Most poles (including Komperdells, according to the web site) allow you to lock out the shock absorbers:
http://www.komperdell.com/technik/antishock.htm
It's not complete, but it's something. I tried to pull the springs to my Lekis, but I was frankly afraid that I'd break something if I turned the nut too hard. Even so, I feel like speculating. From the looks of the mechanism in mine, I'd expect that just pulling the springs would leave the poles with about 2 inches of free movement, i.e. a short pole when planted and a long pole when off the ground, subject to flop around chaotically, annoyingly, and probably dangerously on rough and exposed terrain. As a degree-carrying hillbilly engineer, I'd put in a spacer if I hated my springs enough to yank them. My spacer would probably consist of a strip of HDPE cut from a milk jug, as wide as the space for the spring and about six inches long. I'd soak it in hot water to soften it up, wrap it around the shaft where the spring was, and duct tape it in place. To cushion the works and offer a fudge factor, I'd want some kind of flexible washer on each end of the spacer, be it an appropriately sized O-ring or gasket, a few wraps of monofilament fishing line, the rubber disk from the lid of a pop bottle, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Ever watch
Junkyard Wars? If you can make an engine mount from a shopping cart, you can pull the springs from your trekking poles.*
*This message and all opinions expressed therein are solely those of that David dumbass and are do not reflect those of Komperdell, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries or employees.
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