eggs wrote:I have used the Z poles [until they broke]
Like the FLZ, mine had a single flick-lock adjustment point available just under the handle - so they are limited height range rather than fixed.
And this is useful as you can then adjust for walking down hill versus uphill.
I thought they'd have that single flick-lock adjustment point, but I can't see any evidence of it on the photos on the Massdrop site. Maybe these ones don't have them??? Your eyesight may well be better than mine, though.
Like you, Eggs, I adjust that section according to uphill or downhill. Mind you, if there's just a short section where a different length is useful, I just hold them on the shaft to avoid changing the length. So you could still do that even if these don't have that adjustment, as long as they weren't too short to start with.
I have had 2 failures on my BD distance Z poles, but got them replaced under warranty. One failed again, but was fixable at home. The end of one section actually got jammed in the sleeve, making it impossible to secure the pole (unusable). At home, a friend made a little hook tool to extract it. Now working again. Apparently using graphite filings (?), not WD40, is recommended to avoid this problem. I'm trying to remember the other failure I had with the BDdistance Z poles. It also made them impossible to use in the field.
But, if I had a light weight tent that relied on them, I'd want some back-up for that.
Having said that, I'll probably still get another pair. Very light weight, and the ease with which I can stow them when necessary on even a day pack, makes them worthwhile. No snagging on scrub or overhanging branches, or scraping on rocks etc etc.