Walking poles

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Kerne

Maker
Dec 16, 2007
1,766
21
Gloucestershire
I'm on my third pair (just bought some ultralight Leki's at the Outdoor show) and I am sold on them. I have a dodgy knee (following a rugby injury - stupid sport!) and the poles allow me to go down hill with much greater security. I also use them to hold up my tarp when camping in treeless zone - which I have to say I do most of the time as I camp in the hills. Well worth the weight.
 

Oblio13

Settler
Sep 24, 2008
703
2
67
New Hampshire
oblio13.blogspot.com
Not sure exactly why, but I'd be a little embarrassed to use high-tech modern walking sticks. I think Daniel Boone would have loved our modern knives, optics and rifles, but I just can't picture him with neon-colored, adjustable, carbon-fiber, spring-cushioned walking sticks. I go low-tech, with spruce or ash staffs. Carve a hook in one end for lifting pots, epoxy an inch of copper water pipe on the bottom end so it wears longer. Good for everything from testing ice to fending off dogs. It can even be used as a crutch if the second dog that you didn't see gets you. If they break, wear out, or you get tired of them, toss them back in the woods to return from whence they came.


http://oblio13.blogspot.com/2008/04/walking-sticks.html
 
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BorderReiver

Full Member
Mar 31, 2004
2,693
16
Norfolk U.K.
Leki Makalu. With two its not only 4wd but turbo charged and you leave the stickless behind.

But you look silly to some.

Since I amble rather than walk I go traditional with a cut piece of wood most of the time

I only use the poles for long walks; if you're bimbling about in the woods they're unnecessary and get in the way.:)
 

Bravo4

Nomad
Apr 14, 2009
473
0
54
New Mexico, USA
I think Daniel Boone would have loved our modern knives, optics and rifles, but I just can't picture him with neon-colored, adjustable, carbon-fiber, spring-cushioned walking sticks.
:lmao:
Nor a tilley hat. Both of which I have purchased and used at some point. Then got rid of. The poles worked. Felt like a machine, churning out mileage nearly double of normal. They got in my way and I looked silly to myself. Same thing with the hat, was a step back.
 

helixpteron

Native
Mar 16, 2008
1,469
0
UK
For about 20 years I've used a Bo Staff as my walking stick. Its modified to suit my specific requirements and also has a Fussells 1" ferrule which provides cushioning, wear and noise reduction.

A Bo Staff.

measure-bo-staff-800X800.jpg


A Fussells Rubber 1" Ferrule.

pic_WSRubberFerruleC_MP.jpg


I chose this type of stick for its length and strength, it copes with axial load without concern for its integrity. I use the stick every day.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
:lmao:
Nor a tilley hat. Both of which I have purchased and used at some point. Then got rid of. The poles worked. Felt like a machine, churning out mileage nearly double of normal. They got in my way and I looked silly to myself. Same thing with the hat, was a step back.

I don't feel silly with two poles but only use them when really needed such as carrying a heavier load. I am thinking about buying a Tilley hat thought and indeed would have bought one many years ago but like you I feel silly in them when trying them on in the shop. I have worked out which one to get and in which colour but everytime I am in a shop with that version of Tilley hat I end up putting it back for fear of looking silly in one. Each to their own. Some here love their Tilley others think they look silly. Similar with poles. However they both do what they were designed for and that makes them a good tool for their job. A Tilley shields against the sun a set of poles helps with your walking stance (you tend to walk more vertically putting less stress on your body due to imbalances in your posture), they help with your forward propulsion, they help with balance and they share your weight by taking a bit off your feet.

I suppose that means I should get a Tilley irrespective of how much of a prat it makes me look. Afterall it is the function that matters not vanity. Would you rather wear street clothes in the hills because they make you look better?
 

Alexlebrit

Tenderfoot
Dec 22, 2009
90
0
France
I use them occasionally, I got dicky knees from cycling and at the end of a decent hike I can tell the difference if I've not had them with me. And they're good with a tarp.

The make? Cheap as chips from Lidl's, but they do have a 3" year guarantee.

And I'd not seen a Bo Staff before so looked it up. Forgive me for saying this but it looks suspiciously like a

broom.jpg

to this untrained eye.
 

helixpteron

Native
Mar 16, 2008
1,469
0
UK
Broomsticks are thinner, not made from Japanese oak and lack the strength and weight of a Bo staff.

As you say, they are visually similar to the inexperienced eye.
 

Alexlebrit

Tenderfoot
Dec 22, 2009
90
0
France
My eye is deeply inexperienced. Mind you I did use a broomstick for years as a walking staff and loved it for its lightweight and spring.
 

helixpteron

Native
Mar 16, 2008
1,469
0
UK
My eye is deeply inexperienced. Mind you I did use a broomstick for years as a walking staff and loved it for its lightweight and spring.

They do possess those qualities, but fail 100% when subjected to axial loading, which is a major requirement for my usage.
 

Mahikan

Tenderfoot
Jul 22, 2008
76
0
Canada
www.mahikan.ca
The simple walking pole is quite often regarded as merely an aid to those of us suffering from knee,back injuries, or just merely succumbing to that aliment that gets us all and that is age.
However the walking pole is much more than just a simple aid to hike up a hill, let me quote some of its deeply researched positive advantages. Much of this info I have gained from Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, and research published by Doctors and Mountain guides. I normally pass this on to my clients or school groups I am leading in the mountains or bush over here.

The walking pole or better still two walking poles set correctly to your own height will save up to a third of your energy output throughout a hiking day. Saving this energy is important because it helps you move more efficiently and therefore less likely to making yourself prone, through fatigue, to injuring yourself. A vast amount of injuries accidents happen at the end of day when someone is descending a mountain, or hill, and certainly an extra set of legs helps your tired body maintain stability.

Using poles also tones up the muscles in your arms chest and back so gives your body a complete workout, hence the popularity of Nordic Walking (walking fast with cross country ski poles!) in Europe and N.America

For river crossings the hiking poles are an invaluable tool to help keep you upright, preventing you getting swept away or tripping on loose rocks.

When I teach Wilderness First Aid I demonstrate how hiking poles can make up several different types of splints for arms and Legs, remembering of course some wilderness areas have no trees or shrubs that can lend themselves to be fashioned into splints.

Walking with two poles is better than walking with one, walking with one can create an physiological imbalance in your body which can lead to injuries (for example to your back) especially if you are carrying a pack.
If you find it difficult to use two poles, and can only manage one, be diligent and ensure that you use the pole for an equal amount of time, throughout the day, in both hands.

Using two poles not only is a positive benefit for your overall physical fitness but also improves the cognitive ability of your brain, as does just general walking or running.
Just think of our primitive ancestors who stopped using their jaws as tools preferring to use their hands to manufacture everyday artifacts and break open fruits etc, their jaws got smaller, they grew shorter arms while their brains grew bigger.

When I am walking through thick bush I tend not to use regular hiking poles but use one pole around 6ft long (I am 5ft 6"), this helps me balance when crossing beaver damns or pole vault across creeks. Also for navigating through thick bush when using concise navigation techniques with my compass , although it would better for my pole in this use to be about 4ft longer. Several of these long poles can be tied together to make an improvised foot bridge to get a large group over a creek quickly, while keeping them dry.

To summarize all I can say is I don't go hiking anywhere without my poles.

Dave
www.mahikan.ca
 

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