Gossamer Gear LT5.

The Gavler Review.

Gossamer Gear LT5 Review: The Lightest Trekking Poles You Can Trust (Mostly)

The Gossamer Gear LT5 sits at number one on our Best Trekking Poles list with a 9.6, and it gets there by answering one question as aggressively as possible: how light can a usable trekking pole actually get? At roughly 4.6 ounces per pole — about 10 ounces per pair with straps and baskets, as OutdoorGearLab measured — the LT5 is among the lightest credible carbon trekking poles in production, roughly half the weight of mainstream poles from Black Diamond or Leki. Buy it if you're an ultralight backpacker who plants poles for balance rather than leverage, and especially if you're pitching a trekking-pole-supported shelter and want poles that double as tent poles. Skip it if you lean on poles hard on technical, off-trail terrain — reviewers, including OutdoorGearLab's own testers, have broken one.

What it actually is

The LT5 is a minimalist three-section carbon fiber trekking pole built around a simple twist-lock micro-adjust that fine-tunes length within your ordered size range. There's no lever lock, no plush ergonomic grip, no adjustable strap system beyond the basics — just an EVA foam handle, a carbide tip, and the least hardware Gossamer Gear could get away with while keeping the pole functional. That spareness is the entire design philosophy: every gram not spent on comfort or adjustability is a gram saved off the total weight.

At $155 for the pair, the LT5 is priced in line with premium carbon poles from bigger brands, but it's selling something different — Gossamer Gear is a cottage ultralight manufacturer, and the LT5 is designed by and for the specific subculture of hikers who count grams on every piece of gear they carry, including their trekking poles.

In use

The core appeal shows up the moment you pick up a pair: at roughly half the weight of a mainstream pole, the LT5 essentially disappears in your hands over the course of a long day. For hikers already carrying a frameless pack, a DCF tent, and a quilt instead of a bag, poles this light are the last piece of the ultralight kit puzzle, and they double as tent poles for the trekking-pole-supported shelters — like the Zpacks Duplex Pro — that dominate the ultralight tent category.

The twist-lock adjustment is functional but fussier than the lever locks most competing poles have moved to. It requires a firmer, more deliberate twist to seat properly, and it's slower to adjust mid-hike than a flip-lever mechanism. That's a real usability tradeoff, and it's consistent with the LT5's whole approach: less hardware means less to go wrong, but also less convenience.

OutdoorGearLab's assessment captures both sides plainly: "With carbon fiber shafts, plastic twist-lock mechanisms, and foam grips, they are among the lightest poles we have ever tested." But the same review is unusually blunt about the cost of that weight: "With carbon shafts and plastic length locks, the LT5 does not promise longevity. In fact, we broke our poles during the test period!" That's not a hedge buried in fine print — it's the headline caveat from the same outlet that calls them some of the lightest poles ever tested. CleverHiker's take is more straightforwardly positive: "the Gossamer Gear LT5s are our favorite ultralight trekking poles."

Where it shines

• Genuinely class-leading weight. At ~4.6 oz per pole, the LT5 is roughly half the weight of mainstream carbon poles — a real, measurable difference over a full day's swing count, not a marginal spec-sheet win.
• Doubles as shelter support. For the large population of ultralight backpackers using trekking-pole tents, the LT5 eliminates carrying separate tent poles entirely, which is a weight and cost savings layered on top of the pole's own light weight.
• No wasted hardware. The minimalist twist-lock and EVA grip mean fewer failure points from complexity, even if it trades some day-to-day convenience for that simplicity.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

This is the ultralight purist's pick, not an all-terrain workhorse, and the honest reasons to buy something else are specific:

• You hike off-trail or on technical, rocky terrain. OutdoorGearLab's own testers broke a pole during review, and the thin-wall carbon shafts and plastic twist-locks are not built for hard leaning or scrambling. If your trips regularly involve steep, loose, or technical ground where you actually load poles hard, a reinforced pole is the safer buy.
• You want fast, tool-free length adjustment on the trail. The twist-lock is slower and fussier to set than a lever lock, and it's really designed to be dialed in once per trip within your size range rather than adjusted repeatedly for changing terrain.
• You need a pole that packs down small. The LT5 is a fixed telescoping design, not a folding Z-pole. If stashing poles in a running vest or small pack matters, the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z's 15-inch packed length is the better fit.

How it compares

Within its own list, the LT5's closest rival sits directly behind it. The Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z at rank two trades about 4 ounces of extra weight per pair for a Z-fold design that collapses to roughly 14–17 inches and deploys in about 2 seconds — the pick for trail runners and fast hikers who need to stow and deploy poles repeatedly mid-outing. The Leki Makalu FX Carbon goes further in the other direction, prioritizing durability and a lever-lock system that holds tension reliably on rugged terrain, at a real weight cost the LT5 was specifically designed to avoid.

The LT5's case isn't that it wins on every axis — it doesn't fold, and it isn't the most durable — it's that it wins the minimum-weight question outright, and for the ultralight audience that's the question that matters most.

The Gavler verdict

A 9.6, reflecting the highest rating of any ultralight trekking pole we track, with the durability caveat weighed in rather than glossed over. The Gossamer Gear LT5 is the pick for hikers who have already committed to counting grams everywhere else in their kit and want poles that don't undo that discipline. It is not the pole for hard off-trail use or technical terrain — for that, spend the extra weight on the Leki Makalu FX Carbon or a comparably reinforced alternative. For the gram-counting thru-hiker planting poles gently mile after mile, the LT5 is the confident, near-unanimous recommendation.

Common Questions

Is the Gossamer Gear LT5 worth it in 2026?

For dedicated ultralight backpackers, yes. It ranks first on Gavler's Best Trekking Poles list with a 9.6, and the reason is simple: at roughly 4.6 ounces per pole, it's about half the weight of mainstream poles from Black Diamond or Leki, and it also doubles as tent-pole support for trekking-pole shelters like the Zpacks Duplex Pro or Durston X-Mid Pro 2. The caveat is real: OutdoorGearLab broke a pole during testing, so this is a purchase for hikers who plant poles gently, not people who lean on them hard over rocky terrain.

Are the Gossamer Gear LT5 poles durable enough for regular use?

For gentle, balance-assist use on maintained trails, generally yes — many ultralighters put hundreds of trail miles on a pair without issue. But OutdoorGearLab's own test team snapped a pole during their review period, and the thin-wall carbon and plastic twist-locks are explicitly not built for hard leaning, off-trail scrambling, or aggressive self-arrest on steep terrain. If your hiking style involves planting poles hard on rocky descents, budget for a sturdier, lever-locked alternative.

Can the Gossamer Gear LT5 be used to pitch a trekking-pole tent?

Yes, and that's a major part of why ultralighters buy them. Most trekking-pole-supported shelters, including the Zpacks Duplex Pro and Durston X-Mid Pro 2, are designed around standard trekking pole heights, and using poles you already carry for hiking eliminates the need for separate tent poles entirely — a meaningful weight and cost savings that compounds with every ounce-conscious gear choice on a thru-hike.

Gossamer Gear LT5 or Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z?

Buy the LT5 if minimum weight is the only priority — it's roughly 4 ounces lighter per pair. Buy the Distance Carbon Z if you want a folding pole that stashes in 14 to 17 inches for a running vest or need the length adjustability isn't offering anyway (both are largely fixed within a size range). The Distance Carbon Z's Z-fold deployment is also faster to stow and deploy mid-hike, which matters more for trail runners than straight thru-hikers.