Leki Diva Trekking Poles
September 12, 2009
If I were not a gear tester, I would never get to try new stuff. Mostly because I am cheap and I hate shopping. Why buy new trekking poles if my old trekking poles still work just fine? So what if I have to disassemble the locking mechanism and rebuild it a few times a year to get it to grip?
So what indeed. I got to check out the new Leki Diva trekking poles, and I found out why it is important to buy new trekking poles more than once every ten years. Of course, before finding this out, I had to get past the fact that these are called the “Diva”. Seriously, now, does EVERYTHING need to be called the Diva? I have Diva boots, Diva jackets, Diva hats, and now the Diva trekking poles. This is lazy marketing and it sucks. It must stop; do you people know what a diva really is? It’s not a pleasant thing and unless you have a serious case of narcissistic personality disorder you don’t want to run around advertising you’re a diva. Interestingly enough, these poles are called the Diva according to Leki, but the poles themselves insist they are called the “Shiva” which I like much better. Go with the Shiva, Leki.
Anyway, since the poles don’t say the word “Diva” on them, I am not embarrassed to carry them in public. So when I did, I was really blown away by the advances in trekking pole technology since I bought my last pair in 1999. The Divas/Shivas are lighter, thinner, and have a much more subtle antishock. The grips are the same size, and I kind of wish they were a little smaller, but they are fine regardless. They still have the twist-grip technology which I find a little cumbersome. Evidently there is another version coming out soon with the flick-lock grip system, which I think might be better. Until then, I’m stuck with spending the first ten minutes of my hike twirling my poles around trying to get them just the right length. Once they’re set, though, they stay where they’re put, which is nice. I’ve had trekking poles slowly shrink all day long until I finally noticed they were at mid-thigh instead of hip level where I put them. The Diva/Shiva locks really do a nice job of eliminating such shrinkage.
My old poles have an antishock feature that is noticeable; if you lean on them you can push them down a fraction. This always seemed like a gimmick to me and actually wastes a bit of energy. The rebound on the antishock on old poles isn’t sufficient to really provide any antishock benefits, so you just waste energy stabilizing yourself on a pole that gives a little. The Diva/Shiva poles allegedly have antishock, but it’s not the same; it’s not even noticeable when you’re going downhill. The result is a much more stable pole that gives the hiker a good, solid placement; much safer and much more helpful. I’m not sure how the antishock on the Diva/Shiva works; I just know that I like it much better.
The weight savings on the Diva/Shiva seems significant. I’m sure there are lighter poles out there, but these are such an improvement over my old pair. It’s not like hauling a pair of bricks along for a hike and occasionally leaning on them. Yet they still feel substantial and strong; very important when descending steep slopes. At my age, it’s not going up the mountains that is hard; it’s coming down, and I need all the help I can get.
