How to attach trekking poles to a backpack

By Dana Okoro, Editorial Director · Updated August 31, 2026

Direct Answer

Attach trekking poles to a backpack using the side compression straps or a dedicated pole loop near the base, sliding the tips into a lower loop and securing the grips under a higher strap or bungee near the shoulder. Most hiking packs include this attachment point as a standard feature.

a step demonstrating: How to attach trekking poles to a backpack, hands and gear only, no face

Trekking poles need a secure attachment point for the times you're not using them, such as scrambling with both hands free or taking a break.

How do you attach trekking poles when they're not in hand?

Most packs include a small loop near the bottom of the pack, close to the hipbelt, designed to hold the pole tips, paired with a compression strap or elastic loop higher up the pack to secure the grips. Sliding both pole tips into the lower loop, then folding the poles up alongside the pack body and cinching the upper strap over the grips, keeps them stable without rattling against the frame.

Some packs use a "quiver loop" style attachment on the side of the pack instead of a bottom loop, letting poles slide in diagonally. Either style works the same way in practice: a lower anchor point for the tips and an upper strap or bungee to stop the poles from swinging loose.

Where should poles attach if a pack has no dedicated loop?

On packs without a built-in pole attachment, the side compression straps typically still work for securing poles, though less securely than a purpose-built loop. Threading the poles under two compression straps, one near the top and one near the bottom of the pack's side, holds them close enough to the pack body to avoid catching on brush while hiking.

Do collapsible and fixed-length poles attach differently?

Collapsible or folding poles pack down small enough to slide into a side pocket or strap under a single compression strap, since their folded length is often shorter than the pack itself. Fixed-length poles, being longer, generally need the full lower-loop-plus-upper-strap method to stay secure, since a single strap alone can't control both ends of a longer pole.