Steven East trekking with his Pacerpoles to the Magnetic North Pole. (arrived MNP 3 May 2003)

Having nearly reached the half way point after travelling 180 miles and averaged a daily non stop walking routine of consistent 15 hour days, the mind becomes tired and confused with little sleep and the constant cold of minus 30 and below. With the remaining weeks ahead with our gun and tent poles refusing to work properly – the only piece of equipment that did not fail in temperatures colder than minus 45 degrees were the Pacerpoles.

The Pacerpoles felt natural to hold day after day, and less tiring than the all metal “ski poles” that others used and “bent” due to the extreme forces we placed on them; and they had to make new handles with lots of foam wrapping to prevent blisters and be a more comfortable shape.
We had ascents and descents over tall rough ice through amazing ice fields and yet the pacerpoles took the strain of both my body weight and that of the 180lb pulk we were dragging behind us.
The most important equipment on any Polar trip will be Tent / Gun / Poles (and Pacerpoles win my number one Polar equipment award).