Trekking Poles
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Because I think that they aren't only absolutely useless, but also horribly disturbing and annoying in nearly all circumstances.
We did very well manage without them for decades and centuries, what means they are superfluous. And superfluous stuff doesn't belong into a rucksack in my opinion.
Of course there are exceptions for medical reasons and very specific purposes.
We did very well manage without them for decades and centuries, what means they are superfluous. And superfluous stuff doesn't belong into a rucksack in my opinion.
Of course there are exceptions for medical reasons and very specific purposes.
We did very well without shoes for hundreds of thousands of years but we all accept them as a benefit for trekking now
I agree with Erbswurst. It is a personal thing whether to like poles or not. Whether they are a help or a hindrance depends rather on one's capacity, strength, stamina, balance, urgency, personal syle/technique etc. Also, and this is perhaps odd, I have a pair of Pacer Poles. They are magnificently well-designed and really educate your posture. I highly recommend them. But, they work so effectively in optimizing and raising your cadence that it becomes difficult for your lungs to keep up. 
Didn't the trekking poles become popular with the Nordic Walking fashion?
That's my impression.
Suddenly they were everywhere offered and used by laughable people.
If someone does cross country skiing half the year and keeps training for that also in the warmer month after work for an hour or two that's something totally different.
Is hiking a sport or not?
May be for some people, others just spend recreational time in the woods.
For me it's definitely not, although I can become pretty fast too. But if there is something interesting to see I stop and look at it as long as I want without thinking about training efforts.
Well, do what you want. But I simply don't like them and don't recommend them.
That's my impression.
Suddenly they were everywhere offered and used by laughable people.
If someone does cross country skiing half the year and keeps training for that also in the warmer month after work for an hour or two that's something totally different.
Is hiking a sport or not?
May be for some people, others just spend recreational time in the woods.
For me it's definitely not, although I can become pretty fast too. But if there is something interesting to see I stop and look at it as long as I want without thinking about training efforts.
Well, do what you want. But I simply don't like them and don't recommend them.
When I have been walking in the mountains here in Norway, on the Hardangervidda, Lifjell, Setesdalheiene or other places, I have usually cut myself a staff to aid me when I am walking in difficult rocky terrain etc. – a third point of contact with the ground is a big advantage in such terrain. It is also extremely useful when crossing rivers with strong currents, as well as in some tarp shelter configurations etc.
A hiking staff has been used ever since the stone age, or at least for many many centuries among reindeer, goat, sheep and cattle herders etc. The Saami people have always used a hiking staff when walking on the vidda and in the mountains – perhaps not so much nowadays, as most herding is done on snowmobiles these days.
I recently read the book "Eld : flammor och glöd - samisk eldkonst" (Fire : flames and embers – the Saami art of fire), a 430 page thick book on the Saami use of fire, written by Yngve Ryd. It mentions the hiking staff as so important, that it was seen as a very bad thing to cut thin slivers of the staff to use as tinder in the first stages of making a fire, and the only exception being in extremely severe and difficult circumstances.
Herders in Africa where I grew up, use a staff when walking in the hills and mountains, even on the plains. It doubles up as a weapon for self-defence as well, and I have had my "butt kicked" so hard many a time trying my luck in a stickfight or two with those guys...
I see the trekking poles as just a modern type of hiking staff, and see nothing wrong with them.
I picked a pair of Black Diamond hiking poles up on sale a couple of years ago when a local store went bankrupt. I have never used them yet, but with my knees being no longer, as they were in my youth, I look forward to using them this summer – just me, my Alpacka packraft, a tarp and a pair of trekking poles. I do not care how laughable that may look – I bet I will find them extremely useful.
A hiking staff has been used ever since the stone age, or at least for many many centuries among reindeer, goat, sheep and cattle herders etc. The Saami people have always used a hiking staff when walking on the vidda and in the mountains – perhaps not so much nowadays, as most herding is done on snowmobiles these days.
I recently read the book "Eld : flammor och glöd - samisk eldkonst" (Fire : flames and embers – the Saami art of fire), a 430 page thick book on the Saami use of fire, written by Yngve Ryd. It mentions the hiking staff as so important, that it was seen as a very bad thing to cut thin slivers of the staff to use as tinder in the first stages of making a fire, and the only exception being in extremely severe and difficult circumstances.
Herders in Africa where I grew up, use a staff when walking in the hills and mountains, even on the plains. It doubles up as a weapon for self-defence as well, and I have had my "butt kicked" so hard many a time trying my luck in a stickfight or two with those guys...
I see the trekking poles as just a modern type of hiking staff, and see nothing wrong with them.
I picked a pair of Black Diamond hiking poles up on sale a couple of years ago when a local store went bankrupt. I have never used them yet, but with my knees being no longer, as they were in my youth, I look forward to using them this summer – just me, my Alpacka packraft, a tarp and a pair of trekking poles. I do not care how laughable that may look – I bet I will find them extremely useful.
They were used by some people before that but yes, that brought them to common use.
(To ridicule people using poles when walking it was called "dementia skiing" by some, skiing without the skis. Not seen that used for a long time though.)
I find hiking poles annoying, cumbersome and in the way, but with my damaged knees they are a must if I want to get down a mountain safely, especially if there are lots of loose bolders as is common here, and on very uneven and unstable ground if I'm carrying a heavy load. So I got a lightweight pair that packs up small for the ascent, with those click-locks for reliability when in use. I've had the twist to lock ones fail on me too many times to trust them.
If the women's ones are long enough for you, you can dafe some weight by choosing those.
For people with balance issues, poles can also make a huge difference, letting them enjoy the outdoors more safely.
If the women's ones are long enough for you, you can dafe some weight by choosing those.
For people with balance issues, poles can also make a huge difference, letting them enjoy the outdoors more safely.
With a little thought the obvious flaw in your argument is that humans have been using some sort of trekking pole, staff, walking stick, cane, scout pole, quarterstaff, etc etc etc for at least a thousand years. The use of two sticks may be more recent but the principle is ancient.
I have Black Diamond aluminium ones which are excellent but used to have some Fizan poles from Italy in either duralumin or titanium ( can’t remember which ) that folded to little over 30cm. Very good poles too but not quite long enough for my 6’6” frame.
Lightweight hikers who walk double the distance of normal hikers all seem to use poles. The evidence seems to suggest it protects your knees so you can walk longer while making you faster.
I must be weird I like being in a tent in the rain. In a gale not so much
Keep an eye out at Aldi and Lidl as they have them fairly often so you could try them for not a lot. I have some Aldi specials to try out. Watch some videos first as there a few odd things to pay attention to.
Sorry, in my opinion it's just a fashion.
Like the hobo stoves or the fire blowing antenna.
I also can find a lot of explanations why it's sensible to wear such a red plastic clown nose while out in forest and field.
You really should try that, it's great!
Like the hobo stoves or the fire blowing antenna.
I also can find a lot of explanations why it's sensible to wear such a red plastic clown nose while out in forest and field.
You really should try that, it's great!
" We did very well manage without them for decades and centuries, what means they are superfluous"
Didn't we also do without red plastic clown noses for decades and centuries?
Didn't we also do without red plastic clown noses for decades and centuries?
Don't do that here, somebody might mix you for a certain reindeer and eat you.
My trekking poles are just for this, besides used when walking. So they have double use.
Me, call me autistic or whatever. I want my walking- and tarpstick to be "perfect". I can´t stand for any "out of the woods"-stick. Goes together with that I want everything to be symmetric. I hate assymetry.
