A note on this review
I have not put the Trail Back on trail myself. The Black Diamond pole I own and use is the Trail Explorer 3, and this review leans on that first-hand experience alongside manufacturer specifications, Outdoor Gear Lab's measured figures and the wider user review picture. The Trail Back sits one rung down from the poles I know, and it shares the same FlickLock mechanism and 7075 aluminium shafts, so most of what I have learned about how these behave in the hand carries directly across.
Where I am drawing on the Trail Explorer 3 I own rather than the Trail Back specifically, I say so.
Who the Trail Back is for
The Trail Back is the cheapest way into a genuine Black Diamond trekking pole. That is the whole point of it. If you want the FlickLock lever and the proper aluminium shaft that make this brand worth buying, but you do not want to spend £90 or more, the Trail Back is where the range starts.
It is the right pole for a first-time buyer who has decided to skip the throwaway supermarket poles and buy something that will still lock reliably in three winters. It is also a sensible choice for anyone kitting out a household, where buying two pairs of budget-genuine poles beats one pair of premium ones.
It is not the pole for weight-obsessed hikers, and it is not the pole if you specifically want a cork grip, which in the Black Diamond range means the Trail Vista or Pursuit Carbon rather than anything in the Trail line. Those buyers step up, and I cover exactly where below.
Specifications
- Weight
- ~515g per pair (Outdoor Gear Lab measured 517g)
- Sections
- Three, telescopic
- Shaft material
- 7075 aluminium (part recycled)
- Locking mechanism
- Dual FlickLock
- Grip
- Ribbed EVA foam with dual-density top and foam extension
- Strap
- Vari-width nylon webbing with woven lining
- Length range
- 100 to 140cm usable
- Collapsed length
- ~63cm
- Tips
- Carbide four-season flex tips
- Baskets
- Trekking baskets included, snow basket compatible
- UK price
- ~£70
A note on the weight figure. Black Diamond quotes a lower number, some UK listings quote as high as 610g, and Outdoor Gear Lab put a pair on the scales at 517g. I have used around 515g as the honest real-world figure, because it matches an independently measured pair with tips and baskets fitted, which is how you will actually carry them.
FlickLock and build quality
The Trail Back uses dual FlickLock, meaning both shaft joints are held by Black Diamond's external cam lever rather than an internal twist mechanism. This is the single most important thing about the pole, because it is the feature that separates a proper Black Diamond from the budget market it is priced against.
A FlickLock is a lever that clamps the shaft from the outside. Flip it open, slide the section, flip it shut. It takes three seconds, it works with gloves on, and it does not seize in the cold and wet the way twist locks do. On my Trail Explorer 3, which uses the same mechanism, the locks have never slipped under body weight, and if one ever loosens you tighten a single small screw a quarter turn to bring it back. That is the whole maintenance story.
The shafts are 7075 aluminium, the same grade Black Diamond runs across the Trail line and a clear step up from the soft alloy in cheap poles. Aluminium bends rather than snaps under a sideways load, which is the behaviour you want on a rocky descent or a river crossing when a pole takes a force it was not designed for. A bent aluminium pole can often be field-straightened and walked out. A snapped carbon pole on a remote stretch of the South West Coast Path is a worse afternoon.
The tips are carbide four-season flex tips, and trekking baskets come in the box with snow baskets compatible. Tips, baskets, grips and straps are all replaceable, which is the quiet reason these poles tend to outlast their price.
Grip and comfort
The Trail Back runs a ribbed EVA foam grip with a dual-density top and a foam extension below the main head. This is the same broad family of grip material as my Trail Explorer 3, and the verdict carries across cleanly. Foam is light, warm to hold in the cold, and comfortable over a long day. It is not cork.
The practical limit shows up on hot days. Foam does not manage sweat the way cork does, so on a warm afternoon your palm can feel slightly clammy against the grip. For most UK hiking, which happens in cool damp conditions more often than not, that rarely matters. On a warm 20km-plus day it is the one thing you notice. If cork specifically appeals, that grip lives on the Trail Vista and Pursuit Carbon, not on the Trail Back or its Trail line siblings.
The foam extension below the head is more useful than it looks. On a sustained climb you naturally choke down on the pole rather than adjust it, and gripping soft foam there beats gripping bare shaft. The vari-width webbing strap with a woven lining is comfortable and adequate. Thread your hand up through it from below so the strap takes the load on the forward push rather than your fingers, which cuts hand fatigue over a long day.
Trail Back vs Trail vs Trail Explorer 3
These three poles look almost identical on a shelf and confuse a lot of buyers. Here is where the Trail Back actually sits.
vs Black Diamond Trail (~£85)
The Trail is the lighter, more refined aluminium sibling in the same line. Same dual FlickLock, same 7075 aluminium, and the same foam grip family as the Trail Back, so this is not a grip upgrade. What the extra roughly £15 buys is weight and finish: a pair comes in around 480 to 490g against the Trail Back's ~515g, the build feels a touch more polished, and snow baskets are included. If you want the lightest, tidiest pole in the Trail line and the small weight saving matters to you, the Trail is the step up. If it does not, the Trail Back gives you the identical grip and lock for less. Neither is a cork pole. For a cork grip you look at the Trail Vista or Pursuit Carbon instead.
vs Black Diamond Trail Explorer 3 (~£70)
This is the closer call, because the two sit at nearly the same price and both use foam grips. The Trail Explorer 3 is the pair I own and have used on the Jurassic Coast, in the New Forest and on the chalk descents above Lulworth Cove. It collapses shorter, to around 58.5cm, and tops out at 130cm. The Trail Back collapses a little longer but extends to 140cm, which suits taller hikers and anyone who wants more length for steep descents. Grip feel differs slightly, with the Trail Back leaning more ribbed and the Explorer more moulded foam, but both are comfortable.
For most people it comes down to fit and availability. If you are tall or want the longer range, the Trail Back. If you find the Explorer 3 cheaper on the day, take it. They are siblings doing the same job, and the Black Diamond poles roundup lays out where each one wins.
Sizing and use
The 100 to 140cm range covers virtually every adult, and the taller top end is a genuine advantage over the Trail Explorer 3 for anyone over about six foot. Set the length so your elbow sits at roughly 90 degrees with the tip on the ground beside your foot. Shorten a few centimetres for sustained climbs, lengthen for long descents, and let the dual FlickLock earn its keep by actually adjusting as the terrain changes rather than picking one length and leaving it.
At around 63cm collapsed these are telescopic poles, not folding ones, so they ride on the outside of a pack rather than inside it. The side compression straps on the Osprey Talon 33 handle a pair without fuss. If you specifically need poles that stow inside a daypack, that is the Trail Vista FLZ or another Z-fold design, not the Trail Back.
For a full picture of how the Trail Back stacks up against Leki and the rest of the market, the best trekking poles UK 2026 guide covers budget to premium.
Pros and cons
- Genuine dual FlickLock at close to budget money
- 7075 aluminium shafts that bend rather than snap
- 100 to 140cm range suits taller hikers
- Carbide four-season tips and trekking baskets included
- Grips, tips, baskets and straps all replaceable
- Same reliable mechanism as the Trail Explorer 3 I own
- Heavy for the category at around 515g per pair
- Foam grip manages sweat less well than cork on hot days
- No anti-shock mechanism
- Collapses to ~63cm, so it lives on the outside of a pack
Verdict: are they worth it?
Yes, if you want the cheapest honest Black Diamond pole. The Trail Back does the one thing that matters at this price, which is give you a real dual FlickLock and a proper aluminium shaft for money that usually buys a throwaway pole. Everything I trust about my Trail Explorer 3, the lock that never slips and the shaft that shrugs off abuse, is here in a pair that costs the same or less and reaches longer for taller walkers.
The weight is the trade-off, and the foam grip is a fair-weather compromise rather than a flaw. If you want the lightest, most refined pole in the Trail line, spend the extra on the Trail. If a cork grip specifically matters, look at the Trail Vista or Pursuit Carbon. If low weight above all is the priority, look at carbon and folding designs. But for a first quality pair, or a dependable set to hand to anyone in the house, the Trail Back is the right amount of pole for the money.
Buy Black Diamond Trail Back at Blacks Buy Black Diamond Trail Back on AmazonFAQ
What is the difference between the Trail Back and the Trail Explorer 3?
Is the Black Diamond Trail Back worth it?
Does the Trail Back have cork grips?
Can you pack the Trail Back inside a backpack?
How heavy is the Black Diamond Trail Back?
Black Diamond poles at Blacks
Prices pulled live from Blacks, updated daily. Links are affiliate links.
Black Diamond Distance LT 1100 Headlamp
£94
Black Diamond Trail Vista Shock Walking Poles
£121
Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon FLZ 135cm Walking Poles
£160
Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles
£84
Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles
£69
Black Diamond Pursuit Carbon FLZ 125cm Walking Poles
£160
Black Diamond Distance 1500 Head Torch
£169
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