Trekking poles are a life saver, or more appropriately, a knee-saver. They also come in handy when crossing streams, negotiating tricky talus slopes and slogging through snowfields. The two biggest “must-haves” for any trekking pole are light weight and sturdy construction. The MSR Surelock UL-2 Trekking Poles are designed with those concepts in mind. I’ve been using the UL-2s since May, and put them to the test in a variety of conditions to see if they should be gripped by you.
Mountain Safety Research (MSR, as they are more commonly known), makes a range of helpful backcountry tools and gear with one idea in mind: bettering their customers’ adventures. The Surelock UL-2s definitely helped make my adventures more comfortable. In spring I brought them to canyon country where they helped me navigate over slickrock and sand surfaces. Because of their low weight (15.6oz), I never felt like they were an unnecessary luxury item. The “UL” in UL-2 stands for ultra light, and they certainly are. The grips are very comfortable (even in hot temps), and the wrist straps are made with a soft, slightly cushioned material that felt good against my skin. They passed the desert test, so it was on to summer backpacking in the Uintas to see what the MSR poles were really made of.
During packing trips in the mountains of Utah, the MSR Surelock UL-2 trekking poles shined. The Surelock system is simple: the positive-locking design makes for super-quick trail adjustments. Expanding or shrinking the pole length was as simple as depressing the small, metal button, sliding it to the next hole, and letting it pop into place. I found this system far more convenient than the pressure-twist poles I normally use. As far as strength goes, the MSR UL-2 poles have it in spades. 7000 series aluminum not only keeps the weight low, but makes sure these suckers can take a beating. I bashed them against rocks and trees, sunk them in deep mud, and left them hanging on a tree during a rain and hail storm. They came away looking no worse for the wear. After five months of testing, the Surelock UL-2 poles functioned exactly as the day I took them out of the box- that’s a win in my book.
There are a couple of drawbacks to these trekking poles. My biggest gripe is the collapsibility. During final ascents to several Wasatch Mountain summits, I had no need for the poles and stowed them. However, this was a bit of a challenge as the UL-2s don’t collapse smaller than 31 inches. That’s over two feet of trekking pole to stash! And, despite my love of the positive-lock design, it does mean that these poles have no play in them. Once you snap the MSR trekkers into place, they provide no give against the ground. I’m accustomed to poles that have a slight “shock absorber” feel to them. It took some getting used to the idea that the MSR poles were not going to budge.
These were minor inconveniences that were easily overcome. I found a way to stash the poles, and adapted to the stiffer feel of the Surelock UL-2s. Overall, I found them sturdy, light, and very comfortable. The ease of adjustments and bomber build make the MSR Surelock UL-2 Trekking Poles a safe bet to make your next backcountry adventure more comfortable.
The Good: ultralight, strong, durable, fast trail adjustments.
The Bad: tough to stow because of collapsed length, no shock absorption.
The Verdict: tough enough for the mountains, light enough for the desert; all-around solid trekking poles with good design.
Is this only a two-piece pole? Seems awfully long to carry at 2.5 feet.
Another question; normally the handgrip used for a pole is to come up through the loop from the bottom then over the top to grasp the handle, as with a x-country ski pole. Does this require a different grip? I see that the photo shows it done the other way around.