Here is how these two trekking poles compare on the numbers. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork | MSR DynaLock Explore | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 40✓ | 39 |
| Weight (pair) | 18.0 oz✓ | 19.0 oz |
| Packed length | 74 cm | 62 cm✓ |
| Max length | 140 cm | 140 cm |
| Min length | 100 cm | 100 cm |
| Price | $120 | $120 |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Fold style | Telescoping | Telescoping |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Trail Ergo Cork in blue, DynaLock Explore in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. Min length is shown for context and is not scored. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full trekking-pole comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
The Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork against the MSR DynaLock Explore is a study in priorities. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Trail Ergo Cork is 1 oz lighter per pair. The DynaLock Explore is 12 cm shorter packed. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (40 vs 39), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Trail Ergo Cork if you care most about low weight, which makes it the better call for counting grams on long miles. Pick the DynaLock Explore if packability matter more to you, or you are focused on saving space in your pack.
The Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork. It is 1 oz lighter per pair than the DynaLock Explore.
The MSR DynaLock Explore. It is 12 cm shorter packed than the Trail Ergo Cork.
They are nearly tied at 40 and 39 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Trail Ergo Cork for low weight, or the DynaLock Explore for packability. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.