Ever wish you had markings on your Lightrek™ poles to instantly know which length to extend them to without the old "holding them next to each other" ritual at the trailhead? Here's a simple solution: use a silver-metallic Sharpie marker. Since the poles are black, you need something that will stand out against the graphite and the metallic ink of these Sharpies fits the bill without adding any weight. Simply hold a yardstick against the bottom section, measure the increments in either centimeters or inches (however you see fit), and draw rings around the circumference of the shaft with the Sharpie. Or, if you have 2 or 3 preferred settings for ascents and descents, simply adjust the poles for each and mark them so you always know which one to use if you're going uphill or downhill. You could even get more sophisticated by developing your own system based on the number of rings such as 1 ring = "downhill", 2 rings = "flat", 3 rings = "uphill", etc. However you do it, this solution is easy, cheap, and enhances the ergonomics of your already user-friendly Lightrek™ poles!

–Submitted by Jason Klass

March 14, 2010 — Brian Fryer