BCA Scepter 3S Test | Photo Ryan Ariano Mountain Weekly News
BCA’s Scepter 3S is a strong collapsing pole, with a handle that was actually made specifically for touring. Every time I took it out I fell in love a bit more, especially when I flipped it up to get my risers dialed or hook in my tech toe-piece.
Backcountry Access Scepter 3S: Made to Support You
Let’s start with the big reveal: the BCA Scepter 3S has an aluminum shaft. And while there is scientific proof that carbon fiber is strong, and from experience it’s as supportable, aluminum touring poles just feel sturdier and more able to support you. I always need a few tours to get my legs under me and in the first few my technique is enough off that I rely a bit more on my poles. The Scepter 3S dug in deep and handled any of my awkward movements in switchbacks or pushing down the trail.
When I was pushing up the Glory Bootpack and I needed to lean on my poles as I touched around the super steep section around 10K, there was no wobble like I sometimes get from carbon fiber poles. The flicklocks also hearken back to older, more reliable tech that has stabilized touring poles forever and tend to be less susceptible to issues like freezing in extended or folded positions (which can make it very tough for a splitboarder whichever part of your tour you’re in. It was easy to extend and shrink. But that’s the next thing I noticed.
BCA Scepter 3S for the Splitboarder
There’s one difference between a splitboarder and a skier: on the descent, our poles go in our pack. If there was any issue I had with the Scepter 3S, it’s that it was big and could be a bit tough to stuff in your pack. I had a 45L pack and the tips of the poles poked out of the top. I was able to tuck them under the top compartment but just something to note. In the pics on the website, BCA shows these poles strapped onto the outside of a pack.
On the other hand, when I was magic carpeting in split mode, a process that usually involves me planting and dragging my poles a ton given my inclination towards going downhill sideways on 1 plank. I also had these poles with me during a subzero weekend yurt trip, a situation where you run a real risk of your poles either freezing extended or freezing collapsed. Either of these situations can be a serious issue for a splitboarder, whether it means you have to go up without poles or go down with your snow-pokers fully extended. The flicklocks were dependable throughout.
Scepter 3S Pole Handle
BCA is definitely one of those companies that got the memo a while ago that touring poles need to have handle material extended well down the shaft. The EVA foam gives a perfect landing spot for your hand as you adapt to opposite snow heights on switchbacks (if you don’t know what I mean, you will when you split more) as well as when booting since I like to pole plant ahead of my steps.
What’s really cool about the handles, though, is these BCA Scraper Grips they use. They’re longer, sturdier tops to the handle with little stiff pads, made for scraping snow off your board. They came in super handy on the yurt trip where every morning I had to spend a good 20 minutes scraping the rime off the bottom of my board so my skins didn’t fail. I also ended up using it when I got careless and my skins did, in fact, fail towards the end of day 2 of the trip.
I also loved them for flipping up and dropping the risers on my board. Even Karakoram’s risers, which I’ve found to be some of the most difficult to lift or drop with your poles, even those I took care of easily thanks to the Scraper Grips. And when I was hardbooting the Scraper Grips are long and stiff enough to pull up my toe pieces and lock in my boots. Yeah, think I’m not stoked? One feature but so brilliant.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Highly Functional Handle (“Scraper Grip”): Specifically designed for touring needs like scraping snow off boards/skins, easily flipping binding risers, and even hooking into tech toe pieces. The extended foam grip is also beneficial.
Sturdy and Reliable Construction: The aluminum shaft feels very supportive and durable (“bomber build”), and the flicklock system is praised for its reliability, ease of use, and resistance to freezing issues.
Cons:
Large Collapsed Size: The poles don’t collapse very small, making them potentially difficult to stow inside a backpack, which is often preferred by splitboarders on the descent. They might need to be strapped to the outside.
Overall Impression
BCA Scepter 3S ($110.00): Poles Made to Last and Perform Out of Bounds. There are plenty of companies that make collapsing poles made for the backcountry which seem to have gained that designation solely because you can change their size. BCA’s Scepter 3S poles were thought out to be real deal backcountry collapsible poles. With a bomber build and innovative handles obviously made as a response to real splitboarders’ concerns, these are ACTUAL backcountry snow touring poles. And after testing them on sidecountry booters, backcountry skins, and multi-day yurt trips in subzero temps, I can attest to the fact that there’s nothing BCA’s Scepter 3S Pole can’t handle, and a ton of things it can handle better than any competitor.
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