Hiking Poles Yay or Nay

[Yankee]

without taking cost into consideration, what is the general consensus on the "ski style" hiking poles, are they worth their weight if you're expecting alot of elevation change and "strenuous" hiking?

[Happy]

Not only do they help you in hiking but take stress off of your knees in the downhills and are beneficial in stream crossing and also serve as my tent poles.

[ganj]

Agree with Happy. They can also save your butt on some nasty stuff up in the Whites and Maine.

Downside, used wooden stick from GA-NJ and saw 8 bears. Leki's from NJ-ME and saw zero bears. Coincidence?

[Mala]

I wouldn't be able to hike with my bad knees if it weren't for Leki poles. They can be noisy. Some people will tell you that they don't like the face that deface rocks causing environmental damage.

[Mala]

Try the last part again. Some people will tell that they don't like the fact that they deface rocks, causing environmental damage.

[Colter]

I did my whole hike with rubber tips glued on the ends of the poles. They were quieter, worked great, and didn't scratch one dadgum rock.

[Peaks]

I suspect that the majority of thru-hikers use poles, including ultra lighters. Must be a good reason.

[Happy]

I started at Springer mountain on March 1ST, 15th and April 1ST and hiked a couple of days with thru-hikers to get to know some of them to follow on trail journals. Of the four hikers without poles three of them have purchased them since, according to their journals.

[Yankee]

ahh, well, I'm no through hiker (yet) , only planning a 50 mile section hike ( Nolichucky to US19E) for later this summer. Would you still reccomend them?

[Sparky!]

I would recommend them... hands down... They will save you from many a fall, save you knees to hike another day, and I read somewhere they take a few pounds of pressure off your back.

[chris]

I'm waiting until I'm old and broken down before I use poles. I like having my hands free while hiking. You know, for when I need to scratch. Lots of hikers use them. Brian Robinson certainly does. Defintiely a majority uses them. Perhaps there is some good reason. Maybe not. Try walking normally before buying something to help you with a problem you might not have.

[Kerosene]

I'm a convert after 30 years as a biped. I bought a pair of the nice Leki's with the angled grip last summer. I wasn't sure about them after a 12-mile shakedown hike on relatively level trail, but after 85 miles in central Virginia I got used to them and felt awkward when I wasn't using them. They were especially nice for pushing uphill and providing a little extra balance. I learned to avoid using them while crossing rock-beds, since the tungsten tips simply skittered over the rock. While the rubber tips worked better on rock, they got in the way while chugging up hills.

So now I've joined the legions of quadrapeds, even though I've never had a problem with my knees (knock on wood).

[wmickley]

Most people don't use poles. Check out the National Geographic magazine. When is the last time you saw a Sherpa or a Bushman carrying around something like that? A woman in the Andes would look rather silly with a jar on her head, potatoes on her back and ski poles in her hands. Most people have been into bipedalism for 200,000 generations.

[tlbj6142]

I find them great on hills (up but mostly down) and a few rocky areas. They really start to bother me on flatter surfaces. I just end up holding both of them in one hand when on level ground.

[RagingHampster]

Not only do they help you in hiking but take stress off of your knees in the downhills and are beneficial in stream crossing and also serve as my tent poles.

Ditto.

I also use the carbide tips. My personal feeling are that the white marks on rocks are not destroying the world. Afterall, a path has ben cut through the forest and entire structures erected along its course. When I see 6-inch gutters from the poles I may stop using them Think of them as white markers on the trees


Oh yeah, I also enjoy pushing my fat-mofo-behind up the hills

[chris]

When I said that a majority of hikers use them, I should perhaps have said: "A majority of hikers in the US use them." Or, perhaps, "A majority of AT hikers use them." I didn't think it was necessary to rule out inhabitants of Nepal, where the per capita income is something like $250. I only saw tourons in Nepal with trekking poles. No locals used them. For that matter, locals acting as porters usually wore old chinese athletic shoes as they hauled four packs up a hill, so that groups of lazy Australians wouldn't have to carry a pack for their strenuous 4 mile hike.

[Rhody Bill]

Probably wouldn't have made it without them. Used properly you also save your legs on the ups and level also. Some of the scratches on the rocks , I suspect, are from winter crampon use instead of poles.

[Lone Wolf]

Never used them. Never will. Leki is taking advantage of hikers with the outrageous prices they get for their sticks.

[ganj]

Helps to find them on sale. Was lucky enough to snag makalu ultralite Ti's for $60 a while back. That is much easier to digest than $140.

rei-outlet was where I found mine.

[tlbj6142]

I think wallyworld sells single poles for $14.

Regarding Leki. IMO, the cost is worth it. While the initial purchase may seem expensive, they out-right replace worn out, or broken, parts/poles for free.

I've used my set ($109 from backcountrygear) twice. Planted my fat ass on one and bent it slightly. Used it for the rest of trip. Emailed Leki when I got home to ask if I could buy a new "lower third". I was told to send in my address and they would send me a new section. Arrived in 5 days. No cost.