On a recent four-day backpacking traverse in the Smokies, I encountered a persistent and aggravating issue with my trekking poles—specifically, with flick-lock style pole slippage that rendered them nearly unusable on steep sections.
The problem became apparent on the second morning. Despite thoroughly tightening the flick-lock clamps the night before, the lower section of my Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork poles would slowly collapse under load—especially during descents or when planting firmly for uphill pushes. I made repeated stops to re-tighten the adjustment levers, even attempting the “coin trick” (using a coin to torque the clamp bolt further), yet the section would still slip after a few miles.
Standard fixes—wiping down dirt and moisture, adjusting the tension screw beyond the recommended level, switching upper and lower pole segments, and even swapping poles left-to-right—provided only temporary improvement. I tried the usual suggestion found in forums: cleaning the pole sections in camp with a damp bandana to remove grit. This helped very briefly, but performance degraded quickly once back on muddy, wet trails.
It wasn’t until that evening—out of frustration—I decided to fully disassemble the pole section. What I discovered (and previously hadn’t considered) was a thin, persistent film of oily residue inside the lower carbon segment, almost certainly left by a previous round of sunscreen-covered hands handling the poles. This slick layer dramatically reduced the friction that the clamp could apply. In camp, I used hot water from my camp pot and a few drops of unscented biodegradable soap (Dr. Bronner’s) on a bandana to thoroughly scrub both the inside of the tube and the outside of the adjoining section. After rinsing and letting everything dry overnight, I reassembled the segments and tightened the lever clamp only moderately.
The following day, the poles performed flawlessly with no slippage, even under heavy load while descending slick, root-covered switchbacks.
Key lessons and recommendations I’d share for anyone facing similar issues with flick-lock mechanisms:
- Beyond the usual clamp adjustment, thoroughly clean all contact surfaces with soap and water, both inside and outside the pole segments, to remove oils and films—not just dust or grit. Even faint residues can defeat the clamping action.
- Do not overtighten the lever clamps, as this can crack carbon fiber or deform aluminum. If the pole is clean and still slips, you may need to replace worn rubber pads or shims inside the clamp.
- Regular maintenance at home (full disassembly and cleaning every several trips, especially in wet or “sunscreen season” conditions) will prevent trail failures.
- Always carry a small multitool with a screwdriver or coin for clamp bolt adjustments, and a scrap of clean cloth dedicated to pole cleaning.
This experience drove home the importance of pre-trip maintenance as much as on-trail troubleshooting—residues accumulator gradually and are easily overlooked, but they’re often the invisible culprit behind “mysterious” gear failures. Taking time to clean pole segments thoroughly was the simplest and most lasting fix—a step I now include as standard practice after every few outings.