Otis picks: trekking poles
Meet the crew · The little hill · mountain goat
Otis’s story
Otis grew up on the high ridges and came down to the valley to guide day hikes. Every climb, however steep, he calls a little hill.
- Has never once been out of breath, or never once admitted it.
- Wears the same green beanie in July.
- Carries spare poles for friends who swear they won’t need them.
Gerzsi’s visit: Stop 15, Otis and the Little Hill →
🎯 Otis’ hobby, and his surprise pick
Hobby: Summit coffee at sunrise, on ledges nobody else can reach, and calling the climb to get there a little hill.
Surprise pick: Jetboil Flash cooking system. A stove and cup in one that boils water in about 100 seconds, which is as long as Otis is willing to wait for anything. Packs down to the size of a thermos. The coffee is bad. The view fixes it.
Affiliate link. Not a kitchen tool, and that is the point: one thing Otis would buy for himself. Check today’s price on Amazon.
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Otis’s pick: trekking poles
“Set them short enough that your arms can rest. Then the hill does the work and you just walk,” says Otis.
| Trekking poles | What the testers said | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Leki Legacy Lite Trekking Poles · Check price on Amazon | REI’s testers: best for beginners, comfortable grip, easy lever lock. | Long when collapsed, flexes under a heavy load |
| Black Diamond Pursuit Trekking Poles · Check price on Amazon | Best Overall at GearJunkie and CleverHiker: light, tough, cork grips. | Costs more, and the left lock can catch |
Otis’s pick: Leki Legacy Lite. REI’s member testers scored it 96 out of 100 and called it best for beginners, and CleverHiker named it the best no-frills pole.
Also good: Black Diamond Pursuit, if you already know you’ll hike every weekend and want a lighter pair.
Otis came down from the ridge one autumn to see what the river was like. He found it flat. He has been leading friends up the hills above it ever since, mostly so they can see the river from where he likes to stand.
Gear in this story: jump to the picks →
He walks slowly and never stops. Nobody has ever seen him sit down on a trail. He says sitting is for the top, and the top is always just past the next bend.
Gerzsi likes hiking with him because Otis knows where the blueberries are. Otis likes hiking with Gerzsi because, for once, somebody on the trail is slower than the snails.
He still waits at every bend. He says that is the whole job of a guide. Walk ahead, look back, and never say how far it really is.
Otis’s guide: Best trekking poles for beginners, with five pairs the testers took up real trails.
Otis is made up, like everyone on the river except Chef Tamás. The gear and the test results are real.
🦫 The Lodge Letter. Black Friday is November 27. We’ll email you when a tested pick actually drops, plus one story a week. No spam, he’s a beaver.
