Backcountry Ski Poles

If you haven’t heard of or seen Indigo Equipment backcountry products, then you’re missing out on one of the most innovative companies in recent years. Their pack line has revolutionized the backcountry travel market by being the first to mass-market a fully-enclosed design using their “Tool Box System.” Not content with just packs, Indigo Equipment has branched out into other core backcountry products.

Back for a sophomore season, the 2005 Indigo Equipment MoJo adjustable ski pole is one of the best backcountry products we’ve seen in years.

Backed by some of the most down-to-earth folks in the industry, Indigo Equipment is on everyone’s radar screens.

Product Details

The Indigo Equipment MoJo ski pole provides an innovative solution to a common backcountry problem. Most adjustable ski poles require that you twist each section tight using your glove-clad hands in freezing cold conditions. All of us know that the whole twist and shout method of adjusting poles in the backcountry is less than effective. You either end up tightening them so tight that you can’t loosen them, or they are never tight enough, so they slip with every step of the skintrack. To combat the traditional pole slip or death grip, Indigo has employed a smarter solution, the SlipNot Adjustment System.

Borrowing from adjustable tent poles, avalanche shovels and the like, the Indigo MoJo ski poles use a locking button that pops into pre-drilled holes along the upper shaft. Each hole is then protected by the Indigo Weather Seal to prevent accidental slippage.

The lower shaft section is made of 75% carbon fiber and the upper shaft is hardened aluminum. The MoJo poles also feature ample-sized 85mm powder baskets and a comfortable grip. Available in one size, the Mojo Poles adjust from 44″ to 56″ inches with the flick of a button. The $75 price point is easy on the wallet too–especially considering the usability of these poles.

Performance

In the backcountry, the Indigo MoJo poles are stellar. Nobody wants to be fiddling with their equipment while in search of freshies. You don’t want to be distracted and you just want poles that do their job and do it well. I was immediately impressed with the low swing weight, comfortable grip and easy to use adjustments.

I’ve found that with other poles, I never adjusted them because to get them tight again required He-Man strength. Well, with the MoJo poles, I was liberated from my buddy at BALCO because quick adjustment of lengths required only the push of a button. I could do it easily with or without gloves. These poles are awesome!

After using these poles on a few backcountry tours, I couldn’t stop talking about these poles. As we’d stop at switchbacks or break for lunch, everyone quickly tired of me saying I loved these poles so much. The bottom line is that they just plain work so you can think about other things.

The Skinny

The folks at Indigo Equipment have truly hit a sweet spot with the MoJo adjustable poles. These poles are by far the finest backcountry poles money can buy. The only downside is that they don’t compact down enough to slip inside your pack. Other than that, for 99% of backcountry travel the MoJo’s will keep the MoJo flowing in the backcountry. You won’t worry about your poles slipping or getting stuck with one pole longer than the other.

Visit Backcountry.com to purchase Indigo Equipment MoJo backcountry ski poles.