Iceline Trekking Poles

Sale price$169.00 USD

Handle Straps: No (Ships early June)
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Updated for 2025 to be even stronger, even lighter, more durable graphics, and a much requested new strap version. Both versions are currently sold out due to high interest but can be pre-ordered for poles shipping June 1-10.

The Iceline poles use a more weight efficient design to craft a trekking pole that is lighter, stronger, and more reliable. They offer the compactness of a 3 piece pole, strength of a heavier pole, and the reliability of an external adjuster, while shaving unnecessary weight to make the world's lightest three piece adjustable pole. At just 134 g (4.7 oz) they are a delight to use.

EFFICIENT DESIGN

Three piece trekking poles are the norm because they can stow conveniently on the side of your backpack, but other 3 piece poles contain a shortcoming: dual adjusters. Having dual adjusters is unnecessary (because a single adjuster gives ample adjustment range) and actually a negative because the second adjuster adds weight, complexity, potential to slip, and more hassle to set your poles to a specific length.

The Iceline poles use a fundamentally better approach: replacing the lower adjuster with a quick connect mechanism. This gives an even shorter packed size (comparable to 4 section poles) while making the pole lighter, simpler, and more reliable. In regular use they operate like a 2 section pole, but the tips can disconnect for a compact packed size when needed.

Additionally, we've obsessed over the rest of the pole to save unnecessary weight including a tighter fitting grip that requires less glue and a lighter integrated tip design. Even the matte finish has been carefully considered to look beautiful while saving grams over a glossy lacquer finish. As a result of its' weight efficient design, the Iceline poles are able to invest more weight into areas that matter (stronger tubing, a more reliable external adjuster) while also providing a lighter pole that is nicer to use.

STRONG

The Iceline poles are quite durable for a lightweight trekking pole because they use premium high strength carbon and larger diameter tubing that is more weight efficient (both stronger and lighter).

In particular, the non-telescoping nature of the lower connection enables thicker 16 mm tubing for the tip section. Other poles with telescoping lower connections have to use narrower tubing for the tip section (typically 12 mm) but this makes those poles weaker right where they are most exposed to potential damage. The 16 mm tubing here substantially reduces the risk of breakage.

The Iceline poles are a sturdy pole that can hold more weight in a horizontal load test than comparable poles while having about half the flex. This low flex and high strength provide a more confident experience and lower risk of breakage.

Premium Carbon

The Iceline poles are custom built for Durston in Austria by Komperdell who have over a century of experience building high quality poles. These poles use their highest grade carbon to achieve greater performance at a lower weight.

External Adjuster

Unlike other poles near this weight, the Iceline poles have external adjustment which is easier to adjust, simpler to maintain, and less likely to slip compared to internal 'twist' adjusters. The external adjuster allows for ample adjustment range of 95 - 127 cm.

Quick Connect

In regular use the Iceline poles operate like a 2 piece pole with the upper external adjuster, but if you want them to pack short you can disconnect the tips with the quick connect mechanism. This mechanism enables a short pack size that is more compact than even other 3 piece poles, while being lighter, simpler, quicker to adjust the pole length, and with no risk of slippage.

Larger Diameter Tubing

The Iceline poles use larger diameter tubing to increase strength and reduce flex. In particular, the lowest section (which is the most common section to break in other poles) uses larger 16 mm tubing compared to 12 mm in other lightweight poles, making the Iceline poles stronger where you need it most.

Matte Finish

The Iceline poles have a matte finish that gives the poles a premium look, but more importantly, is the result of our focus on weight efficiency as it saves several grams in lacquer compared to a glossy finish.

QUALITY & RELIABILITY

The Iceline poles are custom built for Durston in Austria by Komperdell (a well respected maker of high end poles for over 100 years). Even the stuff sack is high quality, as it re-purposes otherwise scrap Dyneema® fabric from our Pro series tents to provide a superlight (5g) way to store the poles.

A key goal with the Iceline poles was to improve reliability and ease of use, because other lightweight poles commonly use internal 'twist' adjusters that are prone to slippage, or when they use external adjusters they use plastic parts. Either way, having dual adjusters doubles their risk of issues. With the Iceline poles the single adjuster reduces risk and is a more reliable external style with premium aluminum parts. The lower quick connector is also highly reliable with aluminum parts and no potential for slippage.

High-Water Mark

The most durable ultralight trekking pole we’ve tested. If you’re after the best ultralight poles, the Iceline are, in our opinion, the new high-water mark.

Road Trail Run

Brilliant

Durston set out to simplify the trekking pole to its essence while focusing on durability, reliability and the lightest possible weight. They succeeded.

Overall, the efficient and patent pending design of the Iceline poles sets a new standard for ultralight trekking poles. At 134 g they are the world's lightest trekking poles that can pack short and have length adjustment, while being sturdier and more reliable than other poles near this weight. This makes them a joy to use for everything from a Rim-to-Rim day hike of the Grand Canyon to a multi-week traverse of Alaska's Brooks Range.

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT

Strapless Version

134 g (4.7 oz) per pole.

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Strap Version

145 g (5.1 oz) per pole.

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Dyneema Stuff Sack

5 g (0.2 oz)

LENGTH

Collapsed

49 cm (19.5")

Features

FAQ

Customer Reviews

Based on 180 reviews
84%
(151)
11%
(19)
1%
(2)
2%
(4)
2%
(4)
M
Marvin
Best Poles Ever?

I own a Durston pack and a Durston Tent and now, Durston Trekking Poles. Why - the engineering - I have a passion for elegant designs and Dan’s products are beautifully designed. Is Dan the Steve Jobs of UL??

The poles are exactly as described. Light and robust. Minimalist and easy to use. The compactness of a 3 section pole and the simplicity of a single adjustor. The quick release is honestly brilliant. And they are just visually beautiful.

I am a no-strap guy and being able to order them without is much appreciated. It remains to be seen if I will miss the extended grip of my current poles but for a 2.5oz savings, I’ll figure it out.

Finally, I love the fact that these poles are made in Austria and not China.

K
Ken Williams
Innovation at its best

It takes someone special to finally ask why has it always been done this way and why don’t we try something new? This is exactly what Dan Durston has done with these new Iceline trekking poles. I mean even the name is cool. The straps are a really light material and feel great on my wrists. I really like the locking mechanism for popping in the bottom half of the pole. It feels very solid. And to remove it pushing the release button is also solid so it looks and works great. I had other ultra light poles but they have two places that you have to twist and un-twist. This has one section that you can quickly lock and unlock. Setting up a tent I can set my preferred height and if it needs a little tweaking because of uneven ground I can quickly adjust that with the lock. Taking it down I can set it to my preferred length for trekking without having to fiddle with two twists. The grips feel fine in my hands. These collapse down into a smaller length than any other poles I’ve tried. On a scale of one to ten I would give these a ten although that’s what I give all the Durston Gear I have. Another innovative and outstanding product design from Durston Gear.

D
David Smith
A marvel of Form and Function

These are such a great example of Durston engineering.
Not a copy but a re invention of what works well.
So glad I got a pair before the first run sold out.
For those waiting to get their's, Like other Durston products. It will be worth the wait!

Thanks for the kind words David. Glad you're liking the poles :)
- Dan

D
Dieter
Not reliable

I used these poles on a 29-day, 560m/900km pilgrim’s way in Spain.

• The adjustable part contains a screw which came loose, and the pole collapsed under pressure. Nothing happened, but if I had been on a steep slope, a sketchy river crossing, or just “swing” over a muddy spot on the trail, a collapsing pole could potentially be very dangerous. I wish the design didn’t include any parts that could become loose over time.

• The push button to detach the lower part of the trekking pole stopped working on one of the poles. For the life of me, I can’t get that lower part off. This was very annoying as I had to check in the poles as bulky luggage at the airport on their own. And as of now, I still don’t know how to get the pieces apart.

• One of the pole tips became loose, and I lost it. While I still had it, it looked like it was not wide enough to stick inside the pole on its own. As soon as I was holding the pole upside down, it fell out. It looked like it was only held in place by some glue. I continued using a worn-out rubber tip just to avoid losing it.

• Since the Camino de Santiago contains some paved roads, I used rubber tips for the whole trip from Komperdell. I believe they are identical to the ones Durston Gear is selling. They only lasted for 4(!) days before I hit the ground when pushing down straight with the pole, and maybe another 3 days before they became completely useless at any pushing angle. I exchanged them with a spare pair which lasted a similar amount of time. I found YouTube videos where 3 people say that their rubber tips last easily a whole pilgrim’s hike and still look hardly used. I could extend the life of the rubber tips by several days by putting a bit of toilet paper inside the rubber tips.

2 stars because the poles are quite sturdy for their very light weight, and they vibrate less than my significantly heavier but much more reliable poles from Black Diamond.

Thanks for sharing your experience and sorry you didn't have a good experience. We take that seriously and are always working to improve anything we can. Here are some replies to the topics you raise:

1) The flick lock is adjustable with a screw, which I think it a feature that is common to all flick lock adjusters because you need a way to adjust the tension to fine tune it. It is true if the screw it is not tight enough than the flick lock won't grip enough and could slip, but the grip here is easily adjustable. The nice thing is that the screw should not loosen when the flick lock is closed, and being able to adjust the tension means you can make it as secure as you'd like (whereas twist locks are less predictable). So I think the design here is as reliable as a pole can be, but it is true there is the potential for it to loosen and need adjustment.

2) That is unfortunate that the button on the quick connect is not working. I can see how that is frustrating. We have seen a few other issues with these that we have made updates to improve, but we haven't got other reports of not being able to eject the tip. The push button is part of the same metal piece as the latch that holds the tip in, so if you are pressing the button fully it is not possible for the latch to still be holding the tip section. I wonder if maybe something got caught in there that is making it quite tight and hard to remove. I suggest trying to pull harder on the tip. It may come out and you could clean it. If the issue persists, please let us know and we are happy to provide a replacement part.

3) For the tips, we have seen some reports that on high milage poles the tips can come loose if the glue breaks (especially if there is extensive use on hard surfaces like paved roads). So that is a defect in your pole that we are happy to provide a warranty replacement for if you email us. For the rubber tips, that is unusual that you got such a short life out of that accessory. I'm not sure if the ones you used are the same as the optional ones we have. All the reports we have seen are that they last a long time, but perhaps with your tip missing the remaining bit was sharper and cut through them.

Glad you found the poles quite sturdy, low vibration, and light. I'm not sure what happened with your quick connect but your loose tip does sound like a defect that we take seriously and are happy to warranty, while also we are working to ensure this are glued solidly enough even for extended use on hard surfaces like this.

Congratulations on your big hike,
Dan Durston

E
Evan S
Elegant Design, Unusable After 300 Miles

I’m disappointed to be writing a negative review of the Iceline trekking poles, but after using them for 300 miles on the Hayduke, I feel I need to warn other thru hikers of their lack of durability in desert conditions.

The major problem with these poles is that the tips up until the carbide inserts are carbon fiber. After 300 miles of desert use, the carbon fiber was so worn down that the inserts easily broke through the thinned walls, rendering the poles useless.

While the carbon fiber is thin throughout, and the poles are definitely more breakable than others I’ve used, they are super light and stiff, and an absolute pleasure to walk with. Dan very generously replaced a section of one of the poles that I broke early in my hike. The grips are well shaped, and the single adjustment point is really nice. I found the straps to be uncomfortable compared to other trekking poles I’ve used with dedicated left and right straps, but the poles are so light it doesn’t really matter.

Dan, if you redesign the tips so that they last 1000 miles, I’d definitely consider buying these again because they get so much right, but I am disappointed that mine are unusable after just a few weeks, especially at this price point.

Thanks for sharing your experience Evan. Regarding the tip design, as you mention we are using a lighter integrated tip design where the carbide tip is inserted directly into the carbon instead of into a plastic housing that slides over top. The carbon is fairly thick and we don't see many reports of it getting damaged, but I can see how 300 miles on the Hayduke with a lot of off-trail, rocks etc would be pretty hard on the tip area of the poles and lead to this wear/damage in the tip area.

If you do want more durable tips, you can simply just add normal tips. The carbon tubing here is a standard size where it would be easy to add traditional plastic tips. We opt for the lighter design, but it is easy to pick up aftermarket tips and slide them right on over top. Reports of damage to the tip area is uncommon, so for most people I think it is a good tradeoff to save weight (especially swing weight) but for rocky offtrail conditions it probably is wise to add more tip protection. In your case, your tips are obviously quite worn/damaged where we are happy to replace the tip sections, but just adding some regular tips over top might be a better solution as it gives you the extra protection you're looking for.

For the straps, I like these thinner ones with the mesh that breathes, but if you do prefer another type it is fairly simple to swap on straps from a different pole model.

Hope that helps and good luck on the rest of the Hayduke,
Dan Durston