A close look at two trekking poles buyers cross-shop. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Leki Black Series FX Carbon | MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 60✓ | 59 |
| Weight (pair) | 16.0 oz✓ | 16.6 oz |
| Packed length | 40 cm | 37 cm✓ |
| Max length | 130 cm✓ | 120 cm |
| Min length | 110 cm | 100 cm |
| Price | $250 | $190✓ |
| Material | Carbon | Carbon |
| Fold style | Folding | Folding |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Black Series FX Carbon in blue, DynaLock Ascent Carbon 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.
Put the Leki Black Series FX Carbon next to the MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon and the trade-offs are clear. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Black Series FX Carbon is 0.6 oz lighter per pair and a longer reach (130 vs 120 cm). The DynaLock Ascent Carbon is 3 cm shorter packed and $60 cheaper. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (60 vs 59), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Black Series FX Carbon if you care most about low weight and reach, which makes it the better call for counting grams on long miles. Pick the DynaLock Ascent Carbon if packability and price matter more to you, or you are focused on saving space in your pack.
The Leki Black Series FX Carbon. It is 0.6 oz lighter per pair than the DynaLock Ascent Carbon.
The MSR DynaLock Ascent Carbon. It is 3 cm shorter packed than the Black Series FX Carbon.
They are nearly tied at 60 and 59 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 Black Series FX Carbon for low weight, or the DynaLock Ascent Carbon for packability. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.