So, my OH decided that this summer we are going on loads of hikes. Which is great as i need to get fit.
So far, all the hikes we have done are on flatish ground and the paths are pretty wide, so no need for sticks. If anyone cares, you can go around the lake at Sixt Fer-a-cheval in France. Really nice and easy two hour hike (i like easy). I have seen people using them but we didnt need them.
Yesterday, we (him) decided we had to hike all the way up to La Dole. After falling on my butt a couple of times because going down a steep gravel path is not easy, i decided i need sticks for stability.
Is there any difference between full length/extendable poles? How long should they be? Can i use skiing poles instead? Anyone? Thanks
For me, extendable poles are easier to transport and store. They're also easy to readjust and are lightweight. I wouldn't use ski poles unless they're the perfect height (your arm should be in a perfect right angle when holding the handle).
I've never had telescopic poles so I can't comment.
Really? I tried with my ski poles just to see the length and that feels a bit too short. But since you obviously know more that me about this, i will pay attention to how my arm is when i try them. Thanks
Adjustable poles are really much better for hill walking, as in different terrains and conditions they will allow you to choose the optimum length, which may sometimes not be the same on both sides if you're using two poles on a sloping surface.
You can usually pick up a perfectly good pair for twenty-odd francs at Ottos, or try a Sherpa factory shop if there's one near you. Look for ones with a "flat' handle like these https://sherpaoutdoor.com/de/tipling...z-194596.html#
Walking sticks have their use: support (especially on steep downhills), distributing the strain away from lower body into upper body (in regualr walking), protecting knee joints and of course warding off flora & fauna
gata, as said before adjustable, light weight walking sticks work well and are quite cheap.
Actually I became a convert to trekking poles when I ran into a group of nimble twenty-somethings running down the Stanserhorn.
I watched this group of seriously fit athletes sprint down trails in record time with narry a care in the world, using their poles, as I was creeping along the same slippery and very uneven trail.
I think it was slipping and landing in a cow pie that convinced me.
Bought a pair of cheap trekking poles the next day and haven't ventured up a mountain without them since.
Makes all the difference when you encounter a difficult trail, mine allow me to hike places I otherwise could not manage. The poles are easily telescoped small enough to hang on your backpack whenever you don't need them.
Some people will like them, others won't. I can keep better balance and agility by not holding anything and lowering my gravity when the terrain gets steep, specially going downhill. It could be that in sliding gravel one can even trip over his stick, etc. I am not planning on getting any, I don't think. But I also prefer to ski without the poles, too, maybe it is just a personal thing.
How very little you know, trail running is nothing to do with Nordic walking with sticks, the sticks are designed to help ypu go up hill quicker and to develop upper body strength, something you don't do trail running !
the very best are Leki, but they are quite expensive, all depends on how much you want to use them and the amount of pleasure you want really
Not true at all unless you haven't gone on actual mountain trails. I have hiked up and down steep mountain trails where there are only rocks as the path, and if it has rained, the rocks are loose and very slippery. The poles are especially important on descent.
My knees have been dreadful for several years.i‘ve needed sticks for stability. In about 2 weeks i’ll have my second knee replacement, and am looking forward to walking more comfortably.
I read a lot of reviews and ended up buying a pair of pacerpole sticks from the UK. I’ve had them 3 or 4 years, and they really saved me from falling. I think they were around £100. They come apart for easy transport. They are light, strong and adjustable.
Ace has mentioned the flexibility of adjustable poles, also you can adjust the length to be shorter to help with uphills, and a bit longer for stability on the downhills.
Regardless of your ability, poles can help with 10 .. 15 % on the uphils and 15 .. 25 % on descents.
% means faster, longer or less energy burnt.
I think melloncollie tells of the downhill advantage.
Definitely get a couple of pairs of sticks, you won't regret the ease it gives you for your hikes.
Yes, I have some of these. I feel that they take quite a lot off of the strain to the shoulder joints, mainly when used with horizontal handles. Nowadays, I only use one of them to help me limp along on my kaputt hip joint and there the suspension is even more comfortable than on mountain hikes.
Funnily enough the UIAA published something on this only this week although it's a rehash of the consensus statement from the medial committee about 10 years ago.
yes, obviously trail runners do use poles, there's a huge market sector dedicated to them.
sprung poles, seem a waste of time to me. I can't imagine what the point is. I thought reputable manufacturers had stopped this but I'm sure Aldi is still knocking them out
Adjustable - not required. Anything in the right range is fine, that's why the decent ones have foam lower down the handles so you can move your hand down. You don't (and arguably really must not) use the straps so it really doesn't matter. It's more important you can stow them out of the way on steep ground or on the bus so that rules out ski poles. So collapsible is more useful really.
Personally, I use some Raidlight Compact Carbon Ultra :
Congratulations on the new endeavor. From a biomechanical perspective, a substantial amount of energy is saved over distance with proper selection and use of poles. (I'm not citing any studies. It's late.)
In your situation, where there seems to be some uncertainty about how often they would be needed, the primary differences between full-length and extendable or collapsible poles is that a full-length pole cannot easily be stored in a pack or tote when not in use.
For the length, the pole should have enough reach to adequately support you on the terrain. And it's quite fine to have/use more than one size. I use telescoping poles when snowshoeing steep terrain in winter and folding fixed length on clean ground. If you look at an actual trekking pole, you'll often see an extended length hand grip. This is so you can raise or lower grip as needed. It's not a precise science.
In an emergency situation, a ski pole would be better than nothing. However, they are often heavier and have sub-optimal grip for hiking. It's also likely they have a carbide tip for snow and ice. In addition to being noisy and destructive, such tips are not an ideal gripping surface on stone and soil.
Until you figure out what you are doing and get comfortable with the techniques and usage, you might want to avoid the fancy graphite/carbon fiber/whatever poles. It's quite easy to snap, split, or damage them against rocks or with improper weight distribution.
Even the cheap Sherpa ones I mentioned earlier have this feature. I only really ever use 'walking' poles for snowshoeing where it's not a factor, but I can see that on hard ground it could be significant.