Hiking sticks, staves and canes

longbow50 said:
I thought about putting a wrist strap on my staff, but when I use them, I let them slide up or down in my hand, depending on uphill, downhill, sidehill, uneven terrain, or there are times where I switch hands mid stride to better balance myself. Needless to say, I thought better of it and decided not to. Not saying I use it in the correct fashion, but it works for me.
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I was thinking about this last night as well Longbow, now I'm kind of perplexed about the issue. I never really used a walking stick in the woods, aside from a fallen branch occasionally, so I'm not so sure if a strap would be my thing or not. I guess I'll have to do what Esav said and give it a try in the woods and see how I handle the stick on different terrain. Maybe then I'll know for sure whether to use a strap or go strapless. -Matt-
 
Try the stick by itself. Then wrap cord around it where you find you usually grip it. If you like that, then add a loop and see how that works.

The simple way of adding a loop is to take a strip of nylon webbing and tie that down on the stick. You can switch that for a more elegant loop later if you like the concept.
 
A ready-made pole for the front of your tarp shelter

With a rounded top and the right length, it can be used like a crutch to take the load off your feet/legs during brief stops.

A brake on steep downslopes to take the stress off the knees and stop runaways.

Increases the chances you'll hop across the stream on those slippery rocks/log without taking a bath.

Clears briars from your path when bushwacking or on less-used trails.


(Cornus mas was a popular decorative plant in the estern US before WWI. It was mostly replaced by showier plants, but it is still around. Look for the small yellow flowers in Spring and the large (edible) red "cherries" in late summer on large bushes near older houses. Leaves will remind you of "Dogwood." Varieties with even better fruiting are cultivated in Russia -- and elsewhere I'm sure.)
 
Anyone use one of the White Wak Wood staffs that CS sells? I was always curious how this wood performs.
 
Thomas Linton: thanks for the info on Cornus mas!

Ilbruche, last year I handled a Cold Steel Wax Wood staff in a surplus store.
That staff was thick! 2" diameter on the top 1 3/4 on the bottom. Even so, it was surprisingly light. It is a very springy wood, too much for my taste (even though not as much flexible as the CS rattan sticks).
I am sure it would make a good walking stick, probably even when thinned out. I have read that in China it was extensively used as spear shaft material as well as for fighting or training sticks.
 
Littleknife, You live in prime Osage Orange or "hedgeapple" country. I just drove down to Blytheville and passed several good rows of Osage on I-55. I bet if you ask a farmer you will get plenty. It is one of the hardest woods domestically. I made all my bows and walking sticks from it along with knife handle scales. Truly a spirited and beautiful hard wood.
 
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