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Hiking Sticks; Do You Use One?


tirediron

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We all have collapsable hiking sticks. We've found these to be the best for us. Not only do they fit comfortably in the car (our wood ones were too long) but they are light enough for mom and dad to strap to their backpacks when the kids don't need to use them. We've also found that on ours, we can unscrew the cork knob at the top and attach our digital camera to it for a makeshift tri-pod. Works great!

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This is really interesting to me.  I could have really used it in some recent descents, especially on smooth pebbly covered slope. 

So do the collapsable ones support any serious weight? 

Are these sticks in general helpful to you in going uphill too?

Any good makes or ones to avoid?

 

I'm using Leki sticks for skiing and hiking since about '97 or so - never had any problems (and I'm not too slim, as you can see on the avatar pic ;) ).

Should be available in any serious hikin store (prices are from 40-100 EUR/USD around here).

 

http://www.leki.com/html/trek_main.asp

 

BS/2

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Currently, this is the hiking staff I use. It is very sturdy and doesn't bend under at least 245 lbs of weight sliding down a hill side while jamming it into the ground to stop my slide. It is called the Tracks Sherlock Walking Staff. It's a two piece collapsible staff, that is thumb ball locked in place and doesn't let loose for any reason except the slight push of the ball into the socket to adjust for your needs.

 

I looked at these Leki collapsible trekking poles and I am impressed. Not only does it take six easy twists to lock them in the extended position, they held up my weight being jammed into them without the slightest give back into itself as most twist-loc collapsible poles are prone to do.

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1. I wouldn't trade my collapsable for anything, except another collapsable. Why? Not so much because it's collapsable but because I can adjust the length. At time I use it like a staff, other more like a cane, depending on the terrian. The light weight is also a plus. It also has a carbide tip that reduces slipping on a rocky surface. A wooden end or a brass tip will have a tendency to slip on some surfaces.

 

2. Many of the aluminum hiking staffs are repairable. I would check with the manufacturer before getting another.

 

Byron

Edited by Byron & Anne
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I've almost always have a wood hiking stick. It is a three section unit with brass joints. It stores under the seat in the car and the hard wood has a nice feel in both summer and winter. I've cracked it several times by applying too much lateral force but carpenter's glue has always fixed it as good as new. The brass point wore completely through but a large brass wood screw solved that problem. I estimate it has at least 1500 miles on it and there is another 1000 left in it.

 

I don't want to imagine caching without a stick. It provides balance while getting there. No more walking into spider webs (after walking into the first one :rolleyes: ). Defense against everything from dogs to snakes. It even deters biting flies when swung around the head and back. I can poke into holes while standing 6 feet back. Pictures are much sharper using it as a monopod for the camera. Stab it into the ground and you can hang a small pack on it above the mud. It moves grass and brambles including poison ivy out of the way. It investigates things I wouldn't want to touch without knowing what they are. It provides a guide to how far I can jump to clear a creek and gives assistance during the jump to allow an extra couple of feet (good way to crack it again :laughing: )

 

If I had to replace this old friend I would have 2 absolute requirements - wood and sections no more than 25" long so that it fits in carry-on luggage.

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My dh and 2 kids use walking sticks. They are the basic ones from target for $15-$30. We have found my kids (6&4) will walk much farther using the walking sticks! Weird, but true, so we always have them. They are the collapsible kind that fit nice in the trunk. And when a kid is too busy running along, I'll resize the stick to my size. Otherwise I do not use one, my hands are too busy holding the gps, camera, getting water bottles out or snack foods. I like having the sticks handy especially in the thick woods to move the poke bushes out of the way.

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My wife and I each use an LLBean/Leki "Pack Staff" and we love them!

 

Besides all the good reasons people have mentioned for carrying a stick, this staff is heat treated aluminum with a carbide flex tip - very light and very strong (it's never bent in over a year, including more than one occassion when I've trapped it in a hole or between two rocks and continued forward with my weight on it). It's a three part staff that collapses down to 26" - it easily went in our checked luggage for our Hawaii trip (don't leave home without it - those lava rocks hurt if you fall on them while approaching that elusive cache!). :laughing: It has an ingenious clamping system between the parts of the shaft and never colapses unless you want it to.

 

It comes with a rubber cap to cover the carbide tip when walking on hard surfaces - gives great traction and avoids the clicking sound on hard surfaces.

 

6db255cb-2c58-4490-8488-777d6a322c44.jpg

 

Unscrewing the hardwood knob exposes a standard camera mount that turns the stick into a monopod for those low light photographs. I used a Dremel tool to rout a hole and inlay an inexpensive liquid filled compass in the hardwood knob, so I not only always have my compass with me, it's always easy to check.

 

120ae580-0ac0-49b9-8b40-459196db54f9.jpg

 

Edit: get the images right

Edited by Kai Team
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Sissy and I took a walkingstick carving class a while back at a local park. She walked away with a sturdy but lightweight stick made from ligustrum which grows like a weed around here. It's long and straight, and very plentiful.

 

Mine is a piece of hickory. It's kind of heavy, but has saved my butt on more than one occasion.

 

Both are protected with several coats of linseed oil.

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How about a old "ski pole"... Noticed several "odd" poles in local "thrift store".... Or maybe they are to short?

 

Dale

For hiking, the general rule of thumb is that your forearm should be parallel to the ground (i.e. horizontal) when you're standing on a level surface and holding the pole as you would when hiking. If your forearm slopes down from elbow to wrist the pole is too short, if it slopes up the pole is too long.

 

However, when going uphill for a period of time, it's easier (you get better leverage) if the pole is shorter, since your upper body is closer to the ground ahead of you, which is sloping up. Conversely, if you're going downhill, it's easier if the pole is a bit longer. It's also easier to cross a stream, i.e. stepping between exposed rocks, if your staff is longer - assuming the stream isn't too deep, you can plant it in the stream bottom for added balance.

 

Wooden hiking staffs are often made quite long on the assumption that you can grip it at different points along the shaft if you need more or less stick between you and the ground. Although better than nothing, ski poles have a fixed grip location that may be too short or too high, depending on terrain.

 

After many years of using wooden hiking staffs, one reason I am so enamored with my collapsible hiking staff is that you can easily adjust it "in the field" to any length you need (mine requires a simple twist to loosen the clamping mechanism, then slide the sections to the length you want, and twist again to lock).

 

Edited to add quote.

Edited by Kai Team
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I'm going to register a dissenting opinion. I do some difficult bushwhack hiking, and until recently figured I needed a hiking stick in steep and slippery areas. Then I had the privelege of hiking with a cacher who's actually good at this type of hiking (Wily Javelina). While I was spending my attention and effort placing the stick, Wily was intent on placing his feet. I couldn't help but notice that he was a lot more efficient than I was. And when we had to scale some minor rock cliffs, he didn't have to worry about stowing a stick (or throwing it ahead).

 

If you need a stick to help support sore knees, it's probably a good idea. Otherwise, it might be better to work on your balance and concentration. I applied what I had seen on my next hike and it made a world of difference. Don't let the stick become a crutch!

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Since a good portion of my caching in in hilly/mountainous terrain I have been using a Leki hiking staff for most of my caching. I try to use only one stick, since using a GPSr and looking after my "Geocaching Dog" takes up most of my time with the other hand. The reduction in effort on my legs, not to mention the number of times it's saved me from a fall is well worth the money. Wouldn't go out without it.

Edited by Quoddy
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I'm going to register a dissenting opinion. I do some difficult bushwhack hiking, and until recently figured I needed a hiking stick in steep and slippery areas. Then I had the privelege of hiking with a cacher who's actually good at this type of hiking (Wily Javelina). While I was spending my attention and effort placing the stick, Wily was intent on placing his feet. I couldn't help but notice that he was a lot more efficient than I was. And when we had to scale some minor rock cliffs, he didn't have to worry about stowing a stick (or throwing it ahead).

 

If you need a stick to help support sore knees, it's probably a good idea. Otherwise, it might be better to work on your balance and concentration. I applied what I had seen on my next hike and it made a world of difference. Don't let the stick become a crutch!

Interesting point. I've become pretty dependent on my poles. They've saved me from numerous falls, particularly with all the wet leaves on the trail these days.

 

I wonder now if maybe I took more care with my footing then I wouldn't need to pole to save me. I mean its not like I was falling all the time before I started using them. Still, I like having them. They are great for poking in dark places, in snow banks and under leaves when looking for a cache.

 

They also provide a sense of security. Being that I hike where the ocassional rattlesnake or copperhead could be lurking, I like the idea of the pole leading the way ahead of my leg. I guess it could also double as a weapon should I have to fend off a nasty dog and though they probably won't be of much use against a bear, having them does make me feel a bit better in bear coutry. Maybe I could use it to make myself look bigger and scar the feller off.

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I'm going to register a dissenting opinion. I do some difficult bushwhack hiking, and until recently figured I needed a hiking stick in steep and slippery areas. Then I had the privelege of hiking with a cacher who's actually good at this type of hiking (Wily Javelina). While I was spending my attention and effort placing the stick, Wily was intent on placing his feet. I couldn't help but notice that he was a lot more efficient than I was. And when we had to scale some minor rock cliffs, he didn't have to worry about stowing a stick (or throwing it ahead).

 

If you need a stick to help support sore knees, it's probably a good idea. Otherwise, it might be better to work on your balance and concentration. I applied what I had seen on my next hike and it made a world of difference. Don't let the stick become a crutch!

It is an interesting point, although I don't think it's an "either/or" situation. I use a trekking pole and take care about where I place my feet when traversing difficult terrain. The pole doesn't "save" me from clumsy foot placement, it helps me when there is no good footing!

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It is an interesting point, although I don't think it's an "either/or" situation. I use a trekking pole and take care about where I place my feet when traversing difficult terrain. The pole doesn't "save" me from clumsy foot placement, it helps me when there is no good footing!

:lol: You're a better man then I Gunga Din... on more than one occasion my pole has saved me from a clumsy foot placement (Hence the reason for it's present condition)

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I'm going to register a dissenting opinion. I do some difficult bushwhack hiking, and until recently figured I needed a hiking stick in steep and slippery areas. Then I had the privelege of hiking with a cacher who's actually good at this type of hiking (Wily Javelina). While I was spending my attention and effort placing the stick, Wily was intent on placing his feet. I couldn't help but notice that he was a lot more efficient than I was. And when we had to scale some minor rock cliffs, he didn't have to worry about stowing a stick (or throwing it ahead).

 

If you need a stick to help support sore knees, it's probably a good idea. Otherwise, it might be better to work on your balance and concentration. I applied what I had seen on my next hike and it made a world of difference. Don't let the stick become a crutch!

I use my staff for when it is going to be a help, e.g. help me with my uncertain balance on questionable terrain. I also use it assist in steep inclined hikes; up and down, particularly when the knees are giving trouble. I'd rather have one with me, than not. When I get tired, I get clumsy, and that third leg helps.

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If you do a search in the forums you'll find a thread in there that I started about making your own staff. If you need more help just give me a yell. I've talked a dozen people through the process.

 

I'll try to redo those instructions in an up comming issue of Today's Cacher soon.

 

El Diablo

 

I look forward to that article - I've always been interested in making my own staff, but I'm the type of person that needs step-by-step instructions (and maybe even pictures). Thanks for the effort!

 

~ Jared

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I've got a hiking staff made out of some sort of high-density cane. It's old now, and has a bit of a curve to it, but has served its purpose for many, many years. It has a suede leather hand-grip and a leather wrist-loop. I put a rubber 'foot' on the base to stop damage to the wood.

 

If ever it breaks or gets lost, it would be like losing an old friend. It has assisted me while walking, had an exciting and heart-stopping confrontation with a 5 metre long African Rock Python whose hole I investigated (stupid, I know, but quite an adrenaline rush!), and has held an angry dog at bay.

 

Looking forward to seeing "Today's Cacher" article on making a new one.

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I'm going to register a dissenting opinion. I do some difficult bushwhack hiking, and until recently figured I needed a hiking stick in steep and slippery areas. Then I had the privelege of hiking with a cacher who's actually good at this type of hiking (Wily Javelina). While I was spending my attention and effort placing the stick, Wily was intent on placing his feet. I couldn't help but notice that he was a lot more efficient than I was. And when we had to scale some minor rock cliffs, he didn't have to worry about stowing a stick (or throwing it ahead).

 

If you need a stick to help support sore knees, it's probably a good idea. Otherwise, it might be better to work on your balance and concentration. I applied what I had seen on my next hike and it made a world of difference. Don't let the stick become a crutch!

I hiking stick is only going to aid someone while hiking, they are like anything else, the more you use them the more they become second hature.

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A few years ago, I was hunting for one of A182pilot's great caches near a beaver dam. While searching, I found an awesome stick it was freshly cut, pruned, and cleaned by one of the bucktooth critters and was the perfect length for a hiking stick.

 

It was covered with little grooves from his teeth, so I just used a clear poly to show it off. I epoxied a brass fitting to the end and it was ready to use.

 

I really haven't used it many times. I fail to remember to toss it in the jeep when I'm headed out. It also is a pain to carry around when it is not needed.

 

I've since bought an inexpensive aluminum collapsible staff. I've used this one frequently. It lives in my pack, so I can't forget it and have a place to put it when I don't need it.

 

This new staff has performed double duty for me. After my 'accident' in June, I was diagnosed with a vertebrae fracture and a herniated disk. On a few occasions, I've used my staff, lowered to cane-height, to help me ambulate.

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