View Full Version : over 1000 miles without poles?
This thread is relevant to the one about impact of poles.
I've hiked and camped all my life. I took my first camping trip was when I was 2 years old, on my father’s back.
In the past few years, I have done weeklong sections of AT in NH (Mt.Washington to Hanover), VT, MASS, doing between 10 and 17 miles a day with a heavy backpack (my friend and I carry extra chocolate and other luxury food, such as onions and canned meat when we hike sections of AT to share with thru-hikers). And last summer I trekked in the Condoriri area in Bolivia. So, even though I've never done seriously long trips, I have some experience with hiking and relatively strenuous terrain. But I only used poles once, in Bolivia, to ascend Huayna Potosí.
This summer I am going to hike the AT from VA to Maine. My question is: will I absolutely need the poles? I have no ideological objections to them (provided, of course, people don't drag them long them trail margins). It's just a matter of personal preference. I like my hands to be free. So I was wondering if anybody here has hiked without poles (over a week), and what do you think about it?
thank you for any input,
happy trails,
t.
Lone Wolf
02-12-2008, 13:56
no you will not absolutely need poles. i've never used them in 16,000 miles of AT hiking. hands free is the way
I hiked 25 years without them. No problems. Started using poles about 5 years ago. These days I much prefer to have them.
jersey joe
02-12-2008, 14:16
Tanya,
I had the same question when I began my thru. I hiked the first month or so without hiking sticks then wound up picking up two hiking sticks out of the woods to hike with. They grew on me. Gave my arms a workout and helped motor up hills. I never actually bought poles but I used sticks until Katahdin.
I personally like them, but i know a couple of people that cant stand them. They say that they bother their shoulders.
I like 4X4.
Poles are not necessary.
These days I find them desirable.
You can always pick up a staff along the way.
There are very very few absolutes involved with backpacking gear. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any. A few gear functions may be considered absolute, but multiple ways to meet those functions.
Basics functions to be met: Shelter, insulation, pack, and footwear (some folks have even made this optional). Everything beyond that is optional and personal preference.
Don't over-complicate.
That said, you can make your hike much more comfortable and safer by research and proper gear selection, but it is still optional and personal preference.
I stopped using them as well--they're crutches.
If you have knee problems you might want poles, but otherwise? not necessary.
sixhusbands
02-12-2008, 17:03
Never used them. I have seen many poles left in the trash at trail heads. besides they destroy the beauty of the trail with all those scratches on the rocks.
Appalachian Tater
02-12-2008, 17:05
There is probably a positive correlation between age and fondness for hiking poles. I can't imagine hiking without them except on level surfaces.
eric_plano
02-12-2008, 17:40
I used them for 500 miles or so over 2 years and then without them for 500 miles or so this year. I had a full ACL replacement so I originally thought they would help.
Once I got rid of them this year though, I never want them back .
It's been great to have my hands free and it just feels different...better.
I started my hike last year with just a staff I picked up on the trail. After I got tendenitis I bought a pair of Liki poles at the N.O.C. I will not ever hike without them again, unless its a smooth level surface. But thats what I like, everybody has to hike there own hike. Try it with and without, make up your own mind.
Hammer and Nails
02-12-2008, 18:04
I switched to poles two years ago and will never let them go again. True, you're sore for a while, but once your upper body conditioning picks up you'll feel better.
Some big pros:
- I've never fallen over with poles; there's always something to lean on when you slip
- You can get over large obstacles (fallen trees, larger boulders and steps) much more easily, often allowing you to leave your heavy pack on when you might have otherwise needed to take it off
- Saving the wear on the knees is good at ANY age - they'll just last longer! (And your back.)
- Some people find that poles provide a comfort of security when faced with a large dog or other animal
- And for day hiking with a very light pack, it is possible to master the use of the poles in such a way that you become more like a 4-legged animal with the capability of flinging yourself full speed into the most jagged of rocky trails without fear of turning an ankle.
As for having free hands for other things like using your camera - you can become extremely skilled at carrying both poles in one hand.
If you're seriously considering them, I say give it a go, but be sure to tough it out a couple of weeks until you build up your strength and skill before you let frustration overcome you.
maxNcathy
02-12-2008, 18:22
Compromise..use one pole as some folks do.
I like using 2 poles.
Good for tarp tent.
Protection from weirdos and other animals.
Tennessee Viking
02-12-2008, 19:39
I started hiking without poles. But after a number of good falls and a nagging sore ankle. Plus I pack heavy. Hiking poles became a great tool.
They became a necessity when there was no room in the shelter, and ended up making a tarp tent with my poles.
Personally, I can't imagine hiking with trekking poles.
Maybe if you've got bad knees or a heavy pack.
Otherwise, I think they're silly.
bustedchucks
02-12-2008, 22:06
I used poles for the first time on an overnight in the catskills a couple of weeks ago. The conditions ranged from bare rock to thick ice to soft snow and they helped me keep balance with a heavy winter backpack. They were particularly helpful for icy rockhopping across streams, I felt really confident.
Blissful
02-12-2008, 22:14
Young people - no poles
Over forty - good percentage with poles. Some without.
Me - poles saved my knees, esp with the hard terrain up North. And kept me from twisting my ankle numerous times by keeping my balance in rocky terrain. And they gave me more energy handling the uphills by supplementing my legs with upper body strength. But in Mahoosuc Notch and Katahdin they were a nuisance.
You - if you don't need them or like them, don't take them. You can always pick some up later on in the hike. Or use an old fashioned stick off the ground.
Blissful
02-12-2008, 22:16
I used poles for the first time on an overnight in the catskills a couple of weeks ago.
:welcome
My parents live near the Catskills - Shokan by the reservoir - it's my childhood home. I've climbed several of the peaks there.
fiddlehead
02-13-2008, 00:29
I tried a pole once. Swore by it, until i lost it. Never used them again.
I agree with Scott P. They are crutches.
For example, look at ultra racers. The last race i was in three people out of 500 used them (one of them made the finish) along with 250 who did not use them.
They slow you down.
The only time i think they are necessary is to substitute for an ice ax when you don't have one but you really need to know (and practice) this technique. You normally don't need an ice ax on the AT anyway. Or to set up your tarp, or for fording if there are no sticks or trees around (again, not important on the AT)
People with bad knees tell a different story and i haven't been there yet but they may have a point. (of course bad knees often comes from carrying too much weight or going downhills the wrong way)
But, all of these young, healthy people hiking with them anymore? I believe they are like Crocs and very in style now and this fad will eventually go away along with bear bells.
88BlueGT
02-13-2008, 00:35
I've never hiked with poles but since it seems like the cool thing to do I'm going to get myself a pair this summer :D Seriously though, some people love them some people hate them. If you have never hiked with poles before why start now? Try a cheap pair and see how you like the feel, if so get a decent set. If not, you just saved yourself 100 bucks.
Blue Jay
02-13-2008, 10:36
Personally, I can't imagine hiking with trekking poles.
Maybe if you've got bad knees or a heavy pack.
Otherwise, I think they're silly.
Now wait just a minute. Poles are very very stylish. People with poles just look cool. They look like real hikers. Without poles you look like you are out for a walk. People are starting to walk around their neighborhoods with poles. Soon videos on MTV will include poles. Ok, you're right, they're silly.
Just wait till you are fording those streams in Maine. You will wish you had poles if you don't have them. Poles let you know for starters just how deep the water is.
Yes you can survive withoutem, but they will make your life a whole lot easier.
Davidnh
Lone Wolf
02-13-2008, 10:48
Just wait till you are fording those streams in Maine. You will wish you had poles if you don't have them. Poles let you know for starters just how deep the water is.
Yes you can survive withoutem, but they will make your life a whole lot easier.
Davidnh
there's always plenty of sticks on the shores of the streams
jersey joe
02-13-2008, 11:08
Sticks work just fine, AND they are disposable. If you leave one at a shelter, no big deal.
Kerosene
02-13-2008, 11:14
If you want to keep your hands free then there's certainly no reason to burden yourself with poles. I've found them to be helpful to stabilize me in tricky situations, and I use a pole for my tent, but they can be a pain when you're the trail is level or very rocky. Some people use them to take pressure off their knees (read quads) on the downhill, but it doesn't sound like you need them for that purpose.
Blissful
02-13-2008, 11:15
. besides they destroy the beauty of the trail with all those scratches on the rocks.
oh boy, there was thread about that once a while back.
uh...so do hiker's feet. (??) Nothing like the mounds of feet tracking through mud in Vermont or around bog bridges destroying the beauty.
This thread is relevant to the one about impact of poles.
I've hiked and camped all my life. I took my first camping trip was when I was 2 years old, on my father’s back.
In the past few years, I have done weeklong sections of AT in NH (Mt.Washington to Hanover), VT, MASS, doing between 10 and 17 miles a day with a heavy backpack (my friend and I carry extra chocolate and other luxury food, such as onions and canned meat when we hike sections of AT to share with thru-hikers). And last summer I trekked in the Condoriri area in Bolivia. So, even though I've never done seriously long trips, I have some experience with hiking and relatively strenuous terrain. But I only used poles once, in Bolivia, to ascend Huayna Potosí.
This summer I am going to hike the AT from VA to Maine. My question is: will I absolutely need the poles? I have no ideological objections to them (provided, of course, people don't drag them long them trail margins). It's just a matter of personal preference. I like my hands to be free. So I was wondering if anybody here has hiked without poles (over a week), and what do you think about it?
thank you for any input,
happy trails,
t.
Poles are a recent phenomenon. I hiked thousands of backpacking miles without a pole, as did all the trail pioneers. I started using a prop in 1991 when the 9-year-old I was hiking with kept falling. I found him a stick to keep him upright, which he wouldn't use unless I used a stick also. I've been using a single hiking stick ever since. Poles are like tobacco. The're both harmful and addictive. Well, harmful to those of us who like to quickly snap photos, scratch, slap mosquitoes, grab trees, kneel to look at flowers....
I say avoid them at all cost. Since I started using a walking stick 17 years ago August, I've gotten grayer, had open heart surgery, grown wobblier on my feet, gained weight, puff more going up hills... How I curse the day I picked up that stick.
Weary
eric_plano
02-13-2008, 11:57
Since I started using a walking stick 17 years ago August, I've gotten grayer, had open heart surgery, grown wobblier on my feet, gained weight, puff more going up hills... How I curse the day I picked up that stick.
They should include these possible side-effects on a warning label if you ask me :D
Footslogger
02-13-2008, 12:08
This thread is relevant to the one about impact of poles.
This summer I am going to hike the AT from VA to Maine. My question is: will I absolutely need the poles? I have no ideological objections to them (provided, of course, people don't drag them long them trail margins). It's just a matter of personal preference. I like my hands to be free. So I was wondering if anybody here has hiked without poles (over a week), and what do you think about it?
thank you for any input,
happy trails,
t.
===================================
Jumping in late here ...but just read over your initial post and wanted to comment.
Like you, for the vast majority of my hiking/backpacking as a youngster I too never thought of using any form of trekking pole or even a stick for that matter.
In the late 90's as I began to put my plan together for an AT thru-hike I did some pretty intense training hikes. I observed a lot of other hikers using the trekking poles and thought maybe I should look into them. I read a lot about them, albeit NOT about their impact, environmentally speaking. I finally did decide to try and pair and in 2003 I carried them the entire length of the AT.
Could I have done that hike without them ...absolutely.
Would I want to ...absolutely NOT - in my case, anyway.
I'm not a particularly "hard" sticking hiker so for me the whole "impact issue" is somewhat mute. The reason I am so in favor of them from a hiking standpoint (again ...this just for me) is that they offer additional balance and support on both uphills and downhills and on level ground they help me develop and maintain a sort of cadence.
I ran out of fingers and toes trying to keep track of the number of times the trekking poles kept me from falling. Now for some hikers that is just a lame excuse ...and they might tell you to just GO AHEAD AND FALL. But for me at least the ability to catch myself from falling and/or to lower the physiological impact on my knees is well worth the investment.
But no ...as I said at the outset, you certainly do not NEED trekking poles to hike in that section - or any other section of the AT for that matter.
'Slogger
Some people like them. Some don't. Some find them useful, some find them to be another doo-dad.
Try a pair of cheap ski poles first. You'll be out $10 or less in the worse case.
Despite what others say, there is no "one size fits all" solution to backpacking gear. :sun
(Similar to Weary, I used to have a fine head of wavy black hair when I started backpacking. When I started using ski poles: My hair started vanishing and , my beard started getting patches of grey.... ;) )
Thank you all for so much input! I like the idea of picking up a stick off the ground if needed.
happy trails,
t.
Yep you forgot not just any stick.Not to short not to long not to small round not to big round no knots.Also make sure its not rotten.If it was me i get a nice green one get off trail so no one can see me cutting that nice young live tree.
Yep you forgot not just any stick.Not to short not to long not to small round not to big round no knots.Also make sure its not rotten.If it was me i get a nice green one get off trail so no one can see me cutting that nice young live tree.
Keep an eye out for an area that has had recent maintenance/brushing. Should be plenty of green saplings or branches just off the trail, usually downhill from the tread.
RenoRoamer
02-13-2008, 15:50
>Poles are a recent phenomenon
Poles (plural) may be, the single hiking staff goes back thousands of years. Great weapon against dogs and other troublesome animals (rabid squirrels, porcupines, perhaps rambunctious deer in the autumn, definitely not advised for skunks), helps with stream crossings, for shaking the grass for snakes, for testing for ice underneath a layer of snow, substitute for an ice ax for providing self-arrest on slopes, for pushing briars out of the way. Backpacking without a stick is like being outdoors without my trusty Stetson hat--I would feel naked.
Some people like them. Some don't. Some find them useful, some find them to be another doo-dad.
Try a pair of cheap ski poles first. You'll be out $10 or less in the worse case.
Despite what others say, there is no "one size fits all" solution to backpacking gear. :sun
(Similar to Weary, I used to have a fine head of wavy black hair when I started backpacking. When I started using ski poles: My hair started vanishing and , my beard started getting patches of grey.... ;) )
You're old. Older than dirt.
Let me know when those patches of grey fill in with white. Oh, what kind of place does one find $10 ski poles?
Keep an eye out for an area that has had recent maintenance/brushing. Should be plenty of green saplings or branches just off the trail, usually downhill from the tread.
That was my downfall. I remember it like it was yesterday. A new blue blaze trail to the foot of Dunn Notch Falls in Western Maine.
Footslogger
02-13-2008, 16:05
Adding to my earlier comment ...and by no means a "justification" for carrying trekking poles - - but I do use one as the upright for my tent.
Like those multi-purpose items !!
'Slogger
I have had more mishaps and near misses WITH a hiking stick. Tripping on it, carpal tunnel from carrying it, stick breaking when putting weight on it and nearly poking out my eye, AND the biggy--Nessmuk walking in front of me nearly stabbing me numerous times with his pole.He swears by his, NO WAY for me. To be fair, he started using his (normally only one) after a very serious ankle injury involving screws and plates, AND a total hip surgery.Hands free for me,Frau
sled dog
02-13-2008, 16:28
As you know, many stretches in NH require both hands so yes, poles can be a nuisance.
I sectioned northern N.E. throughout my whole life and never used poles unless it was in the winter months. I decided to try them for my thru-hike last year and there is no way I will ever hike without them again. I carried a fairly heavy load most of the way and those poles not only prevented me from falling inumerous times but they absorbed alot of the shock on descents and were often my best friends on long ascents.
Come to think of it (with the exception of being in towns), the only time HIKING that I strapped my poles to my pack was the last day in brutal conditions on Katahdin.
Come to think of it (with the exception of being in towns), the only time HIKING that I strapped my poles to my pack was the last day in brutal conditions on Katahdin.
Hiking down into Lehigh Gap, sobo. Too steep for poles. Need hands.
Poles aren't much benefit on roadwalks or when the trail is flat and smooth (eg. C&O canal.) But that's fairly rare. ;)
REAL SIMPLE. Not everyone feels they need to use poles. Some people use them. Some do not. Get informed about trekking poles- the pros and cons. Then U decide what is best for U!!! Don't determine what is best for your hike based on what other people have determined is right for their hike@!#$
Oh, what kind of place does one find $10 ski poles?
Goodwill type stores. Used sporting good stores. Free at times after the students leave. I bought them used in Rhode Island of all places, too (at Play It Again sports).
Wedge1173
02-23-2008, 16:23
Never hiked with Poles. Did hike once with a couple of Germans and a Swede though.
shelterbuilder
02-23-2008, 16:56
Never hiked with Poles. Did hike once with a couple of Germans and a Swede though.
Wow, it took over 40 replies before somebody went for the cheap, easy joke!
But seriously, I've hiked for most of my life with a single hiking staff (usually hickory), and it does help with balance (some of us have been wobbly on our feet since the first steps as a toddler!), but it also is a useful defensive weapon against loose dogs, brambles, and other trailside hazards. And if I need a support pole for my tarp....
Try it with, try it without - whatever works for you is okay with me. (And for "two-hand scrambles", try a wrist loop.)