adjust than twist fix poles. If they're tight, they can be loosened slightly without making them less sturdy. Best of all, though, is that it's not possible to over-tighten them by hand, so they'll never get jammed up.
They don't slip, either. Personally, I'm not even tempted by twist poles any more.
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 I agree, flicklocks are excellent and easy to use. A friend of mine has very little grip in her hands (arthritis) so can't tighten the twist-style poles enough, but gets on fine with flicklocks.
The screw-adjustment is really easy - just make sure you've got a small screwdriver handy! (Any Swiss Army Knife or multitool will do fine.)
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 If price is an issue, Rock and Run sell an own-brand pole with the Flick-Lock system. I've used BD versions in the past and am a fan. As Brianetta says, you can usually adjust the locking tension on the fastener if it's too tight or even use something as a lever.
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Brianetta my poles are in constant use and on two occasions they have got caught in or behind a rock and bent renderring them U.S. Trying to straighten them is wasted effort.
Last week on a backpacking trip I couldn't get the lower section of one pole to tighten despite various attempts and had it fully exteneded. The bottom section came apart a few times but unfortuantely on one occasion I hadn't noticed. We did a search on the return but visibility was poor.
So if anyone finds the lower section of a Leki pole on the west side of the remote Munro, Lurg Mhor it belongs to me but as I ruined the rest of the pole on my return from Lurg Mhor it is of no use to me now.
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Thanks for your suggestions. Having used the Leki twist lock system for years I was a bit reluctant to change but I think I'll try a pair of BD compacts. I really like the way the foam grip extends down the pole so that you can temporarily grip lower when stepping up. By the way one of the best tips I ever had was to wrap tennis grip tape around the top of the pole shaft. It's comfortable, light, cheap, and does the trick.
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 Jenny, you can adjust the strength of the locks with a screwdriver - the phillips screw on the lock will tighten or loosen the grip of the lock for you. For me the flicklocks are a massive improvement on twistlocks. If only pacerpoles would see the light.
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 I am a female with tiny hands and arthritis.
I had some cheap twisty poles from Gaynor's but when my hands got worse I couldn't fasten them tight enough and they would collapse.
I then got some of the Rock and Run Gipron (AKA Black Diamond) flicklocks and I can cope them them OK. A screwdriver or SAK will adjust the flicks to make them suitable for your particular fine motor strength.
Having said that, twist locks are variable in their ergonomic effectiveness. My new photo tripod has twist locks but they are extremely well designed so they aren't a problem for me. I haven't yet found any trekking poles that are so well designed, ergonomically speaking, so flicklocks are the way to go for that product.
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