Atomic Backland Pole Review: Backcountry Powder Tools

When you’re backcountry skiing, it never hurts to keep some extra tools on hand. That was a hard truth my partner and I were grappling with as we tried to hand-tighten screws on his splitboard bindings. The pucks were loose, and we couldn’t adequately retighten the screws with just our fingers. It was cold, blowing snow, and before us, our descent waited patiently while we fiddled with the Phillips heads.

Then, in an ephiphany that felt like a light bulb, I remembered: My ski poles were screwdrivers. I opened the clasp on the telescoping pole and pulled the top section out of the bottom. I handed my friend the tool, who smiled broadly, grabbed it, and put it to work. The issue was resolved in minutes. Then we both clipped in and, one at a time, dropped down the backcountry slope on Meadow Mountain, whooping and hollering.

That was the first time I used the Atomic Backland FR Ski Poles’ screwdriver function, but it wouldn’t be the last. It’s one of the reasons why these poles accompanied me on so many of my ski tours this past season. They’re extremely functional tools for backcountry travel — in more ways than one.

In short: The Atomic Backland FR Ski Poles ($130) are Chris Benchetler’s adjustable aluminum backcountry freeride ski poles. They’re lightweight, the grip is ergonomic, and the locking mechanism holds well without slipping. Uniquely, these poles also have Phillips and flathead screwdrivers built into the top half. Backcountry skiers and snowboarders, and anyone who demos skis often, will appreciate the versatility of these poles.

Compare the Atomic Backland Ski Poles to those on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Ski Poles.

Atomic Backland FR Ski Pole Review

I first encountered the Atomic Backland Ski Poles on a media trip with Atomic at Powder Mountain in Utah. It was dumping on us, and we were demoing three different skis of numerous widths. So naturally, there was a lot of swapping out, trading, and switching skis going on.

Everyone with Atomic was wielding Backland screwdrivers, making helter-skelter adjustments to fit bindings to boots in the snow, on work benches, anywhere they could find a flat surface. It was chaos — beautiful ski demo chaos.

I didn’t get a pair of my own Backland Ski poles to test until the following season. I forgot about the built-in screwdrivers until about a month into testing, so my first impressions using these poles had nothing to do with their hidden tools.

Locking Mechanism

The Atomic Backland Ski Poles have a plastic PowerLock that can be adjusted with a small dial on its side. If the lock is too loose, simply twist the dial to tighten and try again. You have to find the sweet spot between too-tight-to-close and too-loose-to-hold-its-position.

Once you’ve zeroed in on that, though, the lock holds its place well without slipping. I tend to pole plant aggressively, and the Atomic Backland’s lock didn’t falter on me once after I had the lock dialed.

Weight

The Backland Poles weigh in at 10.2 ounces. That’s pretty light, but compared to ski poles on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Ski Poles, these are on the heavier end of the spectrum. On that list, the Backlands would be the fourth heaviest.

However, they would also be the only poles on that list that include a Phillips and flathead screwdrivers. That feature requires extra materials, so it’s really no surprise it weighs more.

Honestly, I never found myself wishing that the Backland Poles were lighter. The weight is scant enough that it didn’t factor into the poles’ performance. If I were a gram-counting skimo racer, I might feel different. But for standard backcountry excursions, these poles were plenty light.

Grips & Straps

Atomic used round freeride grips on the Backland Poles. They were grippy, and the foam was firm. They’re more ergonomic than round pole grips, so they fit nicely in a gloved hand. I never found myself fumbling with these poles because I couldn’t get a grip on them. However, I did notice that if I used them without gloves on, they left a black residue on my palms. It’s not a deal breaker, but certainly something to note.

The quick-release system straps are beefy and left and right-specific. I much prefer this style of strap to skinnier (cheaper), flat straps you see on most poles. These are more comfortable for long-distance, all-day use. I also feel like they help generate more power when I’m pushing off during uphill travel, but I have no way of verifying that hunch.

Screwdrivers

I’m not going to spend too much time discussing this feature since I’ve already mentioned it. But it’s really useful. It’s an efficient use of untapped ski pole real estate. The end of a telescoping pole section is usually left unused. But Atomic saw potential and took advantage of that unclaimed space.

The screwdrivers are too big for the smallest screws you might encounter. They will not work for everything. It would be awesome if, in future iterations, Atomic could design a way to swap out the screwdriver bit for different-sized ones. It would require people to carry a bit set with them, but it would vastly increase the versatility of this feature.

When I pulled the two screwdrivers out of the poles in summer, I noticed some discoloration and rust from storage. It isn’t affecting the poles’ performance — yet — but I’m going to keep an eye on it.

Baskets

The Backland Poles come with big 97mm powder baskets. I never felt the need to swap them out for something smaller. They look cool, and they make for a stable pole-planting base.

Atomic Backland FR Ski Poles: Who Are They For?

Backcountry skiers and snowboarders will recognize how useful these poles are for on-the-go maintenance or adjustments. Yes, they’re rad ski poles on their own. All else excluded, they’re lightweight, grippy, have comfortable straps, and come equipped with big powder baskets. They’re great poles.

But they’re also extremely handy tools for binding maintenance, something not most poles can’t boast of.

I used these poles for most of my backcountry adventures this season, and they continued to grow on me the more I used them. They’ve developed some character — scratches, scrapes, and nicks along the aluminum shafts — but they’re holding up well. They’ve also saved me more than once when I needed a screwdriver in the field and happened to have one literally on hand.