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Walking sticks??


Rygel

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Has anyone see the ad for walking sticks on the side of the main site pages??

 

It was there earlier and now I can't get it again. Just wondering what they are since they don't show up in the store.

 

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

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quote:
Originally posted by El Diablo:

The link Fisur posted is correct. the actual web address is http://www.geo-hikingstick.com The ads you see on the left run in a rotation...so it isn't always there. I have personally never seen it...but from the number of hits on the website and the orders I get, I know it's there.

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.


 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

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quote:
Originally posted by Rygel:

Thanks, those are very nice but unfortunately out of my price range.

 

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.


 

Just out of curiosity...what would be a good price range, and what would you want for that price?

 

I basically spend a couple of hours every day for a week to produce a custom staff. I would be more than willing to listen to ideas on how to make them cheaper and to put less work in them. I offer them fully finised or just carved and you finsh them. Any other suggestions?

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

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I see the unfinished ones are $30. What is the most expensive part on the process?

 

I'm thinking the painting/carving has to be it.

 

How about a intermedidate model that maybe has the Geocaching logo/website and is stained/sealed w/strap and rubber boot. You could leave off the compass, the persons name, etc. Maybe in the $40-$50 range?

 

Just an idea.

 

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.

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i made my own. in fla, we have an abundance of bamboo, the thick sided is the best,but i think any would work. i wrapped it with string in the areas that i wanted it and then urathaned the whole thing. so far i have walked many a mile with it and shows no signs of wear to speak of. look up on the net the way they wrap fishing poles and you can get some good ideas there, use larger string than tread though. quite rewarding and is REAL cheap probably less than a couple of bucks for the whole thing. if you would like to see a pic of a few i've made i can send em to ya

hope this helps ron icon_smile.gif

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I was in Walmart the other day and they had A walking stick that I thought was interesting.It was in the fishing department and was called a wading staff.It broke down into five or six pieces and was shock-corded together like a tent pole,that way it would fit in a daypack when not in use.It had a compass on the top and was around $20.

 

icon_biggrin.gif

 

fishin'fool was here!

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The State Park visitor centers sell wooden hiking sticks from $6.00 to $13.00. They are various lengths and usually have a cheap leather wrist strap. Light weight and sturdy with a natural wood laquer finish. They also sell metal bands with the various State Park logos that can be tacked onto the sticks.

 

I consider these to be a bargain so paying more for a custom stick would be expected. I am not in the market for a custom hiking stick so I can't even estimate what a fair price would be.

 

I did pay less than $40.00 for a set of fiberglass telescoping walking sticks. I use them when backpacking with a 35 or 40 pound pack.

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quote:
Originally posted by Rygel:

I see the unfinished ones are $30. What is the most expensive part on the process?

 

I'm thinking the painting/carving has to be it.

 

How about a intermedidate model that maybe has the Geocaching logo/website and is stained/sealed w/strap and rubber boot. You could leave off the compass, the persons name, etc. Maybe in the $40-$50 range?

 

Just an idea.

 

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.


 

The carving and the painting are the most time consuming along with sanding the staff. Therefore the most expensive part of it. With the cost of the material and Groundspeaks cut...I make about 5.00 and hour working on them (good money if you can get it) icon_biggrin.gif

 

Your intermidiate model idea is good. I work with people to try and find and something they can afford. I've produced and sold staffs at various stages of completion to get someone in their price range.

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

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quote:
Originally posted by coast2coast2coast:

In Canada we use sawed off hockey sticks

They work great icon_smile.gif


 

Interesting - I have the same walking stick down here in 'Joisey'!

 

After I cut off the blade, I drilled a small hole in the end and screwed in a metal spike to provide a point to dig into the ice with while walking. I'm hoping I never get asked by any authorities why I'm carrying a 'loaded' sawed off hockey stick! icon_wink.gif

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I picked up a beautiful walking stick at the local Lowe's store. Those silly folks accidently stocked it in the replacement broom handle section and priced it for only $3.96.

 

I modified mine a bit. I carved a scroll pattern into the top section, drilled a hole, used a leather shoe lace for a strap, installed a crutch tip at the end and shot it with some spray polyurethene.

 

Counting the crutch tip, shoelace and spray finish I've got about $12 in it (and one shoelace, three spare crutch tips and a nearly full can of finish left over). Of course, all the improvements were unnecessary. The basic broom stick would have been fine.

 

Mine looks good and works GREAT!

 

BTW, I decided to make mine because I was jealous of my son's broken hockey stick . . .

 

[This message was edited by Matt1344 on March 17, 2003 at 05:37 AM.]

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Perfect . . . $225 for a bunch of dangerous stuff you'll NEVER use and will likely just fuel the paranoia that would prompt somebody to consider this junk in the first place.

 

The chances of you ever needing a big knife, lance or a blowgun (!!!) while hiking are so slim that they make the lotto grand prize look like a sure bet. The chances that the average person would be any more effective with this silly thing than just an ordinary stick is even lower . . .

 

Excuse me Mr. Bear (Rapist, Psychotic Killer or whatever keeps you awake at night), could you please pause your attack while I assemble my blow gun?

 

What a joke! Anybody who buys this thing deserves to be out $225 bucks.

 

(Disclaimer: My comments should not be construed as a personal attack on anyone who has actually fallen for this. Yada, yada . . .)

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My walking stick is made out of a piece of 1.5" x 1.5" x 6' hickory that I hand carved over 30 years ago and it barely has any marks on it, even after smashing through miles of bushes and fallen trees!

 

I think a good piece of hickory is more than enough protection, I sure don't feel a need to put a blade in it just asking for a 'concealed weapon' charge.

 

Hiking with a walking stick is like putting a cap on your pickup truck, once you've done it, you'd never want to do it any other way.

 

"The hardest thing to find is something that's not there!"

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quote:
Originally posted by King Pellinore:

I don't get the whole walking stick idea. I never use one and find everything much better when i have empty hands while walking. If I need a stick to cross a river or balance or something I'll just grab one. So I guess I could see it in an area where there are no trees. . .

 

King Pellinore


 

I couldn't imagine not having a walking staff. Wether you buy one of my custom made staffs or just use a plain ole staff...everyone should have one.

 

Even though I make custom staffs...I personally use one that I bought years ago that is just a plain Birch staff that I have been up and down many trails on. One day I'll custom make myself one.

 

The need for them? They take a lot of stress off of your knees and back. They are great for poking around where you shouldn't stick your hands. You can use them to politely encourage a snake to move out of your path. With a good stout wood staff you can send an aggressive dog (human or animal) back to where they belong.

 

I can't begin to list the number of ways that I have used my staff. You stated you feel better with your hands empty....I feel empty without my staff in my hand.

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

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I bought a Tracks Field Staff last summer and have been mostly pleased with it. I guess my one problem is, there are several times when ONE more thing to carry is just too much. I think I would have been happier if I bought one that quickly and easily broke down into at least 3 segments instead of just 2.

 

Other than that, I'm done trusting rotten branches to keep me from tumbling off a hillside.

 

Bret

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.

When a man found it, he hid it again." Mt. 13:44

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quote:
Originally posted by El Diablo:

"...The need for them? They take a lot of stress off of your knees and back. They are great for poking around where you shouldn't stick your hands. You can use them to politely encourage a snake to move out of your path. With a good stout wood staff you can send an aggressive dog (human or animal) back to where they belong.

 

I can't begin to list the number of ways that I have used my staff..."


 

Yup ...what he said!

 

ontario1.gif

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I was at the local Scout office buying a new Scout shirt for my growing 13 year old and I saw a display of hard wood walking sticks. There was a beautiful Hickory one for about $8.00 but it was a little short for my taste. I ended up buying a Plum wood stick with a rubber tip for around $8-9.00. The lady behind the counter even encouraged me to walk around the store a bit to see what it felt like. If I am going to be walking for than a couple tenth of a mile I want it with me. Like anything else you finally break down and buy you seem to find more and more uses for it once you have it. I think the custom sticks sound great but I need something in the $10-15 range so that I am not worried if it gets banged up a bit.

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I like my walking stick. I don't bring it with me caching because so many caches don't require walking and because I often cache with the pup and don't have a free hand for it. Of course, I forget to bring it on many of the caches that require it.

 

I didn't buy my walking stick, I found it 'pre-made'. Last year, during my initial attempt at A182pilot's 'Leave it to Beaver' cache, I checked out a nearby beaver dam. Near the dam, I found a perfect piece of green wood, just the right length and diameter, and carefully cut trimmed and debarked by one of the beavers.

 

Once I applied a good layer of polyurethane, it was ready to go. I think that its ultra cool since it is covered with grooves from the little guy's teeth.

 

For more interesting blah-blah-blah on walking sticks, see this thread.

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I hardly ever go hicking without my hiking stick or staff. Old age and bad knees. icon_wink.gif

 

Customized sticks seem to be quite reasonable in my area as compared to the Geo sticks.

 

I picked up the carved Dogwood stick on the left in this picture from a local fellow for $20.00. The Twisted Spicewood on the right, I picked up in the woods. icon_biggrin.gif

hiking%20sticks.jpg

 

Close-up of the carving: (a bit blurry)

Stick%20Face.jpg

 

52920_300ogo2

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quote:
Originally posted by Cloak_N_Dagger:

I hardly ever go hicking without my hiking stick or staff. Old age and bad knees. icon_wink.gif

 

Customized sticks seem to be quite reasonable in my area as compared to the Geo sticks.

 

I picked up the carved Dogwood stick on the left in this picture from a local fellow for $20.00. The Twisted Spicewood on the right, I picked up in the woods. icon_biggrin.gif


 

As the old saying goes...you get what you pay for. The staff you depic is one with a wood spirit carved on it....about 30 minutes of work went into that staff. They are massed produced and are as common as the wood they are carved on. So in my humble opinion...it's not a custom made staff.

I'm sure it's a good hiking staff and will work as well as any other you can buy. The other staff you show that has been twisted by vines is very cool! icon_smile.gif

 

As far as editing your post...click the icon that looks like a piece of paper with a pencil on it. Hope that helps.

 

El Diablo

 

Everything you do in life...will impact someone,for better or for worse.

 

[This message was edited by El Diablo on March 23, 2003 at 06:14 PM.]

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a collapsible walking stick that will fit into my backpack when I'm not using it? How do those things stand up to mud and grit anyhow? Would it be safe to use those to test the depth of water or would that mess em up?

 

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore

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yes, after I tried to post the image I realized that it wouldn't work with the trial membership at that webpage.

 

quote:
The staff you depic is one with a wood spirit carved on it....about 30 minutes of work went into that staff. They are massed produced and are as common as the wood they are carved on. So in my humble opinion...it's not a custom made staff.

 

As for the staff being mass produced ... If you'd like, the same gentleman will be carving them in person, for the public to view, at this year's Whitetop Mountain Ramp Festival. Stop by for some fun and bluegrass music and watch him "Mass Produce" a few. 3rd Saturday in May, in Whitetop VA. He will even let you pick out the wood you prefer. Dogwood, Curly Maple, Mountain Ash, Hickory, Cedar, etc.

 

You are right, you get what you pay for.

 

52920_300ogo2

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C'mon down and visit! You'll love the music, food and most of all, the Blue Ridge Mountains. We're kinda simple and laid back, but that's the way we like it!

 

You might even try entering the ramp eating contest! icon_eek.gif There is a fellow from Maine that comes down here every year to compete in the ramp eating contest. He held the title for a couple of years but has since been dethroned.

 

C'mon down and visit

 

52920_300ogo2

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quote:
Originally posted by Faderaven:

a collapsible walking stick that will fit into my backpack when I'm not using it? How do those things stand up to mud and grit anyhow? Would it be safe to use those to test the depth of water or would that mess em up?


 

Cabelas has an aluminum 3 pc. twist-lok with shock absorber & compass in top. Breaks down to around 26-28" I think but the neatest thing is it has a shock-cord shoulder strap attached to get it out of your hands if need be & it's $49. Alot of these type sticks are considered "wading" sticks so they'll hold up well when wet. Mine does.

Comparing one of these to El Diablo's nice custom's is comparing apples to oranges. Each has it's purpose & he's right...you get whatcha' pay for!

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Some company made dark wooden stick, with a screw-on/off tip so you could swap from a brass point to a rubber tip.

 

I think there was a compass in the top. I'd like to find one someway, or else get el diablo to add a brass tip on one end and a brass compass on the other. Maybe with a sulpted grip and thumb rest. (I made one like that over a week of camping 3 decades ago - I wonder where it went.)

 

Currently, I use a cane carved is West Africa to protect a bum ankle. Unfotunately, they don't have wood dye, so they use brown show polish. Next week I'll sand the beggar, stain, and poly coat it. I am tire of getting brown polish all along one side of my pants.

 

DustyJacket

...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer.

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quote:
Originally posted by Rygel:

Has anyone see the ad for walking sticks on the side of the main site pages??

 

It was there earlier and now I can't get it again. Just wondering what they are since they don't show up in the store.

 

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.


 

The best way to describe walking sticks is as High tech ski poles... Most are aluminum,

some will titanium. and collapsible. Some will have springs in them that act as shock

absorbers. What they do is add two more points to balance your self. This comes in great

on steep terrain.

 

Titanium are light and very strong, aluminum is also very light. Wood will be less

expensive but is quite a bit heavier and not collapsible.

 

The best ones around are made by a company called Leki, walking sticks can be found at

high end outdoors stores. These are not the type of item you will find in a chain store.

 

You might try MarinOutdoors.com

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quote:
Originally posted by fishin'fool:

I was in Walmart the other day and they had A walking stick that I thought was interesting.It was in the fishing department and was called a wading staff.It broke down into five or six pieces and was shock-corded together like a tent pole,that way it would fit in a daypack when not in use.It had a compass on the top and was around $20.

 

icon_biggrin.gif

 

fishin'fool was here!


 

Shock corded poles can get stuck between rocks, then when you pull up the bottom stays where it is stuck. Shock corded are not very good.

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I know this is an old thread, but it seemed a waste to start another when there are already several hiking stick threads out there. I was wondering if anyone has seen a collapsible wood stick with a threaded joint in the middle, like a pool cue? I have a collapsible aluminum stick, and on a cache the other day, I realized a good sticks utility for the first time. They are indispensible for maneuvering on loose rocks. I was amazed at the difference it made. Anyway, it stays in the car with me now so I won't forget it at home. The reason I ask about a collapsible wood staff is that I like the beauty of natural wood, it just feels right, but I like being able to "put it away" without taking up too much space. The aluminum one works fine, but has none of the charm of real wood.

 

[This message was edited by Bloencustoms on March 32, 1999 at 25:60 PM]

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