OT: Trekking Poles

They really are pretty cool and they can make it a lot easier. All depends on what you're like and what you're after.

Nam
 
Thank you Munk... That has to be one of the nicest compliments I have received on this forum. I hope those poles bring you and your wife and kids many miles of pleasure. :)

Oh, and if you do take them out and try them bushwhacking I'd be really interested to hear how they fared in that setting. I'm plenty pleased with them on rough and demanding trails. But they are still trails and kept/maintained to a degree. I look forward to hearing your review.

Now if only Leki would make some that made flute noises. Hmmm....
(Just kidding Yvsa :p )
 
Kampfjaeger said:
Now if only Leki would make some that made flute noises. Hmmm....
(Just kidding Yvsa :p )
Click to expand...
When the wind is blowing just right it, as well as strong enough, it makes my Flute/Walking Stick sing.:D
Us ndns call it, "The Song On The Wind.";) :cool: :D
Maybe if you taped a small one on along the length? ;) :D
 
Actually, I'm curious Yvsa. I'm not familiar with river cane. Does that make for a very sturdy hiking stick. Personally the romantic in me likes the concept of having a built in flute as well. I wouldn't know the first thing about playing it, but I imagine it would be nice to try to noodle my way through something sitting quietly on a rock by a river with my feet soaking in the cool mountain water. Kind of a nice mental image it evokes.
 
I think I've gotta come down on munk's side on this one; a single staff, no more than ear high and as light as possible without giving when I lean on it. This also works great to steady a camera, a pistol, or even my little Mannlicher carbine when the need arises. Now past sixty, I cover less ground, but see more game....an excellent tradeoff in my view :)
 
I've said many times now that these poles are best suited imho to improved trails. I cannot see a place for them in cross country over difficult terrain/vegitation. Andreas, who uses the poles, agreed with this.

My initial impression, besides the art/cosmetic, was that the poles were indulgent and for performance hiking on trails. Yet many of you have come forward to state the poles enable one with physical limits to go into the wilds where without it would be difficult. That right there is worth a lot.

Even Hollow stressed the safety and security of the poles, rather than the speed, which he was not as interested in.

I am a single staff guy, I guess. A good stick to lean on, use as rifle rest, ward off trouble, all around friend on the trail is for me.

I can't imagine not having at least one hand free, and in many places even carrying a staff is a pain.

I'm very pleased this thread is a happy one.


munk
 
I was a no-staff hiker prior to getting my trekking poles. I should like to try out a nice single staff on some hikes. The more I think about it, I believe that I agree with munk that in the wild unbeaten areas, a single staff would be of greater utility and practicality.

Any suggestions on what to look for in a good staff? Should it be tall? Shouulder height? Smaller? What kind of wood? Heavy vs Light? That sort of stuff. :)

I'm always on the lookout for things that will make my life easier/more comfortable on the trail.
 
I've read a staff should be about 6" below your chin, unless you're Moses leading your People to the Promised Land, in which case the staff is heavily knotted and rises above your head.

Kampfjaeger, why don't you make one?



munk
 
Kampfjaeger said:
Actually, I'm curious Yvsa. I'm not familiar with river cane. Does that make for a very sturdy hiking stick. Personally the romantic in me likes the concept of having a built in flute as well. I wouldn't know the first thing about playing it, but I imagine it would be nice to try to noodle my way through something sitting quietly on a rock by a river with my feet soaking in the cool mountain water. Kind of a nice mental image it evokes.
Click to expand...
Kampfjaeger river cane is a type of bamboo that grows along the river, creek, wetlands, and canebreaks in the south. There are several varities with some being quite large both in length and diameter.
My walking stick/Flute is about 1" or a little more in diameter and is unusually long between the joints which made it very easy to make it into a Flute.
There are several places online that tells how to make the Flutes.
A Flute can be made from any hollow tube that has blocks or joints or that you can glue a block into.
The block is what makes the instrument a real Flute instead of a whistle.
The block forms an air chamber and has a small hole at the top that transfers the air from one side to the sound hole on the other.
I have made Flutes from PVC pipe and copper tubing that sounded nearly as good as any I've heard although nothing beats the soft sound of a good Cedar Flute or the delightfully sharp/soft sounds of the river cane Flute.
They're easy to learn to play, hell us dumb ndns can learn.:rolleyes: ;) :D

As far as the strength, I weigh 275 right now and have been at 290 and mine has kept me upright all this time, good testimony I would say.:eek: :D
And some of the old native cane poles have drug in some mighty big catfish, buffalo, redhorse and other large Oklahoma native fishes even being cracked in places.
A cane Flute must be wrapped with something too keep it from cracking, the one large fault with river cane.:(
The wrapping can be done with thread in several places or a thin snake skin. Mine is wrapped with a rattler skin from a female that tried to bite me on the Morongo Rez in SoCal. I bit her first.:D
 
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