I just came across some old fishing rod blanks and I'm going to make a pair of trekking poles out of them. They will be a fixed length (unless I figure out a way to make them adjustable :-? ). The poles taper from about 1.25" diameter to 0.25".
Any suggestions on length, thickness, springyness, handles, or any ideas are appreciated.

I've been thru many homemade hiking sticks over the years, and I spent 2 years backpacking with a bamboo stick. I used a drug store rubber cane tip on the bottom(they will split easily w/o one), and a cheap lightweight bicycle grip on the top, slid right on. I duct taped the pole in intervals to lessen splitting, etc.

I have one that I cut a couple of years ago. I also use a cane tip. For the splitting problem at the tip I coated the inside and outside with epoxy and then wound the part normally cvered by the cane tip with polyester thread.

I also put some turks heads around the two joints that I usually hold between. I used nylon 1/4" cord for these and it makes swinging more comfortable.

Good luck.

I just came across some old fishing rod blanks and I'm going to make a pair of trekking poles out of them. They will be a fixed length (unless I figure out a way to make them adjustable :-? ). The poles taper from about 1.25" diameter to 0.25".
Any suggestions on length, thickness, springyness, handles, or any ideas are appreciated.
Please be sure of what you will be cutting up; some of those things are valuable. A bamboo- rod afficianado might swap you a brand- new pair of lekki poles, if it is something collectible.

Hi,

I'm pulling up this thread. This would seem like an easy DIY project. I am just thinking of one hiking stick vs two poles. I think that bamboo wouldn't be hard to find. It is very hard to find sticks where I hike (I'm an immigrant on your list-- look at the state). I have looked for yucca after seeing someone with a yucca pole, but haven't found anything mature. All the yucca seems way too fragile and I have an idea maybe he had something else.

I also think a strap of some type would be useful.

Any suggestions on length? I inch width ok? I am 5'1" and weigh about 115.

--des

i also heard of a guy who put his emergency supplies into the bamboo handle of his walking stick. let me see if i can find the link

ahha!

http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips___Tricks/Bamboo_Walkin_Stick/body_bamboo_walkin_stick.htm

Tosto,
Bamboo fishing rods are valuable. They could be worth hundreds of dollars. Each. Before cutting them up, check them out at a fly-fishing shop where someone would estimate their value. Maybe they'd buy them from you?!

If you are looking for cheap hiking poles, let me suggest you go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift store, and get some carbon-fiber shafted golf clubs for $5.00 each. Get a hacksaw and cut off the club head, leaving the "hosel," which is the part where the shaft is inserted in the club head. Tie strings or webbing on the handles, and voila!, cheap, light hiking poles.

i also heard of a guy who put his emergency supplies into the bamboo handle of his walking stick. let me see if i can find the link

ahha!

http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips___Tricks/Bamboo_Walkin_Stick/body_bamboo_walkin_stick.htm


This is a great link. Even tells you where to get the pole, should you not know this. Also I have heard that Pier One might carry them. Thank you thank you.

--des

hehe you're welcome! glad to help

Want to make bamboo walking sticks but the pandas have destroyed your grove? tikifocus.com sells sticks, poles, etc.

Hey HikingPA are you on hikingforum??
Anyway, I got a bamboo rod from a garden store ($5). I cut it off around shoulder length, drilled a little hole (I'm putting a rawhide strip in there), and put glued a chair rubber piece on the bottom. I got some dark brown duct tape to strengthen the rod up where needed. I'm also sanding this thing off where I cut it. I am sort of undecided re: handle.
Leave alone?
See if I can find the bike inner tube (would need to be free) or bike handle bar thingie?
I also found this craft foam. It is about 3mm. Feels nice and cushy to touch.?
Could wrap with duct tape?
(One idea not appealing-- looked nice though, someone had wrapped his pole with some sort of cord. Looked prickly.)

I'll take it out "naked" and see if I want anything for it. Or maybe some of you have ideas on this as well. It is nice and smooth so I think splinters are very unlikely.


--des

yeah des i participate on www.hikingforums.net (http://www.hikingforums.net) i think it is... pretty sure i saw a guy named 88bluegt or something like that posting on both as well :D

My alder hiking sticks are about an inch or a little less at the top and around three quarter inch at the bottom. When peeled, dried, and smoothed up a little, they weigh 8-9 ounces. With a crutch tip to reduce wear and aid traction and a handle, add another couple of ounces, depending on how elaborate you want to get. A replacement rubber bike grip is the cheapest. But I've also used a cork grip equipped with a compass and strap from Komperbell

Alder is considered a worthless, weed species, but I find it to be remarkably light and strong. I've never managed to break one in the 17 years I've used them. Because they are virtually free, I don't treat them with special care. I routine use mine to whack off dead limbs when scouting new trails or bushwhacking.

The natural twist, turns and bumps make for an attractive hiking staff, and provide multiple hand grips, helpful when shifting from level ground to uphills and down.

My current favorite has a brass wrao-around thingy with the words Appalachian Trail, Maine to Georgia and the AT symbol in blue. I bought the medalion at an AT conference six years ago and finally got around to tacking it on last year.

When my wife and I visited Alaska last spring and summer, I noticed the stick getting a number admiring looks. Two people asked where they could buy sticks like it.

The stick I used when I walked home to Maine from Georgia in 1993, I found at the foot of Dunn Notch Falls in Maine, where it had been cut by the volunteers building the blue blazed side trail to the bottom of the falls. It was immediately serviceable as a hiking stick, but I scraped off the bark, carved the AT symbol, and shortened it a bit while sitting around campfires.

When you hike Maine take that side trail. The falls are among the prettiest -- I think the prettiest -- of the 2,175 mile trail.

That original stick remains perfectly serviceable, but I rarely use it any more. It has so many fond memories that I would cry if it got broken.

Weary

My alder hiking sticks are about an inch or a little less at the top and around three quarter inch at the bottom. When peeled, dried, and smoothed up a little, they weigh 8-9 ounces. With a crutch tip to reduce wear and aid traction and a handle, add another couple of ounces, depending on how elaborate you want to get. A replacement rubber bike grip is the cheapest. But I've also used a cork grip equipped with a compass and strap from Komperbell
Weary

I wouldn't be able to find anything like this on the trails given I am an out of towner. :-) But thanks for the info on the rubber bike grip. I'll try and get one of them. I think I'd have trouble weighing this darn thing. Get on scale, pick it up, only thing I can think of.

I can see with all your adventures you might feel sentimentally attached.
:-)

--des

Hi,

I'm pulling up this thread. This would seem like an easy DIY project. I am just thinking of one hiking stick vs two poles. I think that bamboo wouldn't be hard to find. It is very hard to find sticks where I hike (I'm an immigrant on your list-- look at the state). I have looked for yucca after seeing someone with a yucca pole, but haven't found anything mature. All the yucca seems way too fragile and I have an idea maybe he had something else.

I also think a strap of some type would be useful.

Any suggestions on length? I inch width ok? I am 5'1" and weigh about 115.

--des

des,

I have a pair of bamboo cross-country ski poles (Nordic brand, 140 cm) that are about 3/4 inch thick just below the handle grip, and taper to about 5/8 inch above the basket at the base. They are about 55 inches long, which translates to about shoulder height on me (5'10"). You will need to reinforce the tip with something - I use rubber tips on my hiking staffs, but they are thicker than 5/8 - if nothing else, wrap the bare tip with mason's twine and use shellac or varnish to seal the wrappings. (Wrapping around the shaft at the tip will keep the tip from expanding, which is how splits begin. But the tip itself will still wear down, so leave a short section between the end of tip and the start of the wrap.)

A bicycle handlegrip (the kind that you push on) may be too big for the bamboo - try handlebar tape, and just wrap the grip area really well. You may find that a wrist strap is useful - you can usually drill a 3/16 inch hole in something the size of a bamboo shaft without compromising its strength too much - and pass a cord through the hole and knot it. Or catch a cord underneath the handlebar wrapping.

Sound like a good rainy day DIY project.

des,

I have a pair of bamboo cross-country ski poles (Nordic brand, 140 cm) that are about 3/4 inch thick just below the handle grip, and taper to about 5/8 inch above the basket at the base. They are about 55 inches long, which translates to about shoulder height on me (5'10"). You will need to reinforce the tip with something - I use rubber tips on my hiking staffs, but they are thicker than 5/8 - if nothing else, wrap the bare tip with mason's twine and use shellac or varnish to seal the wrappings. (Wrapping around the shaft at the tip will keep the tip from expanding, which is how splits begin. But the tip itself will still wear down, so leave a short section between the end of tip and the start of the wrap.)

A bicycle handlegrip (the kind that you push on) may be too big for the bamboo - try handlebar tape, and just wrap the grip area really well. You may find that a wrist strap is useful - you can usually drill a 3/16 inch hole in something the size of a bamboo shaft without compromising its strength too much - and pass a cord through the hole and knot it. Or catch a cord underneath the handlebar wrapping.

Sound like a good rainy day DIY project.

I'd guess this is more of a traditional hiking pole or shaft than like the Nordic trek poles. The type of hiking I do, probably I am not ever going to be able to get any rhythm, so it is for balancing going up and down hill, etc.

It is thicker (goes from maybe 3/4 inch to 1 1/4 inch).
The ideas of wrapping the tip and so on are good. I already epoxed a chair leg cup (same idea as crutch tip) to the tip, so I probably can't do that, but I could wrap near it. The handle bar tape is a good idea too. Don't frequent bike shops either, so I never heard of it. The guy on the link hikerPA mentioned, used a bike inner tube he got for free. Nice idea if I could get that. It would be nice and squishy.

Thanks,

--des

If using "natural" hiking sticks (Bamboo, alder, etc.) put some kind of tip on the end. I like a rubber cane tip. I also (in wood anyway) drive a roofing nail in the bottom end after drilling a small hole first to reduce splitting. The reason for the tip & nail: I have worn a Hard Maple 1.5" Well seasoned pole down 2 inches in one weekend working at my local renaissance fest. So: 1" a day, for probably less than 5 miles per day. "Fred" now has solid steel end caps, & is still a robust 6' 3" tall after 9 years as my quarter staff / walking stick. Fred is way too heavy for on trail use, but the point is after a few 5 mile days I wore down something that sturdy a full 2 INCHES, the bamboo ones will truely need some type of protection.

Admitedly, about 1/2 of my walking at the ren fest is on gravel, still , , , , ,

I used these today. Huge help esp. going down hill!
I have yet fixed up the bottom with the twine and all. I had used duct tape on the bottom foot or so. I also have a chair cup glued to the bottom.

I ended up using craft foam as the handle with the thought that if I don't like it I can take it off. It worked great and had a nice feel to it which helped me hold on.

--des

For a grip, you could look in the "sporting goods" section of any Academy or even Wal-mart and get the tape that's used to wrap baseball bat grips. Very soft and cushy grip and non-slip as well. Plus, you can have the diameter of your pole change and not be affected on your hand grip.

try wrapping 550 cord around the top to make a handle. that way you got extra rope if your ever in a pinch

try wrapping 550 cord around the top to make a handle. that way you got extra rope if your ever in a pinch

I wrapped the top and bottom with mason string, but it is glued on (I'm planning on using some polyurethane over the whole thing).
I have a temporary handle.

--des

here is a pic of what i meant. its not bamboo but you get the idea.3546

here is a pic of what i meant. its not bamboo but you get the idea.3546

It's a good picture. I did much the same thing, I think the cord or string material I used is different. You also did a better job-- somewhat neater than I am maybe capable of. You are obviously a craftsperson.


--des

not at all. heres some links that show ways to wrap the cord. the secret is keep it tight
http://www.zimbio.com/Knot+tying+/articles/57/Hiking+staff+paracord+wrap
http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips___Tricks/PARA-CORD_KNIFE_HANDLE/body_para-cord_knife_handle.html

this is a good one:
http://www.m4040.com/Knifemaking/cordwrap.htm

There is a great thread on the TLB forum in the "Make Your Own Gear" section on using carbon fiber shafts from this (http://www.goodwindskites.com/merch/list.shtml?cat=framework) kite making supplier for trek poles. I would have linked it but you need to be a member to view that particular sub forum. The guy used foam at the top for grips but you could also use cork available from fishing rod building suppliers.

He claims the total weight is 3.4 oz each with a total cost of $39 for all parts with shipping. They look pretty good but of course are not collapsable or adjustable. But then, I don't believe the ones from Ti Goat or Gossamer are either?

Tosto,
Bamboo fishing rods are valuable. They could be worth hundreds of dollars. Each. Before cutting them up, check them out at a fly-fishing shop where someone would estimate their value. Maybe they'd buy them from you?!

If you are looking for cheap hiking poles, let me suggest you go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift store, and get some carbon-fiber shafted golf clubs for $5.00 each. Get a hacksaw and cut off the club head, leaving the "hosel," which is the part where the shaft is inserted in the club head. Tie strings or webbing on the handles, and voila!, cheap, light hiking poles.


Just in case anyone was concerned, I know what type of poles you are referring to. For everyone's benefit, the most valuable bamboo poles are Tonkin Cane. They are made from split bamboo and have a multisided shape. If you have any bamboo that is shaped like a hexagon (or any flat sided shape) don't cut it up!

I got these blanks from my grandfather, who made his own poles. They were just straight round pieces.

I've got a big bunch of bamboo growing at the front of my property, and I've used bamboo to make hiking poles before. Works great. Stick a rubber tip on it and you are good to go. I didn't make a grip though. If I could make a collapsible one, I'd probably give up my Lekis.
Y'all have got me wanting to make some more...!

i just made a nice hiking staff out of bamboo. it is fairly tall to assist with downhill. i bought some 'rubber tips' at ace hardware which happen to perfectly fit on the bottom of my bamboo stick, no glue needed.

i just made a nice hiking staff out of bamboo. it is fairly tall to assist with downhill. i bought some 'rubber tips' at ace hardware which happen to perfectly fit on the bottom of my bamboo stick, no glue needed.

You might think about gluing it anyway. I think the tip and glue will help keep the stick from splitting. Winding with twine will also help. I find mine helpful regardless. I am pretty fond of my stick by now. Thinking of naming it. :)

--des