Flex Tech Tips | Replaceable Rubberized Tips | Shock-Absorbing | Compatibility for BD Trekking Poles

These are functional and well-designed tips that I used to make my own pair of carbon fiber (graphite) trekking poles. We're retired on a fixed budget, so I try to make as much of my own gear as possible. The finished poles ended up costing me just a little over $20 each. They weigh only 5 ounces each, including wrist strap, and including the Black Diamond rubber tip covers that fit over these Flex Tips.Here is how I made my trekking poles: While some people have used shafts from old golf clubs, that didn't work for me because it was a pain to try to find a pair of golf clubs that were long enough for my 6-foot height. And I like longer poles. There are many inexpensive brand new graphite club shafts for sale at close-out prices on that on-line auction market with the name that begins with the letter "e".I bought a lovely pair of new 46-inch shafts for $10 each including shipping. For each hand grip I cut 14 circles, 1-1/2 inches in diameter, out of an old 1/2-inch thick closed-cell blue foam sleeping mat (or buy one at WM for $7). I punched a 1/2 inch hole in the center of each disk, slipped them on the shaft and glued the faces of the disks together with contact cement, being careful to keep glue off the shaft. With a belt sander, I then shaped the hand grips round to my taste and preference for diameter. I bought a length of black shrink-fit tubing, off the same on-line auction place, that is 35mm in diameter, and which is sold as grip covering material for fishing rods (cost $5 for one meter length including shipping from China), and heat shrink that material over the foam handle that I just fashioned. This material has a cross-hatch texture design and feels great in the hand, almost like rubbery suede.As an alternative, you could make the handles out of the pre-shaped cork handles sold for making fishing poles, and eliminate the shrink cover if desired. Or you could stack up cork discs, which are a little easier to shape by hand.,I turned a little aluminum plug to fit the hollow end at the handle end of the shaft, drilled and tapped a 10-24 hole in that plug. I glued the plug in the end of the shaft with a dab of hot-melt adhesive. If you only have hand tools, the end plug can easily be shaped by hand out of a scrap of wood. Or, no end plug is really needed except as a place to attach the wrist strap. My wrist straps are a bit of surplus 1/2-inch nylon strap that my wife had in her sewing notions box. I've enjoyed explaining my home-made trekking poles to other hikers that have asked about them, and it is satisfying to use home-made gear.Some details that aren't included in the product description of this Flex Tip is that the tip is sized to accept a pole end that is 3/8" in diameter with a press-in fit. My graphite shafts have an end diameter of only .335 inches, but they fit just fine into these Flex Tips and hold very securely. These Flex Tips are 4-inch long, and the trekking pole shaft inserts 3-inches into these tips, which means these tips will add about 1-inch of length to your poles. The Black Diamond rubber tip covers will add another 1/2-inch of length. I don't use the carbide tips on anything but snow or ice. Rubber tips are much more functional in dirt and bare rock and don't leave marks on the land without good reason, not to mention a slippery slimy stream crossing. And you don't need baskets ends unless in snow or marsh.I'm very pleased with the way these trekking poles turned out. I have lots of mountain trail miles using them. They are one-piece, which means I can't carry them on an airplane, but I never do that anyway. I don't find the one-piece poles to be any sacrifice compared to collapsing poles, whether traveling by car, or while backpacking. One-piece poles are strongest, lightest, and most reliable with no fussing. I don't ever miss not being able to alter the length for steep terrain. Also, while adjusting pole length for steep up or down pitches is a nice theory, I've never seen anyone with adjustable-length poles stop to re-set the length of their trekking poles when they come to a steep pitch. If I do ever decide that I want two-piece poles, I have a plan for how to cut these into two pieces, and join them with an aluminum or carbon fiber ferrule and 1/8-inch shock cord.

This is a perfect replacement for my Black Diamond poles. I bought a set previously and followed the instructions to replace the missing tip by just banging it hard on the ground - no additional adhesive. I figured that the continual impact of hiking with them would make the tip even more secure, but I looked down halfway through a Pemi Loop and saw it had come off again. This time I took the precaution of adding a dab of hot glue to the tip before doing the hard impact to set it on the pole. Hoping it lasts!

BD makes high quality products

Durable, easy to install. I was able to keep my favorite hiking sticks and just replace the tips!

Great replacement tips for my Costco hiking poles.

If I had needed to replace these on trail, I would have been very unhappy. Boiling the tips and trying to pull them off per instructions just didn't work. I had to cut them off. I made a groove with a hacksaw then pried the gap with a screwdriver. I don't hike with either of these tools, but fortunately I was at home. If I ever need to replace them on a thru hike, I'm going to order the whole lower shaft. It's only a few bucks more to buy a pair of shafts with the tips already installed.

Easy to install -- boil water, put the bottom of your poles in boiling water for two minutes and they slip right off. They are showing their wear pretty quickly after a couple of months of 3/4 long hikes per week. The proof will be how long they last

Bought new tips after breaking one during my through hike of the Appalachian Trail. They arrived quickly and as described. The tips are sharp and bite into rock and slick surfaces well. The removal and install of the new tips was done easily (in a hotel room just off the trail with a borrowed crescent wrench. ) Will but again when I wear out this pair. Over 400 miles on these with no issues.