Does anyone here hike with trekking poles? I tried a hike with a pair and didn't see the point. Only time I really appreciated having them was on a steep stretch where they helped with balance. Am I using them wrong? Is that even possible?
>>752030
I find them useful especially on inclines, and to save me from twisted ankles. When my pack is over 25 lbs it's a big help for balance. on uphills I just dig in and do 50% of the pulling using my arms, helps a lot to slay mountains. Also useful as a snake stick when in high grass etc. Shit I caught a fish in the sierras last summer, tying some line and a fly onto the end of it.
Seems like they would be useful if you do hiking with lots of elevation changes and you have a tent that can use them as support poles. I'd never use them though cause I wouldn't want to be carrying that shit everywhere.
>>752046
You make some solid points. I should try them out on something longer than a day hike.
this shit again?
no, they're not needed.
marketing tricked the gearqueers into buying them, now they're all unpaid shills trying to make sure everyone looks as retarded as them so they don't feel alone in their absurd purchase and appearance and so that knowledgable, competent hikers are outnumbered and shouted down in discussions about their benefit/lack thereof.
>>752052
>unpaid shills
So...a person who likes something?
>>752049
I've always wondered if that could actually work. Maybe I'll try it this weekend.
>>752052
No man. They are very usefull in mountain terrains when you have to negotiate your way up and down. Maybe in simple trails they have no use but they weight nothing in comparison to how they help you. And stop being mad. Is bad for your heart anon.
>>752053
a person who goes out of their way to push purchasing garbage on other people who don't know better.
>>752057
ooor you could work on strenghting your stabalizing muscles and balance instead of crippling your ability to venture /out/ without a crutch. but to each his own, i guess. if you want to be tied to such a thing i guess anything i say isn't going to stop you.
why does a normal stick not work just as good?
>>752077
>It saved me from a fall
and maybe if you'd worked on your balance instead of relying on crutches you wouldn't have fallen in the first place
>>752085
It's just not your thing, k, we get it. You need to go /out/ and take some fresh air bro.
>>752030
I use my trekking poles as whacking sticks on unleashed dogs.
I do if I'm snowshoeing or doing some peak bagging/rock hopping but not for general trail hiking.
>>752085
>>752059
Not this fuckin horse shit again, seriously dude
Using poles doesn't take anything away from you, it adds to your arsenal. You can hike just as well with them strapped to your pack and then take them out when you need/ want them. Using them is not going to make you forget how to walk, trust me I would know. I can still hike without them just fine. I'm not falling over at work because my "stabilizing" muscles are weak. Don't be retarded/ troll
>>752103
i've never said shit about falling over during daily life. but when i'm doing real cross country shit with a heavy fucking bag full of climbing gear sidehilling across scree fields or talus hopping i want to know that my balance and strength is as honed as possible and be able to keep moving quickly and capably and not have to worry about two extra appendages flailing around.
you guys can come here and jerk each other off all you want about the newest nifty gadget backpacker magazine told you to buy, but don't get salty when other people provide a practical alternative viewpoint.
>>752052
I use them all the time, when under a heavy pack.
Don't when it is just me and my normal gear but that doesn't mean they don't have a place. I expect when I am old and debilitated I'll use them any time it is steep.
Hiking poles are useful for certain things. I live in Florida so I don't know much about inclines but I do know about swamps and marshes. And falling down in them. And let me tell you, poles help.
>>752171
>hiking stick
>new nifty gadget
Pick one fuckhead. People have been walking with sticks basically as long as we've been walking upright. Being bipedal puts us at a huge disadvantage in stability compared to four legged animals. This is compensated for by using sticks. The only difference now is that we have the technology to produce lighter weight and more functional hiking sticks, called by the gearqueer crowd "trekking poles."
>>752030
>>752046
They'll save your knees on an extended downhill too. There was a study I read a while back that said 1 pole takes 20% load off the legs, and 2 poles something around 30%, if used correctly. I see lots of hikers using them wrong though. Took me a couple dozen miles before I got comfortable with them, but I'm a fucking idiot also. I like getting an upper body workout along with the leg workout too. Oh and I use them as duct tape dispensers.
>>752227
Doing serious elevation changes around mt. St. Helens made me a believer. I don't backpack as often as I'd like so having trekking poles saves my knees from being injured on downhills.
>>752052
It helps people with bad knees.
>>752052
Oh that homo again...
Here, something to cheer you up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKVjqriB4Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhG42nrbe8
>>752030
Modern trekking poles came from skiing poles, you use them anyways for ski touring or snowshoe walking. turns out they are mighty handy in the mountains even when there is no snow. They are not really needed on flait terrain, but somwhere like the alps you rally gonna love them. uphill a pair of poles is better, downhill a single lone pole excels.
Tfw humans evolved to be bipedal yet actually need an extra fucking pair of limbs if they don't want their knees fucked by 30. This is bullocks. My knee is already ruined, I wish I knew about these sooner.
>>752227
What's the "right" way to use them?
>>752171
When I'm hiking I like to know that my core muscles are up to the challenge, which is why I never use a backpack, I just carry all my shit in my arms.
When I'm /out I like to know my skin is up to the challenge so I never wear clothes
I just want to know that my benis is as honed as possible and be able to keep moving quickly and capably and not have to worry about swathes of fabric holding me back
>>752095
Is there any thread that you can't work this troll into?
Backpacks
>I use my backpack for stuffing dead unleashed dogs' bodies into
Hiking boots
>I always choose ones with strong toes for kicking unleashed dogs
/out/ pants
>I use the ones with extra piss protection for when I see an unleashed dog and lose control of my bladder
You're worse than /pol/, you fairy queen
>>752058
>I'm right, everyone else is wrong
The post.
Jesus christ guy, she just wants to be friends
>>752411
>this is bullocks
>>753214
Putting weight on them.
>>753223
Ever noticed that this guy is responsible for about 70% of /out/s cringeworthy sperglord posts? You basically only need to post something about hiking poles, guaranteed replies. I wonder what made him so bitter...
Ok, so maybe I want to try walking with sticks first, before investing in a couple of trekking poles.
Point is, I can never seem to find a suitable walking stick. I don't want to cut off live branches but all the sticks laying around are usually to rotted to be useful.
Once in a while I'll find a fresh length of wood that has just fallen off a tree or something (maybe after a storm or something like that, I don't know), but after using it for a while I'll get blisters on my hand because they don't fit my hands well.
I'm probably doing something stupid wrong. Should I use my knife to carve a handle/grip or something? This is probably a noob question, but any information you can share might be useful.
>>752411
I read a book called the Egoscue Method in which the author claims many of our joint problems can heal somewhat over time: it's just that we have posture abnormalities that cause us to continuously fuck up that joint.
It's primarily targeted at people with bad backs but talks about all sorts of posture problems and how to fix them, since they're all kind of linked.
Might be helpful to you.
I day hike an extremely rocky/steep mountain on a weekly basis and have never used poles. I've always been of the opinion that they were useless since your legs are so much more efficient at moving you around. I also like having my hands free, if I do fall I think it's easier to tumble or recover without poles.
I will add though that I injured the metacarpals? in my foot a month ago so I borrowed someonees poles to try out and it really helped. My work has me hike so I didn't want to take days off. What I learned is they are great if you are trying to reduce impact but you have to slow your pace considerably to get any benefit from them at all. Each placement has to be planned to be useful. I only used them for descent. So in all great for recovery but I don't intend to ever use them otherwise. People who use them regularly are either weak and slow or gear tryhards.
>>755056
Thanks for your very lonely opinion.
>try to add some OC next time, maybe someone takes you serious then.
Any of you carrying them and using them more for your tent than for anything else?
I could see if you had bad knees or something, other than that I wouldn't bother with them.
>>755064
Op asked for feedback so I gave some. I know this board is full of little shits with strong opinions about things they know nothing about but that doesn't mean just because I have a similar opinion to >>752052 that my feedback is not valid.
I hike a lot. It's part of my job. If you want more detailed thoughts:
>Makes me look more official and prepared, which is a plus since sometimes I do not always have a visible patch/identifier
>Can be given to a wounded/tired hiker for either physical or emotional support
Other than that I don't see any reason you would want one for day hiking unless you move incredibly slow.
>>755001
carve a gripping area and put some tape around it
but the correct version would be using it often and frequently enough to develop cornea at the needed skin regions
>>752030
You certainly don't need them if you walk through the forest with a day pack. Waste of weight and money.
But on snow, ice, boulder fields, steep inclines, and narrow ridges all with a 15-20kg backpack you definitely benefit from them.
They start being beneficial somewhere in between, but if you don't explicitly encounter extreme conditions as described above regularly or have a knee injury, it's not worth buying them. Even then, get the cheapest ones you can find: if their durability or locking mechanism isn't what you want, you can still waste your money later.
I have a pair and always take them with me because my left knee is pretty fucked and you never know when it starts hurting when I go downhill. But unless I actually feel pain, I just carry them in my hands and hardly ever use them on day trips.
>>755145
Thanks. Do you mean Duct tape? Or a different kind of tape?
>>755001
Look for sticks that have traveled downstream, been beached, and dried in the sun.
>>755725
duct tape could work, I mean I never tried this but the blisters are caused by the friction of the wood. Duct tape would remove a lot of friction. Even better would be some kind of padded tape like the one you use for tennis rackets or bike handlebars. The question is how to fix them neatly to the wood.
Maybe you could also carve some kind of indentation area into the grip and fill that up by wrapping some soft leather string(closely spaced). That would look great and also have the advantage that you can fix it neatly to the grip by drilling two holes (top and bottom of the gripping area) where you put the two ends of the leather string and secure them with a knot.
trekking poles are immensely useful if you know how to use them with proper technique and immensely worthless if not. i use them on dayhikes and for trailrunning all the time. i'm healthy young and fit etc but they're especially good for older hikers and people with bad knees.
know when to use them and when not to. plant behind the heels when you want to add arm strength to your steps. plant in front to use them as brakes to save your knees when bombing down hills.
if you just walk with them without making a conscious effort to learn how to use them efficiently, all they're going to do is tire you out quicker and add a little stability to your steps. some people find using them correctly to be a pain in the ass, and if they're a major distraction to you you're better off without. they're not for everyone, or every hike.
walking sticks will never replicate a proper trekking pole, they're way too heavy to be efficient. you can get a good carbon pair that are slightly old tech from costco for $30 or amazon for $40 (cascase mountain tech) they're my go to recommendation. i own a pair and pick em over my fancy black diamond z poles regularly.
>>755797
>good carbon pair that are slightly old tech from costco for $30
totally : I got mine on Ebay from China - my previous pair cost a lot [fell and bent them in my pack scrambling] - my carbon chinese ones are amazingly light and the 'locks' for extension seem to take more weight than i could ever apply without slipping.
And they are QUICK! - like flick! and they are anywhere you need support.
I use them in rough terrain and on Sand with the snow 'baskets' and for arm-power addition to climb hills.
>>755736
>>755764
>>755797
Thanks for your feedback and information, guys.
I understand there is a difference between manufactured trekking poles and a stick, but I still fancy trying a stick first. If I really like the support a stick can give, but don' t like the additional weight, I'll invest in trekking poles.
I happen to be on vacation in the Black Forest in Germany right now, so a stick is the only thing I'll have access to. I' ll keep an eye out for a suitable specimen. Besides, a stick can be customized a lot, and makes you feel like motherfucking Gandalf, which is awesome.
>>755831
And thank you too, man.
I'm too intoxicated for this shit.
>>752030
Can I effectively use my ski poles for this? I'd like to hike but don't have enough free mad money to purchase new trekking poles in case I don't find hiking enjoyable.
Also, what is the best way to size them and try them out?
>>756105
you won't get the desired effect from a stick because
- it takes at least several long hikes to learn how to plant correctly and use them efficiently enough for the pro's to outweigh the cons. every incorrect plant = wasted energy
- they simply weigh too much to ever give you any kind of benefit, assuming you could find 2 perfectly sized and straight sticks in the first place.
its like saying u dont want to try pussy because ur hand felt rough senpai
nothing wrong with a good walking stick, i'm just saying it's not going to do the same thing.
>>756178
ski poles work, they're the same as using "fixed" trekking poles.
Upsides: usually really strong, usually light weight
Downsides: annoying as fuck to set your pack down when attached. poor clearance through narrow areas when attached to pack. pissing off other hikers because of this. seriously it's really annoying to take your pack off if you have skipoles hanging off them.
o also some ski poles don't let you remove the snow baskets which can be really annoying. id recommend throwing some rubber shock absorber tips over your ski poles so you don't fuck the tips up if they aren't replaceable.
>>756709
>annoying to take your pack off
What about carbiner clips to molles on the pack? Would that be better?
>>756734
i guess you could unclip the poles when you want to set your pack down if you do that, but it's more annoying to do all the time than you'd think without an extra set of hands, who you'll probably annoy with your requests for help fumbling with things.
it's the fact that the poles are going to be longer than the pack if they don't fold thats the problem. they'll either stick out vertically or on the sides depending on how you mount them. i like fixed poles for their strength to weight ratio but they kinda suck to use unless they're going to be in my hands the entire time ex: snowshoeing.
that said ski poles are a totally legit intro to trekking poles if you already have them. take em out a few times. if you decide you like them, spring the $30 for the cheap carbon folder set i recommended earlier. that kit comes with all the extras you'd ever need too (carbide tips, 2 styles of rubber tips, snow baskets, small baskets)
o i forgot to answer your question about sizing. stand straight and hold them in your arm. elbow should make a 90 degree angle. for ascent this is your size. +10mm for descent if your poles are adjustable.
>>756178
The great thing about trekking poles is they are adjustable. You want the poles shorter when going up and incline, but you need them longer when going down a decline.
You are suppose to be able to adjust your trekking poles.
>>756747
Thank you, I'll have to look up Euro inches. I don't understand them.
Under a light load or pretty flat terrain or short distances you don't really need poles. But if you're hiking 10 miles a day, hiking up and down mountains, or with a heavy load like 40 lbs or have bad knees then you absolutely need them. Learned this the hard way after I torn a muscle in my leg 1st day of multi day hike. Got some poles and was able to keep on going. I wouldn't recommend doing something this stupid tho.
>>752059
>Why use a rucksack when you can just cradle everything in your thick muscular arms
>>756892
I do this at the grocery store and I have no idea why. The staff get concerned and keep asking me if I want a basket. Why do I refuse? Fuck if I know.
>>755001
>>755725
>>756105
>>756108
Here
I got lucky yesterday and found a suitable piece of wood. They cut down a lot of trees recently and left them lying around, So I was able to use my folding saw to remove a suitable straight length of wood that was still quite fresh.
There are a lot of Knots / gnarls in it, though. I will have to saw / carve / sand them down, I think.
I used to stick for a few kilometers and found it quite practical going down inclines, but I haven't been able to extensively test it out. I even put my full weight on it a few times for a small climb, and the extra heft inspires confidence.
I kinda like the extra weight, actually, as I'm trying to train walking distances with additional weight. (The last time I did some serious hiking is a few years back and I need to train a bit).
I do find i rather annoying that you can't attach it to your pack, though. This means one of my hands is in use all the time during the hike.
I understand a walking stick is quite different form trekking poles, but this option is free, and it's a fun holiday project.
We visited a small town today with a small outdoor-ish store and I handled some trekking poles. They are indeed quite different! I didn't have the opportunity to really test them out, but I was stunned at how little they weigh.
I do think it will be hard for me to trust poles that weigh nothing with my full weight when using them for support on steep / rougher terrain. They just don't feel very strong. That said, I can if you use them properly, you could also go a bit faster.
>>756749
Not all trekking poles can adjust, tent-pole style folders are really popular among climbers because they pack a lot smaller, but they aren't adjustable. They're also a good deal more durable IMO because the locking mechanism isn't as prone to breaking even tho they probably bend/snap a bit easier.
>>757739
There's 2 approaches with trekking poles, carbon and aluminum. carbon will weigh less and it's actually really strong, but it shears or snaps when it breaks. Aluminum poles are plenty durable but they won't handle as much force as carbon before deforming, and they'll weigh a bit more. It's all a matter of opinion but I find aluminum poles to be really durable, if they break you can typically bend it back into shape enough to be usable in the field.
>>752052
Confirmed for having zero mountaineering or long distance trekking experience with a 60+lbs pack. Stay mad friend. I
ha! look at all the butthurt sallies still all salty about being called out on being wilting fucking lilies who can't get around on their own and need a babby stick to lean on.
>>758369
confirmed for having zero clue what you're talking about. i'm 4 hours from the sierra and hump heavy ass loads of climbing gear into the back country half the year. but feel free to keep believing i'm lying if it helps you feel like more of a man and believe you NEED those crutches.
or sack up, try a season without them, and learn what you're really capable of. your choice.
>>758109
But I can't theoretically put more force on trekking poles than the weight of myself and my pack, right?
They help with my knees (arthritis), especially when my pack is 25+ lbs. It reduces how often my knees give out on me, and helps me catch myself if I trip. Thought they looked stupid, until I tried them. I have a pair of Leki Shiva Antishocks.
I like them cause I can kind of lean forward a bit and get my pack gear more over my body and less just sitting on my hips.
Also they give me something to do with my hands
>>758374
your back and knees are gonna get fucked up in the long run
>>758374
This comment is assuming everyone that uses hiking sticks uses them constantly whenever they hike. They're an extra, nobody is saying you cannot hike without them. You fundamentally misunderstand the concept of a hiking stick.
Also snakes.
>>758374
aww the sierra's thats cute. Tell me more about all the 80 degree scree slopes you had to ascend 3,000 feet up before you even got to the glacier with 70-80lbs on youre back... oh wait no my bad thats me, in the andes at 18,000 feet. I mean if you want to crawl on your hands and knees though because youre a man, thats cool
