Most trekking poles will come with standard trekking pole tip protectors. They are meant to protect the metal tips of your hiking poles. The metal tips on your trekking poles will slip and slide on rocky surfaces, and can leave ugly scratches on the rocks. Pop some rubber tip protectors on your poles, and problem solved. The rubber tips grip solidly on dry rock, but be careful, just like your feet, those rubber pole tips can still slip when rocks are wet.
The issue with walking pole tips is that they are usually low quality and not meant for aggressive use. Trekking pole replacement tips, also know as hiking staff tips, are sold as optional accessories for hiking poles. They are not optional, they are meant to be replaced!
Top Replacement Trekking Pole Tips
More Trekking Pole Tips
Rubber tips are an essential accessory for many reasons. Using poles on pavement without rubber tips is noisy and can dull your hiking tips. For travel along rocky surfaces or walking indoors, rubber tips provide superior traction and grip. They also serve as good protection when traveling or storing your trekking poles. You do not want your metal carbide tips poking a hole into your travel bag! The standard trekking pole tip protectors are usually low quality and will need to be replaced if they are put under strenuous conditions. Make sure to always carry replacement rubber tips with you at all times.
Most walking pole tips come in a standard size that fit most poles in the market such as BAFX, Bearios, Black Diamond, Leki, Montem, etc. That being said, there will be some tips that may not fit your pole! If that is the case, you may need to contact your pole manufacturer and request replacement tips from them. In our experience, most trekking pole tips come a little on the smaller side so they fit a variety of poles. Therefore, when putting new tips onto new poles use a bit of powder to make them easy to remove. Once your pole tips get dirty, you won’t have to repeat this.
It’s not rocket science, but finding the right pair of trekking poles and tips that will serve a lifetime of comfort, is a bit of an art. Below we have summarized the different types of replacement trekking pole tips.
Basic Hiking Pole Tips
- The basic hiking pole tips
, also know as trail feet, are perfect for pavement walking and slick rock.
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They are made of durable rubber to wear on the bottom of your walking poles over your carbide-tips for looser, less compact terrain.
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They help you to grip more rugged ground on a variety of different trails and can be worn with the trail baskets to prevent your poles from sinking into the softer, looser ground.
- These tips fit nicely in your pocket or backpack and are perfect to store on poles when they’re not in use.
Extra-Durable Hiking Pole Tips
- These extra durable replacement tips
are designed for walking on gravel, pavement, sand and hardcore trail conditions.
- Made of vulcanized rubber, these tips are perfect for nordic walking, street walking, beach walking, trail hiking, or anywhere you don’t want your metal tips hitting a hard surface.
- They are used by extreme and hardcore trekkers who do not want to keep replacing their basic hiking pole tips during a long hike.
Bell-Shaped Hiking Pole Tips
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The bell-shaped tips are designed to provide maximum stability to those for whom balance and fall prevention is a special challenge or concern.
- Also known as balance tips, these bell-shaped tips add significant stability for mobility-challenged pole users.
- They are made of rubber and provide excellent traction on hard surfaces, both indoors and outdoors.
Fitness Hiking Pole Tips
- Also known as road feet, or “boot” rubber tips, they are used often by Nordic walkers. They are made of soft yet durable quality-rubber, perfect for pavement, roads & sidewalks.
- Started as a summer training program for cross-country skiers, Nordic power walking on pavement is a convenient and fun way to get a full-body workout.
- These fitness rubber walking tips
provide traction on hard surfaces and allow an efficient pole push off, increasing your upper-body workout.
- This rubber tip should face backward as you walk. They add both cushion and propulsion for exercise walkers.
Hiking Pole Carbide Tips
- Carbide tips on trekking poles
are great for off-road, more rugged terrain as they help you to dig into anything from hard-rock to uneven softer trails.
- They are often used with the trail baskets as they prevent your walking poles from sinking into the softer, looser ground.
- Using carbide tips to walk on the road is not recommended as it is noisy and the vibration will cause the walker/trekker discomfort.
Trekking poles and hiking staffs will not decrease your overall energy expenditure since you’ll be using your arms more than you would when walking without poles. They do, however, help distribute your energy usage in a way that can help your hiking or walking endurance. If you need help picking out the perfect tips, please let us know!
