Hiking poles

[Lyle]

I posted this in the Gear forum too, but since this seems to be a much more active forum I decided to share it here also. Figure it will get a discussion going.

By the way, I'm sold on hiking poles, two of em, rubber tips. My current poles are PacerPoles - LOVE EM.

Check out this link off the North Country Trail Website:

http://www.northcountrytrail.org/news/downhill1.htm

[rafe]

I posted this in the Gear forum too, but since this seems to be a much more active forum I decided to share it here also. Figure it will get a discussion going.

By the way, I'm sold on hiking poles, two of em, rubber tips. My current poles are PacerPoles - LOVE EM.

Check out this link off the North Country Trail Website:

http://www.northcountrytrail.org/news/downhill1.htm

Don't confuse us with facts. Poles are for wussies. Just ask Lone Wolf. :rolleyes:

[Mother's Finest]

I have a question.

A company called Nordic Pole Walking USA is trying to get me to carry nordic walking poles in my store. They claim that the body burns 46% more calories when walking with nordic poles than without, due to the additional use of upper body muscles. They name the studies, so this looks to be legitimate scientific research.

What does this mean for the thru hiker? Not sure, but it looks like you cats with poles are doing more work, requiring more calories to keep your body fueled. I do not use poles, and really have no opinion on the subject, but just wanted to share.

thoughts?

peace
mf

[Lone Wolf]

Don't confuse us with facts. Poles are for wussies. Just ask Lone Wolf. :rolleyes:

you're a wussie.

[FanaticFringer]

Dis the rubber tips.

[Lyle]

you're a wussie.

YEP! And I hope that my wussie self will be enjoying long distance hiking for many more years - have seen too many folks who loved hiking have to give it up 'cause of knee problems. No problems yet - wanna keep it that way.:D

Hike on...

[Lyle]

I have a question.

A company called Nordic Pole Walking USA is trying to get me to carry nordic walking poles in my store. They claim that the body burns 46% more calories when walking with nordic poles than without, due to the additional use of upper body muscles. They name the studies, so this looks to be legitimate scientific research.

What does this mean for the thru hiker? Not sure, but it looks like you cats with poles are doing more work, requiring more calories to keep your body fueled. I do not use poles, and really have no opinion on the subject, but just wanted to share.

thoughts?

peace
mf

Don't really know about their claims. It seems to make sense to me that the amount of work required to get a given load up or down a given hill would remain constant. My guess would be that using poles only distributes the workload to more muscle groups.

Uless the leg muscles are more efficient than the arms, thus using fewer calories... :confused:

[Gadog430]

Poles help with the rhythm of walking IMHO. I have hiked with and without. I like with.

Dawg

Ps. my spring treat for myself is Makalus. Thus trading in my Target, unbelievably heavy, buy all I could afford while in college, poles.

[Lone Wolf]

Poles help with the rhythm of walking IMHO. I have hiked with and without. I like with.

Dawg

Ps. my spring treat for myself is Makalus. Thus trading in my Target, unbelievably heavy, buy all I could afford while in college, poles.

you ain't no wussie.

[spittinpigeon]

Buy the most expensive poles you can find. And get the shocks in em' too, because hiking is just like driving, and you like shocks in your car don't you? Oh boy, if I had the budget, I would have spent over $100 dollars on a couple of metal sticks. I love when I see a hiker with expensive broken poles strapped to his pack, heading for the outfitter. It's even better when the hiker gets denied a replacement because of some stipulation or another.
I've been waiting for my $9 wal mart poles to break for 2000 miles now, and they just won't do it. I guess I have to spend the big bucks for that.

[SalParadise]

i love my hiking poles, but still all they do is transfer some of the hiking work from your legs to your arms and shoulders. you bet they take some of the total pressure off your knees, but the whole 46% statistic is total garbage unless the pole is somehow pushing the hiker up the hill. total garbage. plus it's the stupid pole company that's funding the research in the first place, so of course everything is going to be twisted to their favour.

[SalParadise]

i once worked in an outfitter for a good while, and so many of those poles had those shocks in them and they were all $120 a pair. the companies all sent out information on how the shocks saved an additional 10% (or thereabouts) of pressure off the knees--what a complete load of bull, all the companies were out to do is make more money off of sucker hikers who bought into that stuff.

sorry, it's just upsetting. hiking has gone from such a low-cost, simple activity to one where corporations have horned in to teach us that we need all the latest ultra-wicking, beeping, buzzing, flashing and certainly expensive equipment before we can ever be prepared to simply walk out into the woods.

you'll excuse me, though, i'm well aware i'm completely overreacting.

[handlebar]

Dis the rubber tips.

I agree! After the rubber tips slipped twice causing me to land on my a$$ on gentle downhills in GA they got sent home.

AND---plan to replace the tips. Some outfitters didn't carry so you might want to have in your bounce box or in the care of your home resupply person.

[quicktoez]

I have been using poles many years now, same ones I Telemark ski with in the winter and in my opinion the shocks don't do much. They also seem to make the poles more prone to damage in my experience. I think they do help my old bones and have on more than one ocasion saved me from a fall. Its all good if it works but other than the fact that I like very light poles price does not really seem to be a factor. Skip the shocks and get what works for you. May your tracks be long.:cool: