Build My Own FeedPRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Compactor ski pole
Innovation is what drives everything here at Black Diamond. If we're not making gear better, stronger, lighter, faster, more durable and easier to use, then we're not doing our job. In this new series of monthly posts, we'll be giving you an inside look at some of our most innovative products through one-on-one interviews with our team of industry-leading product designers and category directors.
This month, we sat down with our Ski Accessories Category Director, Curtis Graves, to talk about the Compactor ski pole, which brings our innovative Z-Pole technology to the world of winter sports. The Compactor comes in two different sizes and has already received an Editor's Pick Award from Freeskier Magazine.
For more information and to grab yourself a pair, CLICK HERE.
What was the design goal in creating the Compactor?
The intention of the Compactor was to bring winter use to our highly successful compactable Z-Pole technology.
How does the winter sports category benefit from Z-Pole technology?
The Compactor customer is looking for compactability, like traveling to go ski touring, or splitboarders—that's really where we've seen most of the early demand is in the splitboarding community—folks that need a touring pole on the way up and then need the pole to disappear inside their pack on the way down. Rather than just trying to find the most compactable trekking pole, this gives people a true ski pole on the way up.
What are the advantages of the Compactor over a traditional ski pole?
Compactability. The fact that it compacts down to 16 inches and can go in your pack rather than on the outside. And for the person looking for a true ski pole for ascents or light ski touring, it's a fully functional ski pole when it's deployed.
Any limitations compared to a standard ski pole?
It's not quite as strong. The original Z-Pole design was created for endurance runners and fastpackers, and we've taken a lot of steps to reinforce this for 4-season use and for light ski touring. But we hesitate to compare it to a traditional downhill pole—there are some compressive forces that occur in the ski pole world that the Compactor isn't really intended for.
What unique challenges did you come across in designing and creating the Compactor?
The main challenge was expanding already proven Z-Pole technology into the snow sports world. Whereas icing and freezing don't necessarily apply to trekking poles, we had to overcome those issues and also reinforce the pole in different ways for winter use, mainly by increasing the thickness of the ferrules and optimizing the tube length to get it to compact down properly with a ski pole grip.
What steps were taken to overcome the freezing issue?
We increased the inside diameter of the outer tube by a few tenths of a millimeter compared to what you'd find on our standard Z-Poles, so when the FlickLock adjustment is open, the tube is a lot looser inside, which essentially creates a self-clearing system and keeps the pole from freezing up.
We didn't just take a Distance FL and put a ski pole grip on it, that would have been too easy. That was the starting point, but we went through a lot of validations this winter getting this to the right specs. We also learned a lot through the development of the Compactor that we can apply to future trekking pole and ski pole lines.
United States / English 
23 Dec 2012, 9:53AM
I'm a splitboarder. I like straps! They save you having to grip the handle tight, save losing the pole if it half-sticks in the snow, are handy to hook your thumb through when you want to hold the pole below the grip on the uphill side of a traverse (so I'd like a longer foam grip like some ski touring poles....) and are easy to cut off if you're called dave :-)
Anyway, congrats. A great idea.
18 Nov 2011, 12:50PM
Any update on inventory availability of the shorter length? Looks like they're in, in the longer length, but not the 105-125? Thanks!
14 Nov 2011, 10:26AM
When are these hitting european shops. I ordered these from an online shop 6 weeks ago and only just received an email saying I wont be getting them anytime year maybe January.. Bummed. Have you shipped to The great USA first as you seem to be able to buy them over there..?
_S
13 Nov 2011, 3:50PM
In addition to what dave said, a whippet version of this would be the greatest. Open for approaches, but collapsable for climbs so that it fits inside a pack.
10 Nov 2011, 11:43AM
If these poles target splitboarders: 1. ditch the wrist strap so the pole isn't an anchor in an avalanche, straps are for skiers not to lose their poles while skiing in bounds, right? No good reason for a strap on ascent really. 2. design the grip for hands to be on top of the grip not gripping it like a skiing skier. It's way to inefficient to grab the handle of a pole and push on it as compared to pushing straight down on the top. A small grip top isnt so comfortable as a larger platform. 3. for a splitter a pole has to have a little hook or lip to be able to flip up your heel riser. 4. Splits are like 130mm skis, they carry tons of stuck on snow, the scraper from voile is a real good idea. 5. sell em with little bd engineered straps and clips that you can sew to the outside of your pack for easy stowing, many won't actually put their poles inside a pack if they are icy/wet
9 Nov 2011, 7:42PM
This pole looks amazing! I wish you would have had them last year before I bought my Expeditions!!! ! I use mine as the ultimate snowkiting tool for access or in case I get caught down wind if the wind dies etc etc. The Compactor looks a lot faster to put together, Is it as sturdy? I can only imagine that it is seeing that it was engineered by Black Diamond!