I'm always happy to discover outdoor gear that's designed to take up less room and allow you to pack light. This trekking pole falls squarely in that category, and does a lot more than you'd expect at first glance.
The Talo features a modular build with each section capable of storing one of several tools that you'll find useful while hiking and camping. You can also choose which items to carry, depending on the sort of trip you're taking.
You get five sections as standard, and you can extend it by adding more sections to get it to a suitable length.
The pole comes with the following items:
- Fire starter
- Removable whistle
- 1/4-inch -20 threated mount extension adapter
- Phone holder
- LED fill light
- Screwdriver bit
- Serrated saw tool
- Fishing spear head
- Curved utility blade
- Straight blade
That should cover most of your needs in the wilderness, from cutting cords to setting up gear. The top 1/4-inch threaded interface, meanwhile, allows for connecting a bunch of other accessories. You can attach the included LED lamp to it to serve as lighting for your campsite, hold your phone up so you can follow an on-screen map, or capture footage with an action cam.
The hiking staff itself is made from aluminum alloy, which should easily stand up to rough use outdoors while providing traction and stability on uneven terrain. The pole tip is crafted from a high-strength metal to survive contact with gravel, mud, and snow, and a removable mudguard above it prevents splashes on your clothing.
The pole measures 3.3 ft (102 cm) with five sections, and weighs just 5.78 oz (164 g). Between that and its wrapped anti-slip grip, it's designed to be easy to hold onto on challenging hikes. Reflective bands on the shaft make it – and you – easier to spot when outdoor visibility is low. Plus, the multi-section design allows for the Talo to by easily disassembled for packing or storage.
The seemingly new brand behind Talo is crowdfunding this hiking staff on Kickstarter, where it can be had for a discount. While it's set to retail at US$89 with all the aforementioned tools, you can order one for $69. The company also makes a gear organizer that can hold the tools you don't want to load up into the staff.
All crowdfunding campaigns carry an element of risk, so you'll want to keep that in mind if you choose to back this campaign. For what it's worth, Talo has raised over $16,000 from more than 130 backers for this one.
If all goes to plan, orders are slated to ship worldwide in November; delivery costs vary by region, and start at $10 per set for US orders.
Source: Kickstarter
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