Helinox brolly & Ridgeline trekking poles?

[Biggles]

I am in Big Town (Melb.) today and having a look around at two things: Helinox Ridgeline (LBB135) trekking poles and a Helinox Umbrella One ultralight umbrella.

Plenty of experience walking with other trekking poles (the fiddly, heavy LEKI, particularly) but looking for poles that are lighter with speedier deployment and smaller stowage footprint. The 54cm stated by Helinox is just that — impressively small!

What is your experience with these items?
The umbrella is quite the revelation in reducing weight without (from what I can see) sacrificing performance. Opinions? Durability (in-shop, it feels impossibly light and does appear to be well made with sensible details and is non-folding) and speed of deployment (the one I am fondling in-store (yes I know it is bad luck to put up an umbrella indoors...) and has no buttons to press, just a very simple grab and push it up). Both Helinox items are very expensive. But then so too was my delightful gin-and-lamingtons break Chair Zero for bushwalking!!

[bernieq]

Can't comment on the umbrella. I have an earlier edition (I think) of the poles. Mine has 3 twist-loks - looks like current version has 2 twist-loks & a clip near the grip end.

My poles are great. The blue metal ring at the bottom of the grip, after years of hard work, fell off but it didn't make any difference.

I have to comment on customer service & warranty - it's excellent!

(my chair zero goes on every walk)

[Biggles]

Can't comment on the umbrella. I have an earlier edition (I think) of the poles. Mine has 3 twist-loks - looks like current version has 2 twist-loks & a clip near the grip end.
My poles are great. The blue metal ring at the bottom of the grip, after years of hard work, fell off but it didn't make any difference.
I have to comment on customer service & warranty - it's excellent!
(my chair zero goes on every walk)

I am heartened by your positive experience with the poles. Obviously they are durable.
Current (Ridgeline) poles: upper master lock is by clip (made by DAC). Nothing at all to twist or yank.
Lower 3 sections by self-locating pin locks: press either/both side of pin, pull out section until the pin locks engage. Done.
Bottom section is pull out, again with self-locating pin lock.
One touch collapse from fully extended by flipping master clip up and pushing the pole down = collapsing to 54cm. This feature of quick 'downsizing' for carrying makes the poles a winner.

There is a small amount of flex at full extension, but then a person of my fly weight is hardly going to break or buckle them!

I will consider a bit further but think I am totally sold on these poles. Umbrella One...213 grams with a DAC pole...but don't have red presently

[sandym]

Trigger warning: Umbrellas are great as long as the trail allows, but $100 for a brolly? Just take a dump before you start walking and you'll have saved enough weight to take a $10 Reject Shop brolly.

[crollsurf]

I've had the Umbrella Two for a few years now and it handles wind a lot better than normal umbrellas. I bought the larger Two because I'm bigger than average but also wanted something that would actually keep my top half dry. I only use it day walking and haven't taken it backpacking. I'm happy with mine.

[Biggles]

I've had the Umbrella Two for a few years now and it handles wind a lot better than normal umbrellas. I bought the larger Two because I'm bigger than average but also wanted something that would actually keep my top half dry. I only use it day walking and haven't taken it backpacking. I'm happy with mine.

The store didn't have the Umbrella Two in stock, but they told me it was around 300grams, which is above the target for a brolly for me (at or under 200g).
I am not beefcake, tall or mighty, so the coverage of the One is fine for me. It will also be lashed to the ballhead of my tripod to facilitate keeping the ancient camera dry when I am photographing in the Great Otway National Park rainforest, upstream of Triplet Falls.

My previous "pocket" umbrella, and not especially light, was by Sea to Summit but it abrubtly disintegrated in July on a routine supermarket walk when a gust of wind blew it inside-out. The flimsy, flapping shape and none-too-positive feel of the material never was to my satisfaction, but I needed something at the time. So it went kaput, in a downpour, and I got very wet.

[Dave95]

The lightest weight Helinox poles are the Passport series. I have Passport FL120 poles and they are featherweight — well, almost. Notwithstanding how light they are they are very strong. I have had some fall back on one of my poles when I was on a walk but it had no effect on the pole. Unfortunately, you might have difficulty obtaining the FL120 poles at the moment. I note that they are shown as "sold out" on the Helinox site, but they seem to be available in Europe, so presumably will come back into stock before too long. The Passport TL series, which are the folding equivalents and about the same weight are in stock. TL poles fold to a shorter length and so are ideal for those who want to take their poles on flights

One point that you need to be aware of is that the alloy of which Helinox poles are made can be corroded by moisture. It is not a major issue as far as their strength goes but the corrosion can obliterate the extension markings. The way to avoid corrosion is to wipe the poles dry after used them on a wet day or store them extended.

[legend]

The helinox poles are fantastic - I have several pairs of different weights for use across varying terrain (Include snowshoeing).
The Helinox umbrella is great. It has withstood storms and driving rain and allows me to walk without a hood, especially through scrub. There are no signs of wear.

[Biggles]

Just before I head home over the Great Divide, I have purchased the Helinox Ridgeline LBB135 poles and the Helinox Umbrella One (found a a red one!). The purchase, leaving just enough for me to grab a hot dog, ends months of to-and-fro'ing through many stores looking at all manner of poles, some of which I observed cost more than $430!!

Anyways, the happy camper is homeward bound!

The input from members has been most interesting to read. I will try out the poles, and likely the brolly, tomorrow on a local bushwalk. We are expecting rain in the north-central area where I am, all the way to next Thursday at a minimum.

[Neo]

Both are top items, nice choice there. I have lost two umbrellas one of each size, now have a six moon designs instead, because of the silver top, for giving shade as well as being a brolly.