hiking staff questions

[Ebbtide]

Vertical side hills?
You are obviously a much better man than me.

 

[hector81]

I went on a hike last week and needed a hiking staff fast. so I picked up some bamboo (green), and cut it to about my height so that if one part would split, I could still have a functional tool, and then I placed a plastic bottle cap on the end, it was kinda loose so I just jammed some cloth in it until it was secure.
When I was on the trail, I found a inner tube of a bike, and used that to wrap around the top part. it worked great. ill post pictures as soon as I can find my camera.
so bamboo is strong enough, light, and there's lots of it in my garden.

 

[Big Mike]

i backback in the northern rockies along with my wife. been up and down vertical side hills to get to mountain lakes to fish. a stick is only in the way. have made our on trails to get to certain spots. never used a stick. balance!! climbed peaks for the fun of it. my knees are fine. sticks only make you weaker!! why use something i don't need? less is more in the wilderness. my guess is that most have never been there.

You have obviously gained more insight on this subject in a few short years than mankind has through the eons on time.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream

 

[skimmerhorn]

have had to crawl on hands and knee's to get over mountains. all in the name of elusive wilderness trout a stick would simply be thrown down the mountain.

 

[sasha]

Well for each is own Skimmerhorn.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

There was a forumite here who made bored out/machined metal tubes meant to be mounted on top of a staff handle.
By tube i mean hollowed out cylinder with threaded end cap.
The tube was for storing survival gear...visualize a kind of Chris Reeve hollow knife handle (without blade) and attached to the top of a walking stick.
Neat idea and looked exceptionally well done, can't remember the forumites name though.

Wasn't it Talfuchre?

Doc

 

[Midnight Scout]

I have picked up several hiking sticks over the years. A great one I got for $6 was a hickory stick. I wanted to keep it, but it would not fit in my luggage for the flight back home.

Nowadays, I cheat by using a collapsible titanium staff. It is small enough to fit in luggage for air travel and I can extend it to a comfortable length for hiking.

I keep it collapsed for most of the hike because it is easier to carry. I use it to get spider webs out of the way of the trail and to poke around the rocks and logs I come along that are likely snake hideouts. I open it when I need extra balance for going downhill over rocky areas. I don't like to hike with it open.

I prefer it over my natural hiking staffs because it is so convenient. I really like being able to collapse it and have it out of the way while I hike.

 

[MacHete]

... wilderness. my guess is that most have never been there.

My guess is that you are pretty dang full of yourself. The above comment took your position from an honest difference of opinion to obnoxious arrogance.

To each his own…

…SH, I see nothing constructive in your comment.

:thumbup: what he said.

 

[MacHete]

Bumppo- I made my very first staff in junior high from a fallen branch in the backyard (Error #1- it was willow). I peeled the bark and never sealed the wood. (Error #2) I carefully gutted some brown, green and black electrical cord and did a really cool "camo" wrap for the grip. (No error- it turned out great.) Dad had boxes of junk from some antique printing equipment lying around, and I found a perfect copper/bronze tip among them and screwed it into the bottom of the staff. It was conical and threaded on one end. I used it for a year or two, and, despite the material, it held up quite well. I let a friend borrow it on a hike (Error #3) and he smacked it against a tree and reduced it to toothpicks and sent the perfect tip flying off into the unknown. An exhaustive search turned up nothing.

Usually, I'll use a found stick for hiking if I think I'll need one, but I would like to make a nice "keeper". I'm watching a few likely candidate saplings on the property now.

I did make some sticks for my nieces and nephews for Christmas several years ago. Their presents were "adventure" themed that year. I bought one of those 4' lathi sticks that Cold Steel used to sell for each of them, drilled a hole for a lanyard/wrap at the top, sealed the bottoms with CA and used the ropecutter attachment on my soldering iron to "woodburn" their names and some decorations into them. I don't know that any of those sticks ever made it on any real treks, but they turned out well, were well received, and I think would have performed as well, too.

 

[Mark Nelson]

have had to crawl on hands and knee's to get over mountains. all in the name of elusive wilderness trout a stick would simply be thrown down the mountain.

Well I took the trolls advice and burned my walking sticks would not want them making me weak. Sorry I know don't feed them and all that. Will try harder.

 

[Big Mike]

...I cheat by using a collapsible titanium staff. It is small enough to fit in luggage for air travel and I can extend it to a comfortable length for hiking.

I keep it collapsed for most of the hike because it is easier to carry. I use it to get spider webs out of the way of the trail and to poke around the rocks and logs I come along that are likely snake hideouts. I open it when I need extra balance for going downhill over rocky areas. I don't like to hike with it open.

I prefer it over my natural hiking staffs because it is so convenient. I really like being able to collapse it and have it out of the way while I hike.

Though I often employ a solid wood hiking staff, there are times when I too carry a collapsible pole.

When hiking through easy terrain I will keep the pole stowed, breaking it out as need for rougher stretches or steep descents.

When going out for the purpose of taking photos, like for one of my On The Trail articles, It's easier to keep my hands free and hike with the pole in reserve.

When carrying one of my machetes or my BRK&T Northwind for the purpose of clearing vegetation that’s overtaking a section of trail, I will switch back and forth from the pole to the cutting tool depending whether I’m just hiking or actively slashing my way through the growth.



"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream

 

[rayban]

I just started one yesterday......Osage Orange....shouldn't need any tip or finish coating....already been around for about 100 years.....found it along an old dirt road....

 

[brians]

have had to crawl on hands and knee's to get over mountains. all in the name of elusive wilderness trout a stick would simply be thrown down the mountain.

Is that Brokeback Mountain?

 

[Big Mike]

Speaking of hiking staffs and trail clearing, as one who spends a lot of time working the local trail system, a good solid hiking staff is often my most useful tool for trail work.

The staff makes quick work of sticks and debris in the trail, a quick flick will throw small obstruction off the trail.

A stout staff also makes a great digging tool, helping level damaged sections of trail or clear out clogged drainage system.

It also lets you get up into the overhead canopy, freeing up hanging deadfalls or breaking off dead limbs.

I use my staffs for much more the just maintaining balance.




"If you're not living on the edge, …you're taking up too much space."

Big Mike

Forest & Stream

 

[Ramm9]

Hiking, I use a pair of the collapsible poles and they work great for me. I need a staff for fishing and thanks to all of you now I have some ideas how to build one. For some reason I haven't been able to bring myself to just spend the $'s and buy one.

 

[Brian Jones]

my guess is that most have never been there.

This is just a troll. Now we can get back to regular discussions. He's gone.

 

[Stormstaff]

This is just a troll. Now we can get back to regular discussions. He's gone.

If I may say.... thank you!

 

[Big Mike]

If I may say.... thank you!

Double ditto on that my friend. :thumbup: :thumbup:

 

[sodak]

When I was younger, I pretty much thought hiking staffs were more for show. Now I know better. Due to the serious lack of hornbeam here in Colorado, I'm using a 1 inch hardwood dowel from Home Depot with a rubber chair tip on one end. It's actually a very nice piece of wood, one of these days I'm going to sand and oil it with the attention it deserves. I like the staff over the collapsible poles for strength and possible self defense. I do see the advantages of light collapsible poles, however, and might have to experiment with them.

Having said that, I'd love to try bamboo and other natural "plants".

PS - I guess that Brian Jones is the largest Billy Goat Gruff! My favorite children's story!

 

[elkins45]

I'm a big fan of the commercial trekking poles, but prior to them I used a maple staff that my uncle made for me. It was a sapling that had a vine growing around it so it had a cool looking twisted section just below the grip area. I used a crutch tip on it.

When I would meet people on the trail it was the first thing they would comment on.