Hiking Sticks?

Put me down in the single stick camp too - natural or manmade. I jacked up my Achilles tendon last year in the Smokeys (Ramsey Cascades - pretty but YOW what a hike) and bought a cheap trekking pole from the Coleman store next to Smokey Mountain Knifeworks. It helped a ton while I was recuperating and I still use it on serious hikes.
 
Single staff for me as well. They come in quite handy sometimes.

I like to make my own, and it's one of the things I enjoy about hiking is sertching for the "perfect" stick or sapling to make a nice walking stick from.

Usually after I've whittled and carved on them, I leave them where others can find and use them if they wish. If I really like one I'll take it home and make it nice with sandpaper, leather cord wraps, decorative carvings and such, just for the fun of it.
 
+1 for a single long pole.

I used to not use any type of pole when hiking, even with a heavy pack, but as I get a little older, I find my joints tend to start stiffening up toward the end of a long day's hike, and the clumsiness associated with that is counterbalanced nicely by having a 'third leg'.

Since I started using them, I have found that I like it so much for all the other reasons (rough terrain, holding aside branches and brambles, critter alert, spider web clearance, etc...) that it's really an indispensable piece of gear, unless i'm bouldering or climbing

I tried the ski-pole type sticks, and found that I just could not stand having both of my hands full all of the time, not to mention that NOTHING feels as sturdy as a good wooden pole.

I make mine out of striped maple saplings...very light, very strong and (properly cured) will last forever.

WF
 
I have the black diamond eliptical trekking poles, and use them religiously! They make going both uphill and downhill faster, safer, and more comfortable. Also give you a good arm workout on steep hikes. Before I got my current job, I used to hike a six mile loop trail every day with a 40lb pack for fitness.... Elevation went up 2500' first three miles, and down 2500' last three. Those sticks enabled me to do that loop consistantly in 1hr 15min (after a couple months doing it daily). When, out of curiosity, I tried the same loop without the sticks to see how much they helped, I took 1hr 37min, and felt more precarious, unsafe, and worn out at the end. Wouldn't hike without them now.
 
I use a heavy-duty Bogen monopod as a staff and a camera rest for nice pictures. It is adjustable from cane length to shoulder high. With an adjustable head on the top it brings the view finder up to eye level. When I need to cross a steam on a slick looking log I just put the camera in my pack and have all the stability I need.
 
I tend to not use one on easy terrain. Where slopes are an issue, I carry a pair of telescoping Leki poles. They're great for stabilizing while crossing streams on downed wood or loose rock, and when doing down eroded slopes with nothing to grab onto. When climbing up steep slopes, I make them as short as possible and use them to "claw" my way up the hill instead of just charging uphill as fast as possible to get to a tree where I can rest.

That said, I like to sand and carve walking sticks in my spare time, though I never use them. Apple wood is fairly available in my area, wonderfully strong, and takes a nice sheen with fine sandpaper.
 
Cool! Thanks for sharing that Big Mike!


Big Mike said:
I usually hike with a single staff or trekking/ski pole.


Not only does it help with balance and shock load on the leg joints,

...it's my most used tool on the trail. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:

I use it for clearing debris and cob-webs from the trail, as well as smashing the low hanging dead branches of the hemlocks that prevail in the areas I tend wushwhack, as well as a probe, a lever, and when needed a defensive weapon.


Staff in use in slippery conditions:




Detail shot of one of my staffs (hop-hornbeam) along with a few other tools:







Big Mike
Click to expand...
 
Cool. That's what mine looks like. I think it is Hickory... it's a bit heavy. I have never used it but I was thinking I'd take it for a hike and see how I like it.

Thanks for sharing.

VictGerbSogCamill said:
Yes, I use a hiking stick. I used to just find one along the way of my hikes, but sometimes I just never found a good one. So I purchased one, and take it with me always. Comes in handy moving brush/ivy out of the way, extra support and stability. Protection should you need it.

newwpic.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I never used to use anything, not even a locally found stick. Several years ago, I found a single trekking pole (half of a pair) near the road. It was a fancy aluminum Komperdell with the spring shock absorber that could be turned on or off. I used it a few times and was hooked!

I later bought a similar (even nicer!) carbon fiber single pole, minus the spring shock absorber feature (didn't care for it) and with a camera/binocular mount stud under the cork knob on top. I rarely hike without it. When I don't need it, it telescopes down to a small package I can stick on my daypack or buttpack.

When carrying heavy pack, the amont of extra stability you get is very comforting. When descending, you feel much more secure and safe. Stream crossings are also more relaxed. And as Big Mike mentioned, it's perfect for knocking those pesky cobwebs out of the trail ahead so you don't end up doing it with your face!

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I mostly use a hiking staff ,but it's always something I knocked up with my knife while starting on the trail. Never a store-bought item. I'm kinda old school that way.
I usually stash it when coming back or take it home. I have a pile of 'em.
 
I have a chin high stick I made from a small fallen ash tree that was somehow knocked over in the woods I used to play in as a child. It is almost exclusively for use on a flat local footpath used by hikers and cyclists in my home town. A sentimental thing.

When I go on overnighters outside my area, which is often, I will pick up a stick, use it, and next to the campfire strip the bark and maybe carve a simple design on it, wrap a handle of cord around it for a handle, sign it with a trail name, and hang it in a slightly out of the way place for a fellow camper to find later, with the hope someone who needs it will discover it.
 
Got a pair of Black Diamond Trail Compact trekking poles a few months ago. I have quite a bit of knee pain sometimes, and the poles have helped noticeably on both up and downhill slopes. Also love to follow streams uphill to see little waterfalls and stuff like that, and they've been great for helping me keep my balance on slippery rocks.
 
Being a cheapskate, I make mine from old carbon fiber golf shafts with a steel cap screw epoxied in the end for durability and bite. Cheap, lightweight and it won't break my heart if I loose it or break it. I usually only carry one for balance, clearing and probing.

Just my .02
 
Big Mike said:
I usually hike with a single staff or trekking/ski pole.


Not only does it help with balance and shock load on the leg joints,

...it's my most used tool on the trail. :thumbup: :cool: :thumbup:

I use it for clearing debris and cob-webs from the trail, as well as smashing the low hanging dead branches of the hemlocks that prevail in the areas I tend wushwhack, as well as a probe, a lever, and when needed a defensive weapon.


Staff in use in slippery conditions:




Detail shot of one of my staffs (hop-hornbeam) along with a few other tools:







Big Mike
Click to expand...

I LOVE that kit (and the snow, and the pooch)!
 
Never feel comfotable hiking unless I have a staff/hiking stick. A few years ago, I picked up one someone had left at the end of "The Narrows" at Zion Nat. Park & used it all through the rest of the weeks hikes, eventually leaving it for someone else at the Grand Canyon.

My current sticks are VERY strong with pointed metal points at the bottom end. Shaped well & designed for human hands, they serve well & make outstanding self defense weapons as well. Guess what they are?

Shovel handles ! ! ! I noticed they're the right length & sanded them down & applied linseed oil. Works & looks great
 
When i first started out "hiking" (we used to just call it walking.....) i made my own walking "staffs" from ironwood saplings (thin and super strong) which were very common where i grew up.

Later as my hiking became steeper and more "vertical" in it's orientation, i started using hiking "poles" - especially after i destroyed my ACL/meniscus in a climbing "accident". Now, they go with me everywhere and i use rubber tip protectors so i don't tear up the trails/rocks/etc when i go. These are exponentially more useful than ANY of my previous self-made walking staffs.

I don't buy the shock-absorbing poles b/c i like the feedback i get from rigid poles (and they're cheaper!!!), but i prefer Blackdiamonds "flick-lock" style to Leki and Komperdell offerings. However, in DEEP snow i usually grab my EMS brand (made by Komperdell) poles b/c they have a 5" snow basket on them!!!

For the "self-defense" side of things if you need that, i'm usually not too concerned b/c no one (people or most predatory animals) is out in the winter when i'm *usually* out. Besides, i usually have a glacier axe with me. It's 65cm long and has a razor sharp adze (think curved blade) which will literally cut through ski/ "plastic" mountaineering boots and sever your Achilles tendon with no problem (thankfully not mine, but you get the idea).

EDIT: to more specifically address the OP's question.

I use a pair of 3-section poles and always use the rubber tip protectors for grip on rock/dirt surfaces (usually have to buy 'em separate). It's only in snow and ice that i take 'em off - don't otherwise need them. And YES, you will absolutely notice the difference in your hiking - especially on longer hikes. There is a little bit of getting used to using them and they're not as nimble for brush-busting/off-trail hiking, but most people don't do this if they're honest or they don't do enough distance to make it matter. Buy a pair and you'll be very thankful for them - especially in 20 years (if you're still hiking) when everyone else's knees/hips are arthritic and you're still crankin' out the miles.
 
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Fox Creek said:
I'd like to see a pic of your driftwood staffs. That sounds way cool.
Click to expand...

ill take pics this weekend. they need some minor work but overall i love them dearly. they are light and extremely strong. i am thinking of just staining them but then again i may leave them natural. minor work as in some minor sanding. maybe wrap a handle or something.. they come so smooth that you really do not need a wrap or anything. go to a local lake and look along a shore line. love em
 
I found gunstock oil to be a really nice finish, it is linseed oil with some additives
 
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