Rubber Tip Protector (pair)

The Komperdell Rubber Tip Protector is a push-on rubber tip for trekking poles, made in Austria in two sizes, 8 mm and 12 mm. Fitted over the pole's metal tip, the Komperdell Rubber Tip Protector gives support and stability on roads, footpaths and other hard surfaces, and each card holds two tips, one for each pole.

Who it's for

Anyone whose walk includes bitumen, concrete or boardwalk. A carbide pole tip that bites into dirt and gravel skates and clatters on hard ground, and chews up timber boardwalks on tracks like the Overland. Push a rubber tip on and the pole grips quietly instead. They suit Nordic-style walks around town, the road sections that link up a longer route, and anywhere the track is paved. Komperdell make them to fit any trekking pole, and they are also the easy fix when an old rubber tip has worn through.

Choosing a size

Komperdell make the tip in two diameters, 8 mm and 12 mm. Measure across the end of your pole's tip, or check the size of the tip it already wears, and pick the matching one. If you run two sets of poles with different tips, grab a card of each.

Grip on hard ground

The flared rubber foot spreads the load and holds on smooth surfaces where a bare metal tip would slip. That is the whole job: planted, quiet poles on the hard stuff, so you can keep a steady rhythm through town or along a sealed fire road.

Fitting and removing

Push the tip firmly over the end of the pole until it seats. Pull it off when you head back onto dirt, snow or loose rock, where the metal tip does the gripping, and keep the pair in a hip-belt pocket for the next paved stretch.