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"Trekking Poles" Why?

Boomstick if you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I need hip replacement and I've been to doctors all over the country that told me they wouldn't operate til I am much, much older. And you don't look very old at all.
 
mcjhrobinson said:
trekking pole(s)?

just find some Ti shaft golf club (driver) at the thrift store and remove the head of the club...BINGO trekking pole :) mine costed me $3 :)
Click to expand...


:thumbup:What we need is a thread about money saving tips, like this. Especially in todays economy.
 
Well if you cut a "walking stick" and you are hunting with a rifle or pistol, it makes a good rest to steady your hand for the shot. Always use a rest when you can. You can also use it to knock the spider webs down in front of you as you walk thru the woods. When back from the walk about, I just leave it leaning againt a tree maybe someone else will use it.
 
I bought a Leki about 5 years ago and used it for walking in town. I had major surgery and had to build up my strength again and walking was something I could do at my own pace to build my endurance up. It was the winter time so walking was bit slippery so the carbide tip was great. I have since recovered(actually Oct 8th I will be 5 years Cancer free) and still use it while out hiking. The one I have is actually a monopod too for your camera(that feature has come in handy countless times). It was very nice to have something to lean on and it still is nice when out walking.
Quite a few years ago I went on a 5 day trek, basically went looking for a lake and started hiking into the woods, no trails just a compass. I would have loved a hikng pole then, the wood staff I used was ok....but IMHO no comparison to my Leki.
 
I have to admit, that I stayed away from these for a long time. I finally broke down and bought some for use when multi-day backpacking. The main reason is that if you are wearing a pack in the 30lb range or more and come across inclines or declines with loose gravel, wet, leaves, etc, you are not nearly as fast or agile as with no pack or a light one. A fall could mean a sore ankle or sore back, and make the remaining days of the trip miserable.

Trekking poles extremely help in those conditions.

I still semi-avoid them because if I need to balance or use those muscles that help balance, I want to use those muscles. Kind of like training and practice. If you don't practice and do things you are good at, you don't get any better at them :D

Like others have mentioned, they do suck off trail. That is why it is nice if the collapse to a reasonable size and can be strapped to your pack.

Also, since gaining popularity you see these in almost every store, from Moosejaw, EMS, REI, to Bass Pro shops and Walmart. Not all poles are equal or locking mechanisms. Test them with some by putting some weight on them before taking them home.

Mine also came with snow baskets, and they are cool for snowshoeing too!

B
 
mcjhrobinson said:
trekking pole(s)?

just find some Ti shaft golf club (driver) at the thrift store and remove the head of the club...BINGO trekking pole :) mine costed me $3 :)
Click to expand...

oh...I think i have an old golf club with a broken head in the basement!
 
Trekking poles - just more stuff to carry. How we love our toys!

I use a long staff, especially on hills. I can make one in a minute in the bush, and toss it if I don't need it.

All this talk about reducing stress, etc. The best way to reduce stress is to quit carrying all this stuff with you and learn how to live in the bush with what nature provides.

If nature had meant for us to be carrying lots of stuff around with us we'd have pockets in our skin like kangaroos.
 
Or we'd have a brain that permits us to construct a pack with which to carry stuff.

DancesWithKnives
 
I'd never leave home without them.
I just brazed a short piece of semi sharpened 3/8 rebar that I sharpened to some 3/4 EMT.
The " handles" are pieces of A/C insulation.
I may upgrade to the rocket model and some spandex for ' Nordic touring' the mall.
Well.
I haven't seen a mall in years, so maybe not.
 
LOL! I actually agree with what the OP's trying to drive at.

There is only one thing I can think of though that might be the only plus about them: some of them fold (doesn't get in the way if you don't need them?)
 
I never understood the appeal of them, I understand what alot of people are saying about 4 points vs 2, but in my experience 3 points with one of those points being a decently thick staff is perfect.

For crossing streams or rivers a 3 point stance is a whole lot better and easier to keep your balance than using two short poles. I guess I'm just kinda old school, a nice walking stick, home made, store bought, or just found would be my choice for any type of device to help with balance and wack things out of the way, I'm not worried about burning extra calories by moving my arms around like I was skiing, It's also just an extra thing to carry that I don't really need or would use. If I need a staff for a river crossing or checking ice etc I'll pick one up off the ground.
 
Actually Bear. If you use them for uphill jaunts, a little bit of pressure... 10 lbs per arm can make your legs think you are carrying nothing in a pack.
.
 
Genuinely seeking info & not merely arguing, but how exactly does the use of a walking stick reduce weight on lower body parts?
I've seen the statement repeatedly over the years & never understood it.

I own two solid wood staffs, one commercial hickory about five feet tall I've had for about 20 years, the other an unknown wood I think was originally intended as a replacement shaft for a long broom (six feet tall, one inch thick) that I "crafted" into a stained walking stick with rubber foot & a carved antler whistle on top 30 years ago.
Also have a much newer aluminum non-collapsible four-foot walking stick.

I must be doing something wrong, but over the years when I've used any of them the only benefit I've seen was in crossing streams on logs or boulders as balance aids. The taller one's particularly handy for that with its greater reach.

I place no apparent weight on them as I walk along, and in fact I don't even use them anymore since they only ADDED weight to carry as I went along.
Mildly useful, I suppose, in anchoring the tip as a bit of an anti-slide aid in coming down steep slopes, but altogether I found more instances where a stick was more in the way on steep stuff (up or down) by taking up one hand to hang onto it when two were needed for manipulating up or down than anything else.

That'd go in line with statements above about walking sticks, staffs, or poles being not very useful off a trail.
But, even on a trail, I can't see where the tall stick takes any weight off my hips, legs, or feet.
I didn't lean on the staff on every (or any) step on flat trails, may possibly have "pulled" myself up slightly with an arm on the stick going up a grade, didn't lean on the stick going down a grade.

It was just mostly dead weight, threw off my stride, and took up one hand to carry.
The aluminum one weighs almost nothing, so it's not a loss in that respect, but at 230 pounds I'm afraid to put any real weight on it, so that's kinda a washout there for any purposes but stream crossing, and it's pretty much too short for even that.

In the videos I've seen of hikers/walkers using two trekking poles, it appears they're working shoulder muscles more than anything as they go along.

What am I missing?
Admittedly, I've never used one with a pack.

Denis
 
DPris said:
Genuinely seeking info & not merely arguing, but how exactly does the use of a walking stick reduce weight on lower body parts?
I've seen the statement repeatedly over the years & never understood it.


But, even on a trail, I can't see where the tall stick takes any weight off my hips, legs, or feet.


What am I missing?
Admittedly, I've never used one with a pack.

Denis
Click to expand...
Lets try this.
Put on your pack, go out next to a tree, and see how many squats you can do.
Tie a rope up in the tree so you can pull a bit with your arms, and see what the difference is.BIG difference.
 
I used one pole for years on inclines and really liked the pole because it was collapsible and I could put it away when I was on flat ground. I never really thought I needed two until I was hiking some mountainous trails overs the Labor day weekend. Two poles make a huge difference for inclines. I won't hike hilly trials without two poles from now on. I really liked it.
 
DPris said:
but how exactly does the use of a walking stick reduce weight on lower body parts?
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm misreading but don't confuse walking sticks (2) with the use of a single stick, pole, or staff. The use of the two sticks is very different.


Toucan Oasis said:
Lets try this.
Put on your pack, go out next to a tree, and see how many squats you can do.
Tie a rope up in the tree so you can pull a bit with your arms, and see what the difference is.BIG difference.
Click to expand...

Excellent example!!
 
Toucan,
In trying to adapt your analogy, I see the advantage in using the arms to help in a straight upward movement by using them to pull on the rope in augmenting the muscles of the legs.
You're right, there'd be a big difference.

In actually trying to convert that to real walking, I'm having a hard time making the transition. Rope analogy assumes (to me, at least) totally different momentum mechanics in that with the rope/squats you'd be using roughly centered (presumably) upward muscular efforts (both arms, center of forces & direction being equal left to right & straight up) that don't translate to the types of off-center (one-sided) un-equal (one-armed) non-straight up (angled) mechanics involved in walking with a staff.

I can see some of the "pulling" involved in walking up an incline (but my recollection is that it was usually miniscule), no real value on a level surface, and mostly in the way going down an inclined trail.

I'm extrapolating, and even though I've never backpacked, I suppose I can see the value in having a third point of contact in some situations as another balance aid when carrying an additional load on the upper body.

I'm mostly looking at a stick (or two, in whatever configuration) in conjunction with woodswalking without a load, and I'm not seeing the reduction in weight percentages on the hips & legs commonly quoted.

I'm admittedly outside the norm on much of my outlook on life in general, and I'm not knocking those who use sticks/staffs/poles, just not seeing the appeal or the utility.
For me, just about anywhere but over running water, mostly just more weight. :)
Over running water, worth its weight in gold (if long enough), but that may be a matter of percentages in a different direction. If you do cross a lot of creeks, that may outweigh the nuisance of toting the stick (or pole) (or poles) through the territory where it doesn't offer much advantage.
Percentages ran the other way in my case, I didn't cross enough water to justify the weight on the rest of the outing.


Ramm,
Wasn't confusing two poles vs a staff, just jumping into the related thread hoping for enlightenment.
But & however, outside of snow, for me two poles would be much more of a hindrance. Two long extensions to coordinate, both hands tied up.
For a guy with a level of coordination that frequently takes several tries to get his shoelaces tied, I'd probably hurt myself with them....

Denis
 
DPris said:
Toucan,
In trying to adapt your analogy, I see the advantage in using the arms to help in a straight upward movement by using them to pull on the rope in augmenting the muscles of the legs.
You're right, there'd be a big difference.
Click to expand...

If you haven't read the link I posted about how to use trekking poles do so. Proper use helps the understanding on how they help with weight distribution.

When you are using trekking poles you will not have a wow moment where you say, wow ! I can feel the difference. It is more of a cumulative affect - more like lightening up your pack.

Canes, fixed hiking poles don't really work in place of trekking poles. As was mentioned earlier the use of the straps (straps transfer the weight to your shoulders; no straps to your fore arms and arms - which tires you out) and length of the trekking pole are the most important aspect of the trekking pole.

As to a real life example for the effect - do squats without any aid; then try it with two a pole in each hand and use your arms to help pulling you up - you can do more squats with the poles, then without.
 
DPris said:
Two long extensions to coordinate, both hands tied up.
For a guy with a level of coordination that frequently takes several tries to get his shoelaces tied, I'd probably hurt myself with them....

Denis
Click to expand...

From what you describe you would be more likely to hurt yourself without them...:D

For me, after a few miles they just fell into the rhythm of the walk and if anything helped my coordination, they hang from the straps if I need to use my hands for something.
 
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