Hiking Staffs

M

Marc123

Joined
Feb 4, 2002
Messages
482
Can anyone recommend a good source for a hiking staff? I don't know whether to go with the telescoping, fancy, metal ones, traditional wood, or just pick something up in the woods and carve it up.
 
A pair of hiking poles is better than one hiking staff in much the same way as 4-legged animals have better stability than 3-legged ones. Since we humans are bipeds, having a third leg actually gives us more stability especially in uneven, rugged terrain. A pair of hiking poles gives even more stability. A good place to start looking for one would be Gearfinder.com . Hope that helps.
 
I've been walking with a pole or a stick for years, even before I had to.

When I used to go hiking through Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, the first thing I did when I got to the woods was to take out my SAK and saw off a sapling of the right height and thickness, trim the side branches off, and round off the top. Maybe ten minutes on a slow day, and strolling along as I did it.

I generally tossed them into the bushes on the way out or gave them to someone else along the way if they liked it. I kept a few specially good ones.

I also got into carrying a Crawford Survival Staff. Great piece of equipment, great toys hidden among the parts :) but overkill on a light hike. I had a pretty good telescoping walking stick/hiking staff but I ... damaged it. I wish I could find another one like it. Much sturdier than the poles I see now.

I don't know about carrying two poles. Seems like turning myself into a four-footed animal, with my hands full like that, and not really necessary.

Here's some other suggestions:

Buzzbait's Hiking Stick FAQ

I’ve been reading and searching through the archives lately, trying to find as much information as possible on hiking sticks. I also searched the Internet quite heavily and had a few ideas of my own. Dying to put all of this useful information to work, I set out to make myself a good, hard use hiking stick that would last me a lifetime.

Whistle Creek says it is the nation's largest manufacturer of rustic walking and hiking sticks.

Short, strange stuff: Mendowood Handcrafted Walking Sticks
 
Thanks guys! I am thinking about buy one of those rattan staffs of one of the martial arts sites and make a hiking staff with it. I'll probably use some of buzzbait's tips. Hopefully Crawford has some of his survival staffs at the NYC knife show. I would like to see it in person before buying it.
 
Hiking poles are the most effecient way to go. two titanium or carbon fibre like leki or Black diamond. Over the long haul they really do help. I don't use them. :)
I usually grab a stick somewhere and trim it up a bit, if I can find one. But I do like the Crawford survival staff. Except when there's electricity around :).
 
The Crawford's don't normally travel with the Survival staff. Past few shows all they had was a picture and some literature.

The Leki poles seem like a good choice based on what I hear at the local stores.
 
Originally posted by Marc123
I am thinking about buy one of those rattan staffs of one of the martial arts sites and make a hiking staff with it. ... Hopefully Crawford has some of his survival staffs at the NYC knife show.
Click to expand...
Come to a NJKCA meeting and I'll bring my Crawford :)

I should have added this Cold Steel link -- White Wax Wood cane and 4' or 6' staff. I saw a cane of this stuff. It was light and seemed tough.

CS used to sell rattan. too. But you can get that anywhere.
 
I have an old bamboo staff that i used for countless backpacking trips over the years. I still have it, and it is 25 years old.

I recently bought a pair of MSR trekking poles. I was very much out of shape, but managed to a very steep hike in about 45 minutes less than I thought would be my best possible time for the hike.

I live in Ventura County California, it was the Boney mountain hike.

I now beleive that those poles are more than just a Yuppie hiker status symbol. Reinhold Mesner beleives in them, they do have merit!

PS if the terrain is very steep, you will benefit for the telescoping poles. Longer for downhill, shorter for uphill. I did not realize the major advantage of this feature until I used it. If the terrain does not vary much, or is not very steep, the telescoping feature is not that critical, and might only weaken the poles to some degree.
 
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