That's outstanding haha
A wealth of valuable input! Thanks for your time guys. I think what ill do is get some, and give them a shot. If I dont like them ill stow them and get rid of them on the trail or when i exit. Just need to find instruction on the "CORRECT" way to use. I Hiked/rucked to nauseam in the military without them, so im sure there will be a bit of a learning curve.
Yes. It's like using a handrail going up and down stairs. I call it the "turbo button". They were invaluable to be on the numerous river crossings on the JMT for balance. And they double as tent supports. AND, you can get a sub 1 pound set of carbon fiber poles off Amazon for $50-$60. As someone who hiked years without them, poles have become a permanent part of my gear.
You're 32.Originally Posted by jmrandall85
it's a short stretch and you live in FL (where you probably wouldn't have any use for them)
Go hike without them and spend your money on hiking... see how it goes.
Worst case you choose to try them later. You can always cut a broom handle, whittle a few, or buy a cheapie set first.
I'm a firm believer in learning to hike without them first. If you find you could use them, get them. If you're out for long periods and/or live in an area with that type of terrain then I agree more with the body preservation arguements. But for flat landers not a big deal.
Really outside LD hikers/backpackers most folks seem to have them because somebody said they should have them... not because they needed or really wanted them.
10-15 years ago hardly anybody had them.
Poles work for some people and not for others.Not everyone has the mental capacity to operate poles that's true. I find them to be about as natural as one of my legs and when I am really moving over terrain it's just a natural flow. It becomes part of being in my hiker zone.
I have a tendency to roll my ankle more frequently then I like. It may just be the natural angle of my foot or a slight weakness in a tendon. When my ankle starts to roll, there is an immediate sensation of stretching and or pain. My response to that is to get off that foot. I immediately plant the pole on the opposite side and my other leg hops forward to brace and I shift my weight off the rolling ankle. I do have really quick reflexes though.
In your example, you are setting up a rare situation with another rare situation. Sure poles get stuck now and then but if you can't learn to reduce that possibility, you'll break them soon enough anyway. Keep them away from roots, cracks, holes etc. I generally keep them within the treadway.
In the photo example it doesn't really make sense to blame the poles. It's just operator error. You didn't integrate them properly into walking. The poles didn't bend, break, or slip. There is a learning curve to getting used to them.
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
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Of course it is personal preference but I am new to trekking poles and found they improve my speed and endurance by helping build a hiking rhythm and distributing the weight on ascent and descent. They did put me in the ER, however, so I suggest you practice with them before getting out on trail. Not to promote my YT channel, but if you go that route you might want to watch Episode 3 of Thru-hiking with Scars, as it gives a rundown of how my improper use of poles took me out.
Sorry action jackson, I dont think there is a recent record holder on AT or PCT or JMT that hasnt used poles for at least part of their hikes. Including Anish, Jurek, Meltzer, JPD, Josh Garrett, etc.
And heres the bean...
I suspect they know something you dont. Even ultra runners....use poles when it makes sense. I crewed for a pair of world class runners on an fkt a few yrs back....they had poles....
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And zahorian on CT even
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Last edited by MuddyWaters; 09-28-2017 at 13:42.
Good enough for me......I got my first pair of Leki back in 2006. After 5,000 plus miles I'm still using poles, even on that trip where I hiked an abandoned railroad bed for days and days. I admit though, other than for the few reasons listed in previous posts, they are pretty useless
4 points of contact is always more stable than 2.....simple....they've saved my arse many a time! On flat ground I could see not wanting them...
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I'm a huge advocate, but I also don't use them on the flats, and I don't use straps.
I also strongly prefer very light poles such as GG LightTreks, although in order to fully appreciate them you almost have to use heavy poles first for a few hundred miles.
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
I would not hike without them
i've never used them. 16,000 AT miles. useless gear to me
I would say my face would probably scare a few more babies if I didnt use them. On flats, usually just carry in hand because most flats arent that long to warrant stop and stow in pack. Even a mile or two isnt that long.
At high altitudes they also can keep hands from swelling for some people.
We don't use Whisperlite stoves or leather boots all that much any more either. Hiking has evolved...
I got my first pair of Lekis in 2002, based on having observed plenty of serious hikers using them. I saw almost none in use up until 1990, so I'm guessing it was mid or late 1990s when they first started showing up on the AT in large numbers.
A point not really made yet in this discussion: At least from my own POV -- the older you are, the more helpful you're likely to find them. I was fifty when I started using them for (non-winter) hiking. After a mile or two with the Lekis, I kinda kicked myself for having waited so long.
Seriously, Bill, a broom handle isn't a worthy substitute. And the idea that we pole users just mindless sheeple... is just plain condescending.
Where are poles not useful? When they're in the way. Eg. sometimes in dense overgrowth. Or on ladders and stiles. Or when the terrain is so steep that you really ought to be using one or both hands to guide and steady yourself. Or hitching, on roadwalks or generally, in "civilization." On certain miles on those high southern balds where the path is free of obstructions and overgrowth, with a wide view outward.
Where are they most useful? Typical AT roots, rocks, ruts, mud, stream crossings, moderate grades either up or down. Especially in foul weather or poor visibility. Ie. 90 percent of the time, on the AT.
I use the straps too. My first pair of Lekis had cork grips without finger indentations. Comfortable but sweaty hands tend to migrate downward without finger indentations so i would catch myself gripping harder than I really needed to keep my sweaty palms in position. With my new poles that have finger indentations this is not a problem.
Nor is it a problem when I wear the straps. In fact when properly adjusted most of the weight of my hand is on the strap, all my finger do is grip just tight enough to hold on and not drop the pole. This is great for my arthritic finger joints, they don't seize up as bad as before.
With the straps if I want to snap a photo or swat a wasp or wipe my brow or climb a boulder just let go of the grip and let the pole dangle by the strap. Many times I've let go of both poles to hoist myself up, just let them dangle and when ready just swing them back in position and keep going.
I know lots of hikers say you'll break your wrist with the straps, or get tangled and fall off a cliff. I was curious about that so I did a serious google search and really couldn't find any real stories that would back up that belief system.
To get more uses out of my poles I installed little stainless steel screw eyes in the top of the grip so I can plant the tip of the pole in the ground and run my guy lines through the screw eyes to porch my tarp, or for tarp tenting. Before I did like everyone else and put my grip on the ground and the tip pointing up into the eyelets on the tarp and I never felt right about that upside down looking mess.
Especially after getting pine sap and mud on my grips and straps and the mice chewing the grips and straps. Now its all upright and I have a more firm anchor with the pole tip stuck in the ground the way it was intended.
My opinion is that they provide a false sense of security. The vast majority on the trail like this sense of security. About 4 million years ago our ancient ancestors evolved from a 4 legged critter into a biped. They traded stability for speed on the ground and the ability to do long distance hiking. With poles we add 2 lbs to our load. They won't let you go faster or climb better. You are no safer from falls than others without poles. Some people with bad knees claim that with poles they take some of the stress from the knees by distributing the weight to 4 limbs. I don't know if it's true. Embrace your humanity, free your hands. 2 high priced poles are however, the only way your photo will make the cover of Backpacker Mag.
lol, what poles weigh 2 lbs?With poles we add 2 lbs to our load.
The heaviest ones out there are the alloy pacerpoles and they weigh 650g (1.4lb) per pair. (Maybe there are some cheapos somewhere that weigh more?)
My myog carbon fiber poles weigh 8.6 oz for the pair.
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
They come in handy when you have developed need of a cane or any such support.
You never know just what you can do until you realize you absolutely have to do it.
--Salaun
Nonsense. There are plenty of four-legged creatures that are a whole lot faster than the fastest humans. The evolutionary step from four legs to two was a success in that it freed up our hands -- first, to swing from tree branches, and much later, to create and use tools. It had nothing to do with speed or fitness for movement over land.
Again with the notion that poles are just slick marketing, or expensive. Compared to what we typically spend on a tent, pack or sleeping bag, the cost barely registers. I'm currently using a $30 pair from Costco.
Get on your bathroom scale. Put a broom in your hand, upside down. Hold it like a trekking pole and rest it on the ground. You don't have to push, just rest it. Now look at the scale. You'll see a few pounds come off that scale. That's a pretty good indication of how they help. Not to mention added stability.
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