Cheap walking sticks ready made

plumberroy

plumberroy

Joined
Jan 27, 2007
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I pick up ski poles at yard sales goodwill or such usually for a couple bucks a pair. they are cheap, sturdy and if it get left behind you aren't out much .. any one else use ski poles?
Roy
 
Can't say as I do, but that's a good idea for a walking stick on the cheap! :)
 
I find ski poles too flimsy to keep me from falling when I slip in the creek, start to stumble down the mountain, etc.

I make my walking sticks about 6 feet long from 1-2 inch saplings I find in the woods. I scrape the bark off and apply tung oil. Screw a washer on one end and the thing lasts forever. Or you can buy round stairway banister wood from a lumber yard.

Light. Strong. Easy to grip. Cheap. And something YOU made. I love my walking sticks.
 
keithcarter said:
I find ski poles too flimsy to keep me from falling when I slip in the creek, start to stumble down the mountain, etc.

I make my walking sticks about 6 feet long from 1-2 inch saplings I find in the woods. I scrape the bark off and apply tung oil. Screw a washer on one end and the thing lasts forever. Or you can buy round stairway banister wood from a lumber yard.

Light. Strong. Easy to grip. Cheap. And something YOU made. I love my walking sticks.
Click to expand...

I do a variation of this. I used minimally improved (Smoothed grip, debarked)woods-find hiking sticks at a local trail for a while, always taking care to leave it at the trailhead against the sign for the next hiker. Occasionally I would arrive to find my staff missing and was pleased to think someone was using my "loaner". I passed hikers using them a few times. Then they kept just disappearing. :mad: So I went into MY woods and cut a few dead cedar saplings and went to work on them. I like to cut them to fit my palm when my arm is held straight out. And a few blisters from the rougher woods-finds taught me to shape the tops smooth, but not slick. I debark them and sand them , then use a Minwax stain to seal them. One of the two standing in the corner of my living room has a PVC cap for a bottom tip. The other hasn't had it's tip finished yet.

Would I use free/low cost ski poles? Sure. They just don't seem to grow here in the mid-South!:)
 
I used to use them when I was younger. I'd take the basket thing off , and wrap paracord around it . Worked pretty good, if memory serves. Light-weight aluminum , built in wrist strap , and a steel-pointed tip was handy to have in the bush. May have to look for one at a garage sale or flea market.
 
Cool idea, I like the idea of a walking stick, but generally find them to be a huge hinderence when I actually take one hiking. I sometimes carve them for fun, but dont use them
 
Those walking poles are simply glorified ski poles. I think they would make a great idea - and plenty strong - look what they are designed to do...

Cut the baskets off and GO! ;)

TF
 
Hey plumberroy,

Glad they work out for you and the price is right! :thumbup:

For myself, however, I find them not to be strong enough. My cheap alternative is a 6 foot Bamboo pole from Wally World. Strong, yet light weight and lends itself to my ongoing experiments, seen here.

Doc
 
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