Durston Iceline VS Zpacks Carbon Fiber - Trekking Pole Comparison

Comparing our Durston Gear Iceline trekking poles with our Zpacks Carbon Fiber trekking poles. Mainly comparing these 2 because they are what we have and use to set up our X-Mid shelter.

Weight (our scale):
Zpacks: 6.9oz each (foam grip)
Durston: 4.7oa each (4.9oz with added tennis tape)

Length:
Zpacks: 137cm to Stop Line, 142cm for pitching tents, 62cm collapsed
Durston: 127cm to Stop Line, 49cm collapsed

Cost (as of June 2024):
Zpacks: $119.90 (for 2 poles)
Durston: $169 (for 2 poles)

Features (main differences we noticed):
Zpacks: Wrist straps, cork or foam grip option (with extended grip), replaceable tips, comes with baskets, can order just one, extends longer for some shelters that need it (Altaplex)

Durston: Shorter storage, thicker tubing feels more sturdy, lighter, only 1 adjustment point to mess with, can add Komperdell baskets and rubber tips if desired

Our Observations:
The Zpacks Carbon Fiber pole has been great for us, and it's less expensive
The Zpacks pole has more features (extended grip, replaceable tips, comes with baskets, extends to 142cm for higher shelters)
The Icelines are 4.4oz lighter on our scale (per pair)
The Iceline feels like a more minimalist pole (by design), and less of a "generalist" type pole...we like it
The Iceline's 1-point adjustment design and connection point is very unique. The connection is very solid and the thicker tubing make for a pole that feels like one piece with no rattle or wobble.
We like that the Iceline comes with no straps, which we usually cut off anyway since we move our hands around too much and straps become annoying to get into and out of for us (grabbing dog leash, wiping sweat away, side carry on flat sections, low grip on uphills, etc).

Zpacks Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles:
https://zpacks.com/products/zpacks-ca...

Durston Gear Iceline Trekking Poles:
https://durstongear.com/products/icel...

Iceline Compatible Baskets:
https://www.rei.com/product/753989/re...
(6 cm diameter, .4 oz for both)

Andrew Skurka's case for removing straps and baskets:
https://andrewskurka.com/trekking-pol...

#durstongear #zpacks #gearreview #trekkingpoles