Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Review

The Trail Ergo Cork performs decently in some of the most important areas, like comfort, locking and adjustability, and quality construction. More advanced users will want a lighter and more compact pole, but for most on-trail uses and casual day hikers, these poles are just fine.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork sets itself apart from the competition with a grip that is tilted forward from vertical to better align with the wrist's natural position. In reality, our testers could barely feel the difference, and in blind tests, we couldn't identify the angulation at all. Perhaps there is a placebo effect, but we don't fully buy into the marketing. The primary grips are made from cork, which molds to the user's hand over time, but it can also feel clammy in hot weather. The straps are padded, adding comfort, and there is also a secondary grip made of foam for choking up on the pole while side-hilling. The top of the handle is also rounded, making it comfortable to push down upon when moving. Overall, these are comfortable poles.

Weight

At 18 ounces per pair, these are some of the heavier trekking poles on the market. As a three-section aluminum telescoping pole, we didn't expect these to weigh in as low as the foldable carbon poles, but we are still a bit disappointed. This weight makes the Trail Ergo Cork unsuitable for long endurance hikes or speed-oriented hikers and endurance athletes. Indeed, after hours of hiking, we felt the heavy swing weight and were relieved when we switched to other lighter models.

Versatility

The Trail Ergo Cork is heavy but relatively durable, making them a good choice for everyday hikers and casual mountain walkers. But, their heavy weight makes them unsuitable for long-distance endurance missions, mountain runners, or alpine climbers. They don't pack small, so they can't be used by climbers, and their plastic flick locks make them unsuitable for trekking in remote mountain ranges where replacement parts are difficult to find. These poles are only suited for casual hikers and walkers.

Locking and Adjustability

With 40 centimeters (16 inches) of length adjustment, these poles provide some of the most adjustability on the market. However, our testers rarely needed this much length adjustment. These poles are great for a company fleet or for rentals, but for individual use, we think they are overkill, and the highly adjustable length adds weight. The Flicklock locking mechanism is easy to operate but requires a screwdriver to tighten or adjust, whereas other poles can be hand-tightened or adjusted with a coin. Occasionally, our testers found themselves with loose locks and no way to adjust them until coming home.

Packed Size

Collapsing to a minimum size of 27 inches, these poles don't pack down small. If they live in the garage and in your hand on the trail exclusively, this isn't a problem, but for anyone who stashes their poles on their pack, needs their poles to disappear inside a pack while climbing, or who wants a low-profile trekking pole for airplane travel, this is a major impediment.

Construction Quality

Cork handles mold to the contours of your hands over time, but they also chip easily and attract critters. During our testing, we damaged one of the cork handles during regular use. The aluminum shaft sections are high-quality and built to last, but the plastic lever locks used to connect them and hold the pole's length steady could break if smashed against rocks. Other poles use metal lever locks to eliminate this weak point.

Value

The Trail Ergo Cork is relatively expensive compared to other poles on the market, and we don't think its features merit such a high price. There are better poles out there that cost much less, and the refined grip and durable construction aren't quite enough to deserve such a premium, in our opinion.

Conclusion

Overall, the Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork is noteworthy for its comfortable grip, relatively high construction quality, and large length adjustability. However, the heavy weight and large packed size detract from overall versatility, and we have some minor durability concerns. There are better values on the market, but if you are looking for a simple, everyday pole for casual hiking and walking, these are a decent choice.