Carbide tip at a glance
- Material
- Tungsten carbide
- Grips
- Rock, ice, hardpack
- Replaceable
- On most poles
What the tip has to do
The tip is the only part of the pole that touches the ground, and it's asked to grip surfaces that are harder than most metals. Tungsten carbide is the answer: it's hard enough to hold a point against rock for years, where a plain steel tip rounds off and starts sliding.
Where carbide is wrong
That's the right tool on rock, ice, hardpack and gravel. It's the wrong tool on boardwalk, on stone paving, and in some heavily used areas where the scarring from thousands of pole plants is a genuine trail damage issue. Rubber tip protectors push on over the carbide and take about two seconds to fit; carry them and use them on hard surfaces.
Replacing a worn tip
Tips are replaceable on most poles, either screwing off or pulling out of a socket, and worn tips are one of the cheapest maintenance items in hiking. Check them occasionally, because a tip worn to a stub grips considerably worse than it did new and it's easy not to notice the change happening slowly.
What this means when you're choosing
- Whether the tip is replaceable, which most quality poles allow
- Rubber protectors included in the box, or buy a pair separately
- Tip condition on a used pole, since it's a cheap fix but a real one
The common mistake
Using bare carbide on boardwalk and rock slabs
It scars wood, it skates on smooth stone, and the noise carries a long way in quiet country. Rubber tip protectors cost a few dollars, live on the tips when not needed, and are what most trails would rather you used.
Common questions
When should I use rubber tips instead of carbide?
On pavement, boardwalks, rock slabs where the tips would scar the surface, and anywhere the clicking annoys people. Take them off for dirt, mud and ice, where rubber has much less grip.
How long do carbide tips last?
Years for most hikers. They wear faster on abrasive granite and pavement, and replacing them is cheap, so it's worth checking them at the start of a season rather than after a slip.