END OF SPRING SALE!

SAVE UP TO 20% ON MANY OF OUR MOST POPULAR OUTDOOR BRANDS THIS WEEKEND. In our biggest weekend sale event of the year, 70% of our inventory is now on sale for 4 DAYS ONLY! Due to an overlap in our sales schedule, brands that were on sale the first two weeks of June are on sale at the same time as brands going on sale. Don't wait to take advantage of the bargains; prices are only in effect while supplies last!

Three categories where you'll find terrific deals and great selection are:

BACKPACKING BOOTS: Our most popular boots from Lowa and Vasque are on SALE thru 6/14.

TREKKING POLES: Black Diamond, Komperdell, and Leki Hiking Poles are now all on Sale.

BACKPACKING STOVES: Our selection of Jetboil & Primus stoves just went on sale. This sale ends 6/24.

Ultralight Trekking Poles

With all the rain spoiling the 2 feet of snow we recieved this week, this seems an a propos time to tout the merits of trekking poles. Especially in the deep, mushy snow we've got now a strong pair of lightweight poles can make all the difference between a twisted ankle or a wet faceplant. In a nut shell, having four points of contact with the ground provides better balance than two.

Maybe I just have poles on the brain because we've been stocking up on new ones in the past few weeks. Yesterday we opened our new Black Diamond Ultra Distance Z-Poles for Trekking; these were one of only 14 picks for best gear of the year in Backpacker Magazine's 2011 Gear Guide! Here's what the testers said: "Get a grip on the best carbon poles we've ever tested." Using the same concept as the elastic shock cords in tent poles, these 3 section poles feature a coated inner cord with a push button release.

I'm curious about which poles I'll decide to bring on tomorrow's snowshoe to the top of Camel's Hump, but I'm pretty sure I won't be lucky enough to break out Black Diamond's new Z poles.