Gossamer Gear LT5 Trekking Poles

The LT5 answers a question the Distance Carbon Z cannot: what if you want folding-pole weight and full adjustability? At about 294 g per pair with straps (roughly 139 g per pole), it is essentially as light as fixed-length Z-poles while telescoping anywhere from 60 to 130 cm and collapsing to about 60 cm. For ultralight backpackers who pitch trekking-pole shelters — where precise pole length matters — that combination is why the LT5 has a cult following on the Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails. The EVA foam grips are simple and effective, and the slender carbon shafts plant with surprisingly little swing weight. The trade-offs keep it out of the mainstream. The twist locks are the old-school friction type: they work when clean and properly seated, but they can slip if overloaded or gunked with grit, and they are slower to adjust than any lever. The thin shafts demand the same care as all ultralight carbon — no sideways levering, no prying. At $195 it also costs premium money while feeling deliberately minimal. This is a specialist tool: the wrong first pole, but close to the perfect pole for gram-counting shelter-pitching backpackers who know exactly what they are buying.