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Trekking poles?

O

oboeguy

Diamond Member
Educate me! I'd like to order some today. I was amused to see when I started looking around online and saw that the choices are similar to those found in bicycles: aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber. Heh. Still, I need helping choosing, as I feel a bit overwhelmed by the available options. TIA.
 
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Seriously, what do these add to hiking? Enlighten me.
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Ever do a long (as in several miles) descent on uneven terrain? Your knees will tell you what trekking poles / hiking stick can do for you. Seriously, as I understand it, and this seems pretty obvious to me, one uses the arms as well as the legs via the poles. I've heard it said that it's like having four legs. 😀
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Seriously, what do these add to hiking? Enlighten me.
Click to expand...

Ever do a long (as in several miles) descent on uneven terrain? Your knees will tell you what trekking poles / hiking stick can do for you. Seriously, as I understand it, and this seems pretty obvious to me, one uses the arms as well as the legs via the poles. I've heard it said that it's like having four legs. 😀
Click to expand...

Ah, that does make some sense. I've done quite a bit of hiking, but around me (East Coast), it's pretty flat. Where I take the kids, the terrain isn't all that challenging. Hiking poles would just add weight and clutter up one's hands.
 
Originally posted by: Mursilis

Ah, that does make some sense. I've done quite a bit of hiking, but around me (East Coast), it's pretty flat. Where I take the kids, the terrain isn't all that challenging. Hiking poles would just add weight and clutter up one's hands.
Click to expand...

East Coast, flat? Are you kidding?

Anyway, that's what I used to think, that poles were a PITA. Thousands of AT thru-hikers can't be wrong, though, IMO. My knees have lodged a formal protest, demanding poles. 😀
 
If you don't think you'll be using it all the time, I'd look into getting one that comes in two parts. This way you can carry it with you all the time.

I use a Tracks compact Travel Staff since I don't use it all the time, mostly for really uneven ground or in the winter.
 
My trail buddy has a spring-loaded steel pole. She likes it. Personally, my favorite pole came from a maple limb blown down by a thunderstorm. Strip the bark, sand a little, fill the knots with epoxy and finish with polyurethane. Use tennis racket grip tape for the grip. Makes a great staff.

Edit: A storm this summer blew down a nice-sized limb from one of my ash trees. My plan is to carve it into two hiking staves this winter. We'll see how it goes...

 
Hiking poles are invaluable to hiking. Don't get a LL Bean pole. Get a Black Diamond, Masters, Leki, or even a house brand REI
 
I've got a pair from Charlet that are very comfortable on the hands. But I have long fingers. Make sure you can grip a set prior to purchasing them.

Personally I feel that the ability to collapse them down to a size that can be strapped to my day pack is a requirement.
 
Well, you've got aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, fiberglass.

Aluminum. Cheaper than titanium but easier to break.
Carbon fiber. These WILL eventually break. Just a matter of when. There are no manufacturors that I'm aware of who warranty their CF poles for a lifetime.
Titanium. The best IMO. Leki has a lifetime warranty on their titanium poles. Slightly lighter than aluminum.
Fiberglass. Don't even bother. Heavier and prone to breakage. And when they break, they splinter.

Spring loaded: Smoother ride, but robs some of your "pushing" energy.

Hiking poles give you better balance over unsteady terrain, ease the downhills, and help on the uphills. You WILL be doing more work using hiking poles, put it's a small price to pay to have a steady hike.

Leki, Komperdell, REI House Brand (made by Komperdell), Black Diamond, are all great brands. I have a pair of Leki Ti Air Ergos, which I got for $70 for the pair. You can find awesome model end closeouts when they start to phase out the past year's models.
 
I use my camera monopod. Aluminum, and adjusts between a rubber foot (for rocks and asphault) and a spike (for sand and dirt). Cost me $15.
 
Don't forget that poles with shock absorbers can be locked out so you don't have the problem that fuzzybabybunny claims.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Well, you've got aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber, fiberglass.

Aluminum. Cheaper than titanium but easier to break.
Carbon fiber. These WILL eventually break. Just a matter of when. There are no manufacturors that I'm aware of who warranty their CF poles for a lifetime.
Titanium. The best IMO. Leki has a lifetime warranty on their titanium poles. Slightly lighter than aluminum.
Fiberglass. Don't even bother. Heavier and prone to breakage. And when they break, they splinter.

Spring loaded: Smoother ride, but robs some of your "pushing" energy.

Hiking poles give you better balance over unsteady terrain, ease the downhills, and help on the uphills. You WILL be doing more work using hiking poles, put it's a small price to pay to have a steady hike.

Leki, Komperdell, REI House Brand (made by Komperdell), Black Diamond, are all great brands. I have a pair of Leki Ti Air Ergos, which I got for $70 for the pair. You can find awesome model end closeouts when they start to phase out the past year's models.
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Ahhh, awesome post, thanks. I was worried about CF breakage b/c to be honest, I worry about it with bike parts for good reason (you should have seen my pal's sheared-off carbon fork). So aluminum can break too? The lifetime warranty on Ti sounds very appealing.
 
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Don't forget that poles with shock absorbers can be locked out so you don't have the problem that fuzzybabybunny claims.
Click to expand...

Good point! Although shocks will increase weight some too. I think it boils down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong, only which you like better.
 
Originally posted by: oboeguy
Ahhh, awesome post, thanks. I was worried about CF breakage b/c to be honest, I worry about it with bike parts for good reason (you should have seen my pal's sheared-off carbon fork). So aluminum can break too? The lifetime warranty on Ti sounds very appealing.
Click to expand...

Yup, aluminum can break too, and it doesn't break very well either. While something like steel may bend, in my experience aluminum tends to... fold. 🙁

Not all manufacturors warrant their poles with lifetime warranties though. Leki is one of the few that do it.

I come from a biking background too. CF will definitely eventually die, and I've personally seen some nice Easton 6061 bike frames with big dents in them. Still rideable, but you get the sense that if the impact had been a bit harder, you'd have two tubes instead of one. And like bike frames, material properties carry over to trekking poles.

Aluminum is stiff and not very shock absorbent. Titanium is great. CF is even better but of course isn't as well-warranted or long-lived. I think CF is more or less for those backpackers who absolutely must shed every ounce they can.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: sygyzy
Don't forget that poles with shock absorbers can be locked out so you don't have the problem that fuzzybabybunny claims.
Click to expand...

Good point! Although shocks will increase weight some too. I think it boils down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong, only which you like better.
Click to expand...

The bunny is correct. Shock absorbers add significantly to the weight.
 
I'm looking into getting some poles for next summer hiking season too. I'm in Seattle and surrounded by big mountains and awesome hiking everywhere.

What about snow? Are the guards on the bottom of most trekking poles good for snow? I'm specifically curious about snowshoeing, not skiing.

EDIT: it looks like lots of these come with baskets for snow
 
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
I'm looking into getting some poles for next summer hiking season too. I'm in Seattle and surrounded by big mountains and awesome hiking everywhere.

What about snow? Are the guards on the bottom of most trekking poles good for snow? I'm specifically curious about snowshoeing, not skiing.

EDIT: it looks like lots of these come with baskets for snow
Click to expand...

Yup, most all of them come with snow baskets, although you can always attach larger baskets in the future.
 
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