Leki Thermolite XL Antishock

Rated: 4 by 3 reviews.

REI

With innovative, ultralight design and ergonomic grips, the Leki Thermolite XL Aergon Antishock trekking poles provide comfort and convenience.

  • Lightweight Aergon grips feature an edgeless shape and a rubberized, textured surface to maximize comfort and minimize hand fatigue
  • Positive Angle grips position the hands at an ergonomically correct 15° angle for comfort
  • Ergonomic corrective angle produces a neutral wrist position for optimal swing efficiency and stress relief at wrist joint
  • Simple and fast, Super Locking System (SLS) adjustment requires little effort to securely lock pole sections into position
  • Strong, 7075 aluminum shafts are heat treated for outstanding tensile strength
  • 3-section telescoping poles collapse from 53 to 25.6 in. for easy packing
  • Synthetic tips flex up to 30° without damaging the pole shaft
  • Universal carbide tip ends ensure durability and an optimal grip on ice and rock surfaces
  • Nylon wrist straps feature a soft side for comfort against the skin
  • Domed disc baskets provide extra support on soft terrain; thanks to a threaded design, they can be easily replaced with larger baskets (not included) for winter use

Rock/Creek Outfitters

The Thermolite Aergon XL Trekking Pole by Leki weighs in light at 17 oz and provides the ultimate in shock absorption when hiking or trekking.  For anyone that goes down hills and feels it the next day in their backs and knees, you have to get a pair of these poles.  With the soft antishock system you get excellent retraction when the pole is placed on the down, and even better spring in your step when going up hill. 
New positive angle AERGON XL grip offers incredible comfort for your hands while hiking, and especially made for people with larger mitts.

Features:

  • Anodized Finish
  • Carbide Flextip
  • Interchangeable Basket System
  • Positive Angle AERGON XL Grip
  • Soft Antishock System Lite
  • Super Lock System

Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)

Ideal for hiking and saving weight when travelling, the Leki® Yukon AERGON XL with Antishock is lightweight and durable.

Features:

  • An ultrasonic finish protects the top section; the bottom two sections are anodized
  • Durable carbide Flextip flexes up to 30 degrees without damaging shaft
  • Interchangeable basket system means one pole with many applications
  • Positive angle AERGON grip for a non-sweaty and ergonomic contact with the pole
  • Soft Antishock System Lite - removes the jarring from ever pole placement
  • Super Lock System has the strongest hold, up to 300 lb. per pole (independently verified)
  • XL foam grip extends down the shaft for more contact options

Paragon Sports

The Leki Thermolite XL Antishock Trekking Pole is a three-section aluminum shaft pole with a positive angle thermo compact grip, auto comfort strap, performance basket and anodized finish.

Features:

  • Anodized Finish
  • Auto Comfort Strap
  • Lifetime Warranty Against Shaft Breakage
  • Performance Basket(s)
  • Positive Angle Thermo Compact Grip
  • Three Section Aluminum Shaft
  • Weight - 16.8 oz.

Backcountry Edge

New for 2009! Combining lightweight design with advanced locking mechanisms and extended-length ergonomic grips, LEKI Thermolite AERGON XL trekking poles offer support and durability at a weight of only 16.4 ounces per pair.

Features:

  • Carbide Flextip
  • Interchangeable Basket System
  • Positive Angle AERGON XL Grip
  • Super Lock System
  • Ultra Sonic Finish-middle and lower section anodized

Massey's Outfitters

Positive Angle XL Grip, Super Lock System, Soft Antishock System Lite, Anodized Finish, Interchangeable Basket System, Carbide Flextip, Weight: 17 oz/pair, Length: 65-135 cm.


Moosejaw (Fall 2009)

Thermolite XL Antishock Trekking Poles by Leki

Adjustment Method:Twist-lock
Antishock:Yes
Basket(s):Performance
Finish:Anodized
Gender:Unisex
Grip:Positive Angle Thermo Compact Long
Grip Type:Ergonomic
Grip material:Rubber/plastic/foam
Length:65-135 cm
Max. Length:53 in.
Maximum Length:53.1" (135 cm)
Min. Length:26 in.
Minimum Length:24.0" (61 cm)
Number Of Sections:3
Pair/Single:Pair
Pole Material:Aluminum
Recommended Use:Lightweight Backpacking and Hiking
Shaft:Three Section Aluminum
Shaft material:Aluminum
Shock absorbing:Yes
Strap:Auto Comfort
Type:Aluminum Shafts
Warranty:Lifetime Warranty Against Shaft Breakage
Weight:17 oz per pair
Weight (pair):17 ounces
Similar Products:
Leki Thermolite XL TrekkingLeki Thermolite XL Trekking$99.99 - $149.99
Leki Thermolite Aergon AntishockLeki Thermolite Aergon Antishock$139.94 - $139.95
Leki ThermoliteLeki Thermolite$89.95 - $139.99

Leki Thermolite XL Antishock Reviews Summary:

RatingNumber
of Reviews
52
40
30
20
11

Positive Reviews:

Fantastic poles! Clean 'em afterwards.

Rating:*****
These are some great poles. Maintaining them is absolutely VITAL. I'll explain in a bit.First the main points. These trekking poles are lightweight and aluminum. They use lighter shocks which don't turn on and off. They're always on, less springy than normal shocks, but more springy than no shocks. It's a nice compromise.The shaft is aluminum so even if you bend it, you can still walk on it, unlike carbon fiber poles which will splinter and be useless if snapped.The locking mechanism is very easy to use. Just twist one way to unlock, set the poles to the desired length using the markings on the barrel, and then twist it the other way to lock. I like this system better than the flicklocks on Black Diamond's system, but it comes down to personal preference. I've never had a problem with slippage and I like that you don't have to carry any additional tools to tighten or loosen the locking system as you would with BD's flicklocks.The hand grips are incredibly comfortable and such a joy to use. They're so airy and breathable. It feels wonderful to hold the poles. They have a foamy texture and much better than solid rubber which you'll find in cheaper poles.The handgrips are tilted 15 degrees. Doesn't sound like much, but it really helps with comfort and usability. Trying out poles with totally vertical grips feels much stiffer and rigid, and less comfortable and walkable. They just contour to fit your hand when walking better.The handstrap is great. It's easy to adjust to fit and once you set it, it's done. The inside of the straps are padded so they feel nice. When I set the length of the strap, there's a bit of material that's not padded hanging out. This strap actually chafes and blisters the inside of my thumbs, but body glide helps remedy this.One thing I like about these poles that some other poles don't have is the extended grips. These are very handy! Notice the foam grip that extends down beneath the main hand grip. When you're hiking up hill, you can take your arm out of the strap and hold lower down on the pole. This saves you from having to change the length of the poles which I basically never do on hikes. It's either set to my length or totally collapsed. You can easily slide your hand down to the bottom of the extended grip when hiking up a steep climb or up stairs, or near the top of the extended grip for slight climbs. The extended grip also features some contoured criss-crossing lines which really help you keep a strong grip on them. Since you're not offloading some of the weight on the handstraps, you'll want a better grip on the extended grips and they really help.If you're walking on top of a log for a moment and the poles need to be much longer, you can rest your hands on the top of the poles. Notice the top is round. It's very comfortable to put the top of the poles in the nook of your palm.I like how lightweight these poles are. They're lighter than most other aluminum poles, but heavier than carbon fiber poles. Yes the difference is somewhat noticeable, and it's a nice compromise IMHO.Now, maintenance. This is huge. I'm on my third set of poles now. Thank goodness for REI's exchange policy!Here's the deal. You'll want to clean off the poles after you hike, particularly if you're doing water hikes. The reason is that the dirt and water will get up inside the poles when you collapse them. They'll gunk up the inside to the point where it's hard to extend and collapse the pole. It gets really rough and difficult to change, scratching up your poles in the process.I've been talking with Leki's [...] lately and here's what they've suggested, which really helps: Wipe down the outside of the poles with a damp rag. Get the 14mm/16mm Leki cleaning kit which is basically a set of scrubbers attached to metal poles to scrub out the inside of the poles. This makes a HUGE difference as far as getting the grime out. The aluminum is heat treated so the cleaning kit won't damage the poles.Check out Leki's website for some tips on how to adjust and maintain the poles.If you maintain the poles, it shouldn't be a problem to use them in demanding conditions. Even if you completely submerge the poles in water, which I'll often do, the grip stays nice and grippy and the poles still work well.[...]Black Diamond offers a 1 year warranty. Leki offers a lifetime warranty.I've found these poles to be unbelievably helpful and I trust my life with them. In fact you'll need to depending on how you use them.Some people complain about the twist lock systems collapsing on you or they just spin and spin and never lock. Make sure you learn how the locks work. They're really quite simple and Leki offers videos explaining it on their website. One of the most common problems is that the locks don't relock. People have returned poles because of this, not to mention had problems with it on the trail. I don't mean just Leki locks either. Many brands. It's just the nature of the beast. They're simple to understand so if you take a little time to learn how they work, it'll be a big help later on down the road. I've never had a problem with them on my Leki poles, but I have seen it happen before.I've compared these poles to REI poles, Black Diamond, Komperdell, and even Walmart poles on the numerous hikes I've done with these, and I still like these best. Even the colors are nice.They're my favorite combination as far as weight, comfort, features, size, and even look.Whether you're gonna hike on the trail, go backpacking, do river crossings, scramble over boulders, go up and down mountains, through the mud or sand, or even want to plant these poles down in a moving current and swim as if you are in nature's treadmill... these poles will go right along with you, every step of the way. I don't hike without 'em.Just get a cleaning kit and maintain the poles so that you can make sure they stay rockin' during the extent of their life.Bottom line is that there's a lot of options out there, but these are my favorite poles I've seen and I recommend them to everyone. When I compare the poles with friends on hikes so that we can learn the differences, they almost always wish their poles featured something these poles do. Go for 'em. :)
Ariel B at REI on 06/06/2009

My new best hiking friend!

Rating:*****
Just used the Leki Thermolite XL Aergon Antishock Trekking Poles for my very first trekking pole experience. I have been skiing for over 45 yrs, so I am more accustomed to the feel of poles than a brand new user. Reminded me of dry-land training for ski racing when I was in college.

Anyway, about half-way through our hike I developed a rhythm that just suddenly clicked, and although the second half of our day hike was significantly uphill, I was cruising while the others were starting to sag.

The locks were extra easy to adjust, and I did some homework on the Leki website ahead of time, so I knew what to do if they didn't cinch up, and also not to over-tighten them. (It takes very little torque to get them snug enough to avoid slippage.)

With a proper length on the strap, I was able to use a light grip with my thumb and two fingers and let the pole swivel forward off my thumb pad, and it was magically effortless.

The anti-shock device is particularly important to me, because I have arthritis in my wrists as well as my knees, and I experienced NO next day soreness in my wrists, which I was worried about.
They weren't springy, and cushioned each plant without feeling spongy or mushy.

I had actually ordered another brand of trekking pole prior to our trip, and they hadn't arrived yet, so I borrowed these. My new poles arrived, and after trying them on briefly, I can tell that the weight, grip angle and balance of the Leki is vastly superior. I am returning my "Brand X" poles, and buying my own Lekis today!!
Pocketspro at REI on 09/09/2009

Negative Reviews:

Broken Within 2 Months

Rating:*
I used these on one day hike and they were great: light, comfortable, no slipping, my knees felt great.

I was going to use them for the second time for a short hike, but after unlocking to extend them, they would not re-lock -- not one of the four locking mechanisms worked. Needless to say, these are going back.
Scott M at REI on 10/10/2009