View Full Version : Trekking Poles... Do you use them??
Downhill Trucker
12-22-2008, 04:41
I have long been debating getting a set of trekking poles and might be on the verge of purchasing them. But every time I almost do, I go into the store and get something else instead.
A littl background...
Been backpacking for 20 years... first ten with heavy packs and boots, last ten a lot lighter, and looking to go UL for the next ten. Never used a staff except to ford a river. Only a few times have I had any knee aches (not counting the hike to Yosemite Falls and back) and I have a much different approach to going downhill than most. I have long legs and actually extend them quite a bit, almost gliding downhill. I feel I can get away with this because I have fairly strong knees and a good technique that I have practiced for a long time. The reason for thinking about poles is I wonder if at age 32 I am actually destroying my knees or just taking advantage of what the good lord gave me. I like to swing my arms on the downhills and then use them for balance when stumbling. This has worked for 20 years and I'm not sure I want two poles to interrupt the flow.
I definately think the poles would help me on the uphills as I am scrawny and I could use them to help propel me up. But they might get in the way when scrambling.
I tarp occasionally and having two adjustable poles could help there, but I tarp OCCASIONALLY. (Maybe more in the future but I see a hammock in the very near future as well.)
But it seems like every thru hiker uses them and most others do as well. All rave about them. I take thru hikers experience as the best cause they are the people walking 2000 miles. My trips are 20-100.
So great sages of Whiteblaze... I gave you my story. I look forward to your advice!
Thanks again for this great resource!
The General
12-22-2008, 04:54
I used a pair of Leki's on my 2008 Thru. I believe they are worth having they certainly helped me to stay on my feet rather than my butt on more than one ocasion, not all I might add :) much to the amusment of my bud's.
They will help your knees particuly on the downhill sections so the short answers is buy a set they are worth having.
I have long legs and actually extend them quite a bit, almost gliding downhill. I feel I can get away with this because I have fairly strong knees and a good technique that I have practiced for a long time
http://static.ulike.net/img/01_The_Ministry_of_Silly_Walks.jpg
Lone Wolf
12-22-2008, 08:34
no need for poles. save the $$ for something else
Poles are not necessary but helpful for those with bad knees, ankles, or feet. They take the pounding off of downhills and help lever you up hills once you get the hang of them. They tend to get in the way in tight brush and you sometimes have to lash them to your pack on difficult climbs. You can trip over them, too, if you're not careful. I've been using them for the past 5 or 6 years and always used a hiking staff before that.
I've had one knee operation and the other one has some arthritis. Poles are definitely for me.
I love my poles. I was skeptical until I received mine as a gift. They really help me on downhills and in slippery conditions. And when you feel you don't need them, just attach them to your pack. Before you buy an expensive set, check ebay or tag sales or even try an old set of ski poles.
BookBurner
12-22-2008, 09:19
I was skeptical at first, too. Now, you couldn't pry them from my hands. They help me go up, go down, and stay upright.
I'd be curious if anyone started using them and then quit? I doubt it. I suspect most of the anti-pole contingency have never used them for extended periods of time. (Hiking staffs don't count - totally different beast).
Lone Wolf
12-22-2008, 09:22
I suspect most of the anti-pole contingency have never used them for extended periods of time. (Hiking staffs don't count - totally different beast).
if ain't nothin' broken it don't need fixin'. there's tons of people walkin' that have never tried walkin' without them
if ain't nothin' broken it don't need fixin'. there's tons of people walkin' that have never tried walkin' without them
I have to agree with LW, with reservations, of course.
There probably are a few folks who got into hiking and thought poles were a necessity. To be honest, they sometimes make so much noise I'll walk without them for a little while just to hear nature and my own footsteps.
I believe in the "less is more" hiking philosophy, so I fought the idea of poles for the first year.
The trouble is that climbing was really hard. I would go anaerobic pretty quickly. Then, last spring I hiked with a guy named "SLOW" who was my age and still climbed away from me at will, even with that trail name.
So, what the hell!! I bought a set of poles ,used, from someone on this forum and it does make a difference in climbing, at least for me. Involving your upper body seems to help.
That said, now I'm making a tarp tent so that the poles serve double duty.
Less is more
Less gasping is more better
Grinder
grab some $30 poles from Target and give them a shot. I see you plan on getting into UL, so if all else fails you can use them as tent/tarp poles.
Blue Jay
12-22-2008, 09:45
I was skeptical at first, too. Now, you couldn't pry them from my hands. They help me go up, go down, and stay upright.
Your legs used to help you go up, go down and stay upright. Now they can't.
wcgornto
12-22-2008, 09:57
I use poles today so that the hiking I do thirty years from now will be with less knee, hip and ankle discomfort.
I have no knee problems after 30+ years of backpacking, including a significant amount of long-distance. Over the years I have hiked with no staff or poles, with staffs I picked up in the woods when needed, with full-time carved staffs, with REI (Komperdell) trekking poles and now with Pacer Poles. I have used the latter for about four or five years now exclusively and will not go back if I don't have to.
Poles help tremendously and have been shown in numerous studies to reduce the stress on knees and, to a lesser degree, ankles. I'm without knee pain or injury and hope to keep it that way for as long as possible, if using poles helps (it does) then my ego or stubbornness will not keep me from taking advantage. They help me with maintaining a steady rhythm, they make uphills easier, and , for me, are indespensible for steep down-hill.
I've had friends who used your "cruising" method for down-hill and always touted the advantages. Eventually, most of them ended up taking a nasty fall or developing knee pain. Out of control cruising is easier than maintaining exact control on a down-hill, but you are "out of control" when the unexpected happens. Best wishes if you choose to continue this method.
If you decide to give poles a try, check out Pacer Poles. They are a unique design and I attest to all the claims made on their web site. As I said, I will not go back to traditional poles.
http://www.pacerpole.com/
Whatever you decide, have fun.
buckwheat
12-22-2008, 10:19
Uses for hiking poles:
* balancing aid
* lever for lifting your body up a hill
* assists in fording deeper rivers
* fending off unknown trail dogs until owners catch up to them with their leashes (several times for me, this has been required)
* self defense (keep the right one sharpened, should you need to poke someone in the eyeball.)
* picking up or reaching something you dropped off the side of a ledge, such as sunglasses
* holding your tent or tarp up
* holding your pack up off the wet ground (lean against a tree)
* emergency tent support for heavier snow loads
* hunting
* fending off rabid animals and killer squirrels
* assists with "beer tilt"
* extensible fishing pole
How have you survived this long without a pole? Just luck, I bet!
I've hiked with them and without them. They double up as my tarp poles, so I’ll be taking some next year. They have saved me from loosing my balance and falling more than once though. The one time I've fallen on the trail, I had put them away and had my hands in my pockets to keep them warm due to very cold rain up in the Whitetop, VA area. Stepped on a wet root, I fell on my face (literally) in this big puddle of freezing water.
Using poles will also make you burn more calories.
jersey joe
12-22-2008, 11:49
On my thru hike I just picked up a couple of walking sticks and used them as hiking poles and this worked well for me. Seems like a similar approach to buying cheap $30 poles from Target, except they're FREE!
Slo-go'en
12-22-2008, 11:54
I finally broke down and bought a pair of poles a few years ago and my knees were definately a lot happier after I got them. They can get in the way on some of the steep, rocky trails up here in Maine and NH, where you need both hands to hold onto stuff along side the trail to go up or down.
leki poles and others collapse down and can then be strapped to the outside of the pack for these situations.
shades of blue
12-22-2008, 12:14
Before I used poles, I thought they'd be useless. Afterwards, I hate hiking with a pack without poles. Borrow a set from a friend and take a 3 day hike. If you like them, buy some of your own. For me, they've saved me from many falls. Good quality poles will stand up over the test of time and Leki will replace them for free if they are damaged (at least they did for me). You will find that most reputable gear makers want to keep a good reputation and will work with you. Granite Gear was especially helpful with my pack and Montrail with trail runners.
If you don't need them, yea, get something else with the money. But, if you can do a practice hike with a borrowed set, I would at least give them a chance.
If you have bad knees, they will help. They may also help keep your good knees healthy.
Last (180 mile) trip, I tried to go with just one pole. Even going as far as to leave the 2nd one at home "so I don't cheat". OUCH!! I found a 2nd one at the partnership shelter, & that made the last 15 or so miles so much better. Even when I hike without a pack I still use 2 poles, they help with balance & (for me at least) keep a nice rhythm so I hike a little faster. They also do double duty to hold my tarp open on warm nights or the rare times I need to go to ground with no trees around.
As to getting in the way while scrambling: for short stretches I just drop them & leave them hang by the wrist straps, for longer scrambles they collapse & fit in the sleaves on either side of my pack so are out of the way. They also would tuck nicely in the compression straps.
flemdawg1
12-22-2008, 15:41
grab some $30 poles from Target and give them a shot. I see you plan on getting into UL, so if all else fails you can use them as tent/tarp poles.
I think you can get a pair of Swiss Gear ones at Wal-Mart for $15.
If you've ever used a staff/stick while hiking and liked it, then you'll love poles.
As far as needing them, we don't really need 80% of the crap we take in the woods anyway. But we still take it. John Muir hiked w/ a sack of sandwiches and a wool blanket.
Blissful
12-22-2008, 15:56
I love hiking poles. Used them the entire hike. Saved my knees and my ankles a number of times. They are a personal choice. if you want, buy a cheap pair at Wally world and try them.
sheepdog
12-22-2008, 15:57
I vote for poles. They don't have to be expensive either. Here is a pair of cross country ski poles I modified. $3 at goodwill.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/4/9/2/0/bamboo_hiking_poles_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26652&catid=member&orderby=views&direction=DESC&imageuser=14920&cutoffdate=-1)
Made of bamboo and have hundreds of miles on them. Light, and tough.
A thru-hiker asked me what kind of poles I had. Hmmm. I told her I didn't use them.
She looked at me from head to toe and said, "They've saved me from a lot of falls."
I went away chuckling at my young friend, thought about the insurance policy preventative for breaking bones, and decided she might have a point!
I borrowed a pair from a friend to try in the neighborhood, just walking. I couldn't seem to get the rhythm done (can't walk and chew gum!) I took a pair on a three day hike, realized their use came naturally, and came home and bought a pair.
I think they are a lot like shoes... you could probably go barefoot, but the shoes and poles help a lot.
I've seen others posting before asking the same questions about using hiking sticks and knew what kind of response you would get. Hiked with and without. If I am hiking with a pack on (which I always do) I will have a pole in each hand. I would just as soon hike barefoot as without my sticks!!!
ChinMusic
12-22-2008, 18:17
I think they are a lot like shoes... you could probably go barefoot, but the shoes and poles help a lot.
I think this way as well. I think it is the best analogy.
I've backpacked with and without poles. I prefer hiking with poles MUCH better.
I'm not going to even try barefoot.....;)
From http://www.slackpacker.com/trekking-poles.html
"A landmark study published by Dr. G. Neureuther in 1981 proved that use of "ski poles" while walking reduces the pressure strain on the opposite leg by approximately 20%. Furthermore, while walking on level ground, poles reduce the body weight carried by the legs by approximately 5 kg every step. Move to an incline, and that reduction increases to 8 kg. This translates into tons of weight -- yes, tons -- for even a two hour hike."
BookBurner
12-22-2008, 19:03
Your legs used to help you go up, go down and stay upright. Now they can't.
I used to not walk 20+ miles a day for weeks on end with 20 pounds on my back over root and rock-littered trails!
John Muir hiked w/ a sack of sandwiches and a wool blanket.
But he was waaay cooler than I can ever hope to be.
I think you can get a pair of Swiss Gear ones at Wal-Mart for $15.
If you've ever used a staff/stick while hiking and liked it, then you'll love poles.
As far as needing them, we don't really need 80% of the crap we take in the woods anyway. But we still take it. John Muir hiked w/ a sack of sandwiches and a wool blanket.
last year when i was preparing for my trip i bought the $12 swiss ones from walmart, i unscrewed the pole to extend it and the plastic piece inside that holds it broke, in my opinion too squishy for any trail, maybe others use them with alot better results but i tend to be warry of anything i look to take with me for 2,000 miles and it breaks in the first 20 minutes of having it out of the store . Right now i have the $30 eddie bauer target ones seems much more stable, i have taken them on several hikes and they havent let me down. I could do without the guady cork looking handles but thats more of a personal preference anyway,one pole has a larger compass on the top than the cheaper swiss poles and the other has a 3 red LED "hazard" light that you can annoy the LoneWolf out of people with.
I've used staffs, poles, and sticks... my favorite, bar none, is a cane... if you've never tried one, you can't know what you're missing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/brad300wsm/BradAvatar-1.jpg
I've used staffs, poles, and sticks... my favorite, bar none, is a cane... if you've never tried one, you can't know what you're missing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/brad300wsm/BradAvatar-1.jpg
'oi is that a northface crestone i see you sporting?
Noper, that's an Osprey Crescent 90...
ah, well they look very alike from the side
I hiked with only a single staff from Springer to Grafton Notch Maine in 08. My knees were killing me by the time I finished with the White Mtns. I left the trail at Maine hwy 26 for personal reasons which had nothing to do with my knee pain. Many thru hikers advised me to use poles. I wish now I had listened to them as I think my hike would have been more pleasant. In 09 I am returning to Grafton Notch to finish my hike. It's only 266 miles to Katahdin. I will be using two hiking poles!!!
sheepdog
12-23-2008, 23:25
I've used staffs, poles, and sticks... my favorite, bar none, is a cane... if you've never tried one, you can't know what you're missing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/brad300wsm/BradAvatar-1.jpg
You also get better parking near the shelters. ;)
hiking sticks are a non-issue :cool:
Ramble~On
12-24-2008, 00:10
Once I tried them and got used to them I learned to grealty appreciate them. They set my pace, aid in balance, add support to tarptent, give my arms something to do, clear briars and spiderwebs and let snakes know I'm there....to name a few. They might not be for everyone but they're sold by pretty much every gear store, you see plenty of people using and saying good things about them..so maybe they're worth trying.
I take mine on every trip.
grillmastertoo
12-24-2008, 00:52
So, now that we know some people recommend poles....Can someone be more specific and recommend a brand, style or features...
Thanks...
Wise Old Owl
12-24-2008, 00:56
If my backpack was that heavy I would need a cane too...
Wooo it's hard when you get old!
I will settle with two poles. - I am clearly joking around and about to turn 50.
Ramble~On
12-24-2008, 05:22
So, now that we know some people recommend poles....Can someone be more specific and recommend a brand, style or features...
Thanks...
My first set were free, they came with a pack. They had hard rubber hand grips that I hated but for free I didn't argue.
My last trip out I slipped on some ice/snow and one of my poles saved me from a wipe out...but the full force of me and pack on that one pole snapped it in half:(. I hiked the remaining 5 or so miles down to my truck in snow without both poles and realized right away that I missed having both. I looked around and decided that rather than shelling out $100 or more for a pair of metal poles that can be bent easily I'd go the cheap route. I searched around on eBay and found a pair with all the features I wanted and got the pair for $25.00.
~ So, you can go to a discount store like that Arkansas based Chinese imports store and get a pair on the cheap to see if they're for you or not or eBay or pretty much any outdoor outfitter.
Features : They seem to be pretty much standard to me. Most are two or three sections that telescope and can be tighened to a desired length or shortened all the way down to 18 inches or so to be carried or attached to a pack. Most are spring loaded and have an adjustable shock absorbing feature. There are a variety of handle designs and materials and adjustable wrist straps, weights and tip configurations, either metal spikes or rubber boots. Spend a little time looking at them in a store, catalog or online and it's pretty obvious there isn't much to them.
~ I don't see myself shelling out more than $50.00 for a pair unless they can do more things than Rodney Dangerfield's golf bag in the movie Caddyshack!
Brands: Leki and Black Diamond seem to be the big names and I notice that any time you stick stickers on hiking poles with those names printed on them, the price jumps from $25.00 a pair to $80-$160...that's a lot of money for a sticker!
personally i would recommend the $30.00 Eddie Bauer ones from target and see how they feel on you, remember you can always take them back as long as they aren't damaged and still have all the tags and what not on them , does not take long to see if they are comfortable with you other than that a pole is a pole
buckwheat
12-24-2008, 07:54
Noper, that's an Osprey Crescent 90...
That's a Winebago Adventurer.
I use a pair of Swiss Gear poles. $15.00 Walmart.
I went without, then one, and now two. I found it made a huge difference on my knees and actually introduces a few upper body muscles to the world of hiking.
Funny story, met a guy just north of Springer, bragging about all his gear, "I got these poles for $30 bucks, their great, and they have a compass too", yadda yadda yadda, as he looked at mine, which were the same as his, I replied $8 bucks Walmart. "Yea but do you have a compass?" I just leaned my pole over "yup". You could see/hear the wind coming out of his being. It was funny at the time I don't know if it translates well here but that guy was such a gear braggard............over his $30 find.
The red ones are now blue.
IPoles help tremendously and have been shown in numerous studies to reduce the stress on knees and, to a lesser degree, ankles. I'm without knee pain or injury and hope to keep it that way for as long as possible, if using poles helps (it does) then my ego or stubbornness will not keep me from taking advantage. They help me with maintaining a steady rhythm, they make uphills easier, and , for me, are indespensible for steep down-hill.
A lot of folks start a thru-hike without trecking poles. When you get to those who finish almost all of them are using poles.
I believe that using trecking poles help you to suceed.
Lone Wolf
12-24-2008, 12:29
A lot of folks start a thru-hike without trecking poles. When you get to those who finish almost all of them are using poles.
I believe that using trecking poles help you to suceed.
i disagree. 5 thru-hikes, no poles
Hey LW,
Not sure how you did it, but the supposed quote from me is actually from Grampie, who was responding to a post I made.
Poles aren't "Needed", but for probably more than 50% they are very helpful, myself included. Try 'em out, if you like them, great, if not, great. No skin off anyone else's nose. (pun not intended, but could be true):D
Alligator
12-24-2008, 14:45
I think I fixed it correctly Lyle. What happens is the text [\quote] gets erased by accident (or even just the bracket) then that gets replicated into the next post, etc.
i disagree. 5 thru-hikes, no poles
Lone Wolf disagree if you must, but I said "almost". Anyone who has spent as much time as you on the trail is not what I would consider the average AT thru-hiker. I was talking about the average thru-hiker.
Been backpacking since 1975. Done staffs and poles. Too bad folk won't try a cane... the few folks I've convinced won't use anything else... they're that good.
I'm not a pole fan... two hands needed. Noisy.They break. My wife likes them because of a knee issue, but for the average healthy individual I think they're one of the more overrated things being Madison-Avenued to hikers...
As was pointed out, you get preferred campsites too (grin)...
buckwheat
12-24-2008, 16:54
I think they're one of the more overrated things being Madison-Avenued to hikers...
Curious statement. Clearly, since you use a cane, you see the inherent benefits of using a lever. "Madison-avenued" suggests that poles are meritless devices akin to stylish eyeglass frames, and I think that's unfair.
Your wife likes using hiking poles because they provide additional leverage, allowing you to reduce the weight your legs are required to haul. There's nothign "Madison Avenue" about the physics involved.
I do agree that Leki poles are horrid noisemakers. That they break is not dispositive. Almost all gear will eventually wear out. I hear Leki will replace just about any pole that breaks, however as long as it wasn't used to beat Lone Wolf about the head and neck.
Probably a bit unfair no doubt... I think if you tired a cane you'd pitch the expensive, loud and bendable poles... that's really the main thought.
Probably a bit unfair no doubt... I think if you tired a cane you'd pitch the expensive, loud and bendable poles... that's really the main thought.
Have you looked at PacerPoles? The grip is similar to (but more comfortable than) a cane. I agree and argue that this makes it a vast improvement over the straight gripped poles on the market. They also have the advantage over canes of being adjustable, can be used as your tent/tarp support, can collapse for easy carrying when hitching, and can be used with snow/mud baskets. They are more expensive.
There are adjustable canes available... problem is they look sort of geriatric (grin).
Personally, I just can't like the fact poles require the hands farther above the center of balance than a cane, or the fact poles require two hands engaged... that in itself can be a bit dangerous IME.
A cane is a LOT like an ice axe balance-wise and utility-wise... I doubt anyone would argue an ice axe is a poorly designed aid...
Aren't choices grand?
Guess my snippet about Madison Avenue is that so many seem incapable of thinking outside of that which is shoved down their throats ala the market and peer pressure...
Blue Jay
12-25-2008, 09:13
Lone Wolf disagree if you must, but I said "almost". Anyone who has spent as much time as you on the trail is not what I would consider the average AT thru-hiker. I was talking about the average thru-hiker.
Yes you are correct. The average thru never LDs again due to bad knees from using poles/crutches.
Blue Jay
12-25-2008, 09:20
Curious statement. Clearly, since you use a cane, you see the inherent benefits of using a lever. "Madison-avenued" suggests that poles are meritless devices akin to stylish eyeglass frames, and I think that's unfair.
Actually a single pole or cane is not meritless. It can be used as a tarp pole, keeping friendly dogs from biting and quite a few other things in addition to being a lever. Using poles as crutches cannot be in any way compared to stylish eyeglass frames because eyeglass frames are unlikely to cause harm.
Blue Jay
12-25-2008, 09:26
A cane is a LOT like an ice axe balance-wise and utility-wise... I doubt anyone would argue an ice axe is a poorly designed aid...
This is exactly correct. I'm not a rock or ice climber, but I've never seen a picture or video of someone using two ice axes as crutches. If there were more climbers I'm sure Leki would start making ice axes.
Yes you are correct. The average thru never LDs again due to bad knees from using poles/crutches.
I'm still waiting for anyone to post a link to ANY legitimate studies that shows detrimental effects or even lack of positive effects from using poles. A Lot of folks claim that the studies are mixed, but no negative studies have been sited. A simple Google search will bring up numerous studies that support their use.
One comment we usually hear is that all the studies are conducted by the industry - dah. This is true of virtually every industry from vacuum cleaners to construction materials. The folks with the vested interest contract and pay for the studies to support their products. Doesn't necessarily mean that the studies are flawed.
Anyway, I like trekking poles - but they are not required.
garlic08
12-25-2008, 09:33
I'm sure Blue Jay would love a pair of these under the tree today:
http://en.petzl.com/petzl/SportProduits?Produit=433
Merry Christmas!
Blue Jay
12-25-2008, 23:12
One comment we usually hear is that all the studies are conducted by the industry - dah. This is true of virtually every industry from vacuum cleaners to construction materials. The folks with the vested interest contract and pay for the studies to support their products. Doesn't necessarily mean that the studies are flawed.
Yes and we fall for those conflict of interest "studies" all the time. Liability lawyers love them. I'll give you a study. Humans walked for a very long time, carrying weight, quite well, before Leki and light weight materials. :eek: Look that one up.
... I'll give you a study. Humans walked for a very long time, carrying weight, quite well, before Leki and light weight materials. :eek: Look that one up.
And for most of that "very long time" the life expectancy was 35 or 40 years. Personally, I'd like my body to continue to function well a bit longer than that.
This is a typical response though, to a request for anything supporting the negative effects of poles.
Ok, this is becoming an argument, so I'll take my own advice from some other threads and go directly back to OP specific question.
Yes I use poles, and will continue to. I find them very beneficial. (From someone who has hiked both without poles and with them)
Hope everyone got what they wanted from Santa. :sun
Blue Jay
12-27-2008, 08:47
I just like trying to counter the vast religious ferver of pole addicts that needlessly addict new hikers who have good knees. Take it slow, low weight go less than 20s and your knees will last a long long life time without poles. Over use them and then mask it with drugs and poles, you'll get permanent pain. Its as simple as that. You really don't need "studies" just simple common sense.
I agree with you, going slower, lighter and shorter distances will also help - so will poles.
envirodiver
12-27-2008, 10:27
I have long been debating getting a set of trekking poles and might be on the verge of purchasing them. But every time I almost do, I go into the store and get something else instead.
A littl background...
Been backpacking for 20 years... first ten with heavy packs and boots, last ten a lot lighter, and looking to go UL for the next ten. Never used a staff except to ford a river. Only a few times have I had any knee aches (not counting the hike to Yosemite Falls and back) and I have a much different approach to going downhill than most. I have long legs and actually extend them quite a bit, almost gliding downhill. I feel I can get away with this because I have fairly strong knees and a good technique that I have practiced for a long time. The reason for thinking about poles is I wonder if at age 32 I am actually destroying my knees or just taking advantage of what the good lord gave me. I like to swing my arms on the downhills and then use them for balance when stumbling. This has worked for 20 years and I'm not sure I want two poles to interrupt the flow.
I definately think the poles would help me on the uphills as I am scrawny and I could use them to help propel me up. But they might get in the way when scrambling.
I tarp occasionally and having two adjustable poles could help there, but I tarp OCCASIONALLY. (Maybe more in the future but I see a hammock in the very near future as well.)
But it seems like every thru hiker uses them and most others do as well. All rave about them. I take thru hikers experience as the best cause they are the people walking 2000 miles. My trips are 20-100.
So great sages of Whiteblaze... I gave you my story. I look forward to your advice!
Thanks again for this great resource!
I use poles and they work for me. I have a bad knee and they really help on the downhills to take stress off my knees as well as keeping me off of my butt (especially when it's muddy). However, sometimes when I'm walking I enjoy having my hands free and just collapse them and put them in an outside pocket of my pack.
Sounds like you don't really need them though. Borrow a pair from a friend or pick up a really cheapr pair, take them out and see how youlike them.
Yes you are correct. The average thru never LDs again due to bad knees from using poles/crutches.
just curious how poles with help reduce shock and weight from your legs can make them go bad? all in all its a question of whatever fits the hiker, for example some people go with 12 pound expedition sized backs while others go with something only marginally bigger than a bookbag. arguements can be made (rather stubbornly) by both sides as well as here,where there are people who have not gone a single trip WITHOUT them and people who havent gone on a single trip WITH themand both kinds finished rather well.
This is one of those topics for which there is no right answer... just individual preference, guided by (hopefully) experience. Experience isn't taught or promoted, its, well, experienced, and that means trying many different things, in a variety of conditions over time.
I tend to think folks blindly accept some of the propaganda related to the "benefits" of trekking poles. OTOH, my experience tells me some sort of hiking aid is better than none at all.
Downhill Trucker
12-29-2008, 06:46
I got a set of rei poles for xmas. They were on a good sale. If I don't like them, I'll just take advantage of reis return policy.
I've been hiking for so long without them, I might as well give them a whirl.
I do like the cane idea too though... and that would be so COOL!
I got a set of rei poles for xmas. They were on a good sale. If I don't like them, I'll just take advantage of reis return policy.
I've been hiking for so long without them, I might as well give them a whirl.
I do like the cane idea too though... and that would be so COOL!
plus it will help you hitch hike , not making fun of those who NEED canes but when you hit a patch of road or parking lot and need to get into town put a big limp into it, think outside the box just..live INSIDE it
I just like trying to counter the vast religious ferver of pole addicts that needlessly addict new hikers who have good knees. Take it slow, low weight go less than 20s and your knees will last a long long life time without poles. Over use them and then mask it with drugs and poles, you'll get permanent pain. Its as simple as that. You really don't need "studies" just simple common sense.The veiled 'common sense' insinuates 'poles users are stupid' (some tacts never change). Well, either just about everyone else in this thread lacks common sense and you got it, or, well, it may be the other way around! :eek: :p When using poles my knees and legs do not ache and throb at the end of the day, and are not stiff for days at the end of the hike, like I experienced without them. How is that resulting in 'permanent pain?' To claim that something that reduces stress to a body part damages that same body part is nonsense, not common sense.
buckwheat
12-30-2008, 08:25
just curious how poles with help reduce shock and weight from your legs can make them go bad?
Give me a lever, and but one firm spot to stand, and I can move the world - Archimedes
http://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Lever/LeverIntro.html
Long thread already on an old topic (search archives ...), but a couple notes I haven't seen yet in this version:
(1) I think there is, or at least can be a substantial difference in hiking style with poles, and IMO it feels like a real improvement when going substantially up or downhill. I'm in the camp with those that think two poles represent a fundamental difference over a single pole (or staff or whatever).
(2) There are varying techniques; I've walked with people who have done very long distances with a substantially different technique than I use. Best to think a bit, perhaps try a couple alternatives before committing a particular style to muscle knowledge.
(3) Once the use of two poles is part of muscle knowledge, I find it very freeing to have the two poles; it's a little like being a four-legged animal, as I feel a lot more free to look at passing scenery with those two additional points of contact with the ground.
(4) Lighter poles are distinctly different. A couple times this year I briefly traded poles with someone else to illustrate that point, and I quickly wanted to swap back. I've had good luck and put a lot of miles on REI branded Komperdell carbon fiber poles.
Best of luck in sorting through all the comments and choosing what makes most sense to you!
Brian Lewis
I used two poles yesterday ...but I was on skis. ;)
Poles, knives, water filters and cell phones. Probably the least important part of hiking the AT or any trail...yet these topics gets the most bandwidth. Always did find that odd....
In the end, ignore the rancor. Some people like 'em. Some don't.
Despite what others will tell you, there is no right answer.
sheepdog
12-30-2008, 21:41
I used two poles yesterday ...but I was on skis. ;)
Poles, knives, water filters and cell phones. Probably the least important part of hiking the AT or any trail...yet these topics gets the most bandwidth. Always did find that odd....
In the end, ignore the rancor. Some people like 'em. Some don't.
Despite what others will tell you, there is no right answer.
Forgot dogs, shelters and guns......