Foldable adjustable aluminium trekking poles for reliability
As anyone who's ever splintered a carbon pole four days into a month-long thru-hike will be well aware, sometimes the durability of aluminium is worth the extra weight. Silva's Alu Z trekking poles are constructed in durable 7075 aluminium for hikers who need the ultimate in durability and are willing to trade that for an extra 160-ish grams over the carbon equivalent. The adjustable length (115–135cm) adapts to varied terrain and personal preference, while the Z-fold design collapses down to just 38cm for easy storage. The extended cork handles give you comfortable grip wherever you hold them, and Silva's Blueberry system lets you connect or release the pole in a single motion without taking off your wrist straps. The concave carbide tips are interchangeable if you manage to wear them down, and the poles come with both small and medium mud baskets.
- Adjustable aluminium poles (115–135cm)
- Z-fold design for compact storage (folded length: 38cm)
- Extended cork handles for comfortable grip
- Blueberry system – handle supports wrist strap or glove attachment
- Quick-release wrist straps (one size)
- Interchangeable concave carbide tips
- Small baskets assembled, medium mud baskets included
- Durable 7075 aluminium
- Weight: 584g per pair with wrist straps
- Folded length: 38cm
- The length can be adjusted between 115 and 135 cm to suit your height and trail – use the formula (your height × 0.68) to estimate your ideal pole length
It’s a bit of a cliché to say, ‘this brand needs no introduction…’, but sometimes it really doesn’t. If you ever did scouts, guides or cadets, got epic blisters on a D of E expedition or went on an outward bounds residential, chances are you did it with a Silva compass in the pocket of your boil-in-the-bag cagoule.
Like so many world-changing inventions, the Silva compass began as a problem that needed solving. Back in the day, your standard compass wobbled all over the shop, making it tricky and time-consuming to get a decent reading. That is, until 1933, when four Swedes invented a liquid-filled compass. The resistance from the fluid slowed and stabilised the needle, meaning you could nail a reliable bearing in seconds. Navigation was never the same again.
But iconic as the compasses are, they’re only one part of the Silva story. They were one of the first companies to make reliable electric head torches for the outdoors, and they’ve also branched out into optics, trekking kit and other navigational gear. Tried and tested for the better part of a century, Silva’s precision instruments have literally been the difference between life and death for generations of outdoor adventurers – and as brand pedigree goes, that’s pretty much impossible to beat.