Lock type and packed length matter more than the shaft material · review
Amazon Basics CY-SL36C122-3 review
The only listing on this shelf that publishes its weight as a range rather than a number — 9.3 to 10 ounces a pole — on a 6061 pair with a quick outer lock and a full four-season accessory set.
A 6061 aluminum pair with a quick outer lock and four-season accessories.
Amazon Basics states collapsible poles in durable 6061 grade aluminum weighing
just 9.3 to 10 oz per pole, offering balance and reduced joint impact on long
hikes; extension from 25.2 in up to 53 in with quick outer lock adjustment, and a
carrying bag for storage and transport; EVA handles with an extended polyester
down comfort grip and adjustable breathable wrist straps; and four-season
accessories including snow baskets, mud baskets, rubber boots and tip covers.
No packed length. No section count. No carbide point. No fitting named.
A weight that is a range
Nine point three to ten ounces.
Every other per-pole weight on this shelf is a single number. This is the only
range.
Seven tenths of an ounce is the whole distance between the 9.7 oz TrailBuddy pair
and the 10 oz Cascade aluminum pair — two different poles that sit either side
of this one figure.
Outer lock, which is the useful word
On the shaft, not inside it.
This shelf’s introduction divides locks into external levers, which can be tightened
in the field with cold hands, and twist locks, which disappear inside the shaft
and are the usual source of a pole that slowly collapses.
Outer is a one-word answer to that, and no other listing in this group uses it.
Fifty-three inches, the shortest telescopic maximum here
And still longer than the European half.
Hiker Hunger reaches 55 inches. KINGGEAR, TrailBuddy and both Cascade aluminum
pairs reach 54.
Every European listing on this shelf stops at 130 or 135 cm (53.1 in), so 53 inches —
134.6 cm (53 in) — sits above all but one of them.
Availability
The American Amazon store was listing it at about $26 at the time of writing.
Every figure here is what Keepa held on the day this page was last revised. Offers and prices shift without warning.
Prices quoted in this text were read on October 8, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
What it does well, and where it gives way
Strengths
Snow baskets, mud baskets, rubber boots and tip covers, described as a four-season set
The lock is named as outer, so it is on the shaft and can be worked with gloves on
A per-pole weight is published, which three listings in this group do not manage
EVA handles with an extended down grip for steep ground
A carrying bag is included
Twenty-six dollars, the second-lowest price in this group
Compromises
The weight is a range, 9.3 to 10 oz, not a number — the only one on this shelf
Fifty-three inches is the shortest maximum among the telescopic pairs here
No carbide point named, where four listings in this group supply one
No packed length, which this shelf's buying tip puts first
No section count
6061 is the lower-strength alloy of the two named on this shelf
Specifications
Lock mechanism
A quick outer lock — named as outer, which places it on the shaft rather than inside it, the external type this shelf's introduction recommends for cold hands. No lever material is stated
Packed length
Not published as a transport figure. The poles are stated to extend from 25.2 in, which is the bottom of the adjustment range, and a carrying bag is supplied with no dimension
Maximum length
53 in — stated, from 25.2 in. At 134.6 cm (53 in) it is the shortest maximum among the telescopic pairs in this group, every other one of which reaches 54 or 55 in
Shaft material
6061 grade aluminum — stated twice, as offering exceptional strength and reliability on any terrain. The lower-strength of the two alloys named on this shelf
Section count
Not published
Weight per pole
9.3 to 10 oz per pole — stated as a range, which no other listing on this shelf does. Every other per-pole figure here is a single number, from 7.6 oz to 10.5 oz, and the spread of this one covers the gap between two different poles
Grip material
EVA handles, with an extended polyester down comfort grip below them — polyester is named on no other grip on this shelf — and adjustable breathable wrist straps
Tip fitting
Rubber boots and tip covers are supplied. No carbide point is named, and the fitting thread is not stated
Basket fitting
Snow baskets and mud baskets supplied as part of a stated four-season set. The fitting is not named
Amazon reference
B0FPFFC5DK
EAN
0197153488240
What people ask before buying
Why is the weight given as a range?
The listing states 9.3 to 10 oz per pole, and it is the only figure of its kind on this shelf: every other per-pole weight here is a single number. A 0.7 oz spread is not nothing — it is the whole difference between the 9.7 oz TrailBuddy pair and the 10 oz Cascade aluminum pair, two poles that sit either side of it. The likeliest reading is that the figure covers more than one length or finish of the same pole, but the listing does not say so, and on a shelf where weight is one of the nine things compared, a range is a softer answer than a number.
Is 53 inches enough?
For most walkers, yes; it is 134.6 cm (53 in), and the usual rule puts a pole at roughly 0.68 of your height, which makes 53 inches comfortable up to about six foot five on the flat. It is worth noticing that it is the shortest maximum among the telescopic pairs in this group — Hiker Hunger reaches 55 inches and four others reach 54 — and that every European listing on this shelf stops at 130 or 135 cm (53.1 in), so 53 inches is still longer than most of the shelf. The figure that matters more for a tall walker is what the pole does on a long descent, where the extra inch or two gets used.
What is a polyester down grip?
It is the extension below the main handle, which this listing describes as extended polyester down comfort grip — and polyester appears on no other grip on this shelf, where cork and EVA foam are the usual materials. The purpose is the one this shelf's introduction describes: on a traverse or a steep climb you drop your hand down the shaft rather than stopping to re-set the lock, and the extension gives that lower hand something other than bare aluminum to hold. Polyester will not wick like cork and will not compress like foam, so expect it to be a cover rather than a cushion.
Against the rest of the camping gear
Close prices, same category: comparable camping gear. We keep only the specifications all of them publish, because a column with gaps compares nothing.
Model
Price
Lock mechanism
Packed length
Maximum length
Shaft material
Amazon Basics CY-SL36C122-3
$26
A quick outer lock — named as outer, which places it on the shaft rather than inside it, the external type this shelf's introduction recommends for cold hands. No lever material is stated
Not published as a transport figure. The poles are stated to extend from 25.2 in, which is the bottom of the adjustment range, and a carrying bag is supplied with no dimension
53 in — stated, from 25.2 in. At 134.6 cm (53 in) it is the shortest maximum among the telescopic pairs in this group, every other one of which reaches 54 or 55 in
6061 grade aluminum — stated twice, as offering exceptional strength and reliability on any terrain. The lower-strength of the two alloys named on this shelf
Quick flip lock — named, described as durable and used for adjustment and retraction. It is an external lever, which is the type this shelf's introduction recommends for cold hands; no screw tension figure is published
Not published. The poles are stated extendable from 25.5 in, which is the bottom of the adjustment range, and no folded or transport figure appears
54 in — stated, from 25.5 in, and offered as suiting the whole family. At 137 cm (53.9 in) it is above the 135 cm (53.1 in) ceiling of every European listing on this shelf
7075 aluminum, stated as aviation grade, and claimed by the maker to be lighter than typical 6061 aluminum and stronger than carbon fiber. The shelf sells two carbon pairs; the claim is the maker’s
Not published. The poles are described as foldable and as adjustable between stated lengths, with an instruction not to extend beyond a STOP line, and no lever, twist collar or push-button is named. One of only two listings in this group that name no lock
15.3 in folded — 39 cm (15.4 in), stated, with two drawstring carry bags supplied. It is the shortest folded figure in the American group; on the European side of this shelf the Alpteq folding pair publishes 35 cm (13.8 in)
49.2 in — 125 cm, stated, adjustable from 42.1 in or 107 cm (42.1 in), with a stated fit for heights from 63 to 72.8 in. That 7.1 in range is the narrowest on this shelf, and the maximum is the shortest in the American group
Premium-grade aluminum — stated, with resistance to impact, pressure and bending claimed, but the alloy grade is not given. It is the only aluminum in this group whose grade is not named, where 6061 and 7075 appear elsewhere
Quick Lock — named, an external lever, stated to adjust without breaking stride and designed with rugged terrain in mind. The type this shelf's introduction recommends because it can be tightened in the field
Not published. The poles are stated to collapse for easy storage in a pack and a travel bag is supplied; the bottom of the adjustment range is 26 in, and no transport figure appears
54 in — stated, from 26 in. At 137 cm (53.9 in) it is above the 135 cm (53.1 in) ceiling of every European listing on this shelf
Aircraft-grade 6061 aluminum — stated, and described as extremely durable in blazing heat or frigid cold. The lower-strength of the two alloys named on this shelf
What separates the models, in camping gear
If price decides: Vihicamp Collapsible foldable hiking poles, at $23.
Highest Packed length in the table: Cascade Mountain Tech TP-AL-QL-EVA-3 (Not published. The poles are stated to collapse for easy storage in a pack and a travel bag is supplied; the bottom of the adjustment range is 26 in, and no transport figure appears).
Highest Maximum length in the table: Cascade Mountain Tech TP-AL-QL-EVA-3 (54 in — stated, from 26 in. At 137 cm (53.9 in) it is above the 135 cm (53.1 in) ceiling of every European listing on this shelf).
The buyer this one serves, among camping gear
A walker who wants the four-season accessories and an external lock for the lowest price with a stated weight
What buyers actually choose
Amazon reports what buyers took in the month before this page was last checked: at least 2,000.
The figure is a floor, rounded by Amazon, and read through Keepa — it says what buyers picked, not what a maker claims.
Sources
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for camping and hiking gear and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
Folding carbon 3K · 115–135 cm (45.3 to 53.1 in) · 35 cm (13.8 in) packed · 231 g (8.1 oz) per pole · push-button and Quick-Lock clamp · cork grip · tips and baskets included
Folding Carbon 3K poles that pack to 35 cm (13.8 in), the shortest in this hub, at 231 g (8.1 oz) each, with carbide tips, snow and mud baskets and a hard case. Currently unavailable on Amazon.com.
Best for: Flying with poles inside a case, where 35 cm (13.8 in) packed and 231 g (8.1 oz) per pole are the figures being bought — if you can buy them in Europe.
Folding · 110–135 cm (43.3 to 53.1 in) · 36 cm packed · 3K carbon with 7075 aluminum · 270 g (9.5 oz) per pole stated · flip-lock lever · cork dual-grip
A folding pair that names both of its materials — 3K carbon and 7075 aluminum — alongside a flip-lock, a 36 cm (14.2 in) packed length and a stated 270 g (9.5 oz) per pole.
Best for: A day walk or a trekking tour where a folding pole has to travel inside a case and the weight is being counted.
Quick Lock lever · 26–54 in · carbon fiber · 8.1 oz per pole · cork grip with extended down grip · carbide tips, snow and sand baskets, pole clip
Carbon at eight point one ounces a pole for fifty-two dollars, with the same Quick Lock, cork grip and full terrain kit as this maker’s aluminum pairs — and a trekking pole clip nothing else here supplies.
Best for: A walker who wants carbon under half a pound a pole with the baskets and tips already in the box
