Lets talk treking poles

[Alabama_Kind_Hiker]

So what do the folks here think about them? Are the useful on the Alabama terrain or is it a waste of money? I do see some folks use them but I wonder if it's overkill. If they are good to have then what are good ones to have? I have seen ones that are cheap in price to some that are expensive. Any help or input is appreciated in advance.

[Cuffs]

Trekking poles are truly an individual thing.  They either work for you or they dont.  I swear by them, but have a close friend who cant stand them.   

I like them especially for fjords, Ima clutz when it comes to crossing water.  They have also been useful for tying out my tarp when no trees were available...

[Alabama_Kind_Hiker]

Trekking poles are truly an individual thing.  They either work for you or they dont.  I swear by them, but have a close friend who cant stand them.   

I like them especially for fjords, Ima clutz when it comes to crossing water.  They have also been useful for tying out my tarp when no trees were available...

So would I be wise to maybe buy am inexpensive set like the Swiss brand I have seen to find out if I like em before plunking down some cash? What kind do you use? I saw some Leki on SteapandCheap but they where still 70 some odd dollars. Seems a bit high for aluminum poles.

[mich4076]

I love mine!! I feel off balance without them. I got mine from Walmart for 16$ They help me pull my weight uphill and they helped keep me from slipping on the wet rocks when I decided to go hiking during the reminents of Hurricane Faye last year

[Alabama_Kind_Hiker]

I saw the ones at Wally world and that's what got me thinking a bit about them. Seen them at BPS as well but wondered what the difference is in the expensive ones and the cheap ones. I know with gear you get what you pay for but sometimes you find a gem for cheap.

[Firedog]

You can get a little better grade pole at Dick's. They have Mountainsmith for $20 bucks each with nice grips and a cheap pair of Leki at $ 29.99/set. If you decide they are not for you, you can sell them on ebay and recoup most of your $.

[Lesley]

I like having something on the pinhoti with all the loose rock. But I'm the type who can pick up a stick and use that until I get tired of carrying it.

Matt ordered us some staffs....we'll have to see how those work out.

[McDowra]

My bride and i wouldn't go without them. Since we rarely hike the trails, spending most of our time off trail they are very handy. Going up and down embankments, watercrossings, and many other situations they  greatly help your balance.  Get some cheap ones from dick's which is where we got our first ones, and you won't regret it.

[Rob]

I too love my trekking poles. I currently have Leki Makalus ($100 for the pair). I started out with a stick, graduated to a pair of very inexpensive poles, and now the Leki's......... If you are not sure you will like them, buy cheap. Most of the folks I hike with use them, and the ones that didn't use them before tried mine and became converts. They help relieve stress on the knees, and add stability when fjording creeks or traversing scree, and in icy conditions they are invaluable. I've used mine to nudge snakes out of my path on occasion. Some purest hikers don't like them because they can damage trails by gouging the surface of the trails and adding to erosion of the trails edge. You can help eliminate this by putting rubber tips on them insted of the carbide tips like mine have. One difference in the less expensive ones is in the construction. The more expensive ones sometimes have spring shocks to absorb some of the impact and they sometimes have better adjustments and locking mechanisms. Some are more than just aluminum they also make them from titanium. Leki's come with lifetime warranties for what that is worth..........   Hope this helps. Happy Trails

[auwesman]

I too am an avid supporter of treking poles.  I used some swiss gear poles for about 2 yrs and had no problems.  I replaced them with some Black Diamonds that I got at an REI scratch and dent sale for like $15.00

One big thing to note when your looking at them is the wrist strap.  If you're using the poles properly you will be putting much of your weight through your forearm onto the wrist strap on the pole.  So some of the more expensive poles may also have nicer wrist straps.  Hand grips as well.  You're hands will tend to sweat a bit more holding the hand grips.  I've heard a lot of good about the cork hand grips, but never used them myself.

My swiss gears had the "shock absorbers" and they worked fine.  I'm not a big fan of the shock absorbers myself.  Also, more expensive poles, like my BD's have a quick release to quickly extend/retract.  Also the BD's are SLIGHTLY ligther than the swiss gears.

Like most have said, if you're starting out, go ahead and get the cheap ones and give them a whirl.  If you get like most of us and can't live without them, then it's time to possibly upgrade.

[lawnmowwer]

 I love my poles. It took me a long time to try them out, but once I learned to use them I can't do without them. I got a set of Komperdells at a great price a couple years ago on Sierra Trading post. They didn't have replaceable tips and I knocked one out on the last trip. I will be getting some more of some kind SOON.

[Mountain Dog]

Hiking sticks, when used as tools, are invaluable in ups and downs but not of much value on smooth level surfaces.  If you use them as two staffs instead of how they should be used then you are wasting their utility.  Swiss Gear from Wal-Mart is a waste of money.  I've either purchased or had friends purchase around 10.  All but one broke before the first hike was over.  Thel locking mechanism is not at all reliable.  Also, the tips are so soft that they loose their ability to stick hard surfaces after a very short while.  The slightly more expensive Eddie Bowers work better but in my opinion, a waste of money.  If used properly, you'll want a better set than the EBs..Leki has the best warranty, BD has the quickest reliable locking mechanism. 

[Joshua Szulecki]

Well... I'm more of a single pole/stick man myself, because of my hiking style. Trekking poles work great for long distance hiking, but for bushwhacking and for general purpose destination hiking, I get by better with a single pole.

Won't go bushwhacking without some sort of pole(s). For that matter, I won't go anywhere rocky, steep, or with stream crossings without one.

Ditto on the Swiss Gear being worthless. I picked one up as a last minute purchase before a solo bushwhack, having not brought any poles with me to Alabama when I left for law school. I haven't broken it, but I have had it collapse unexpectedly a number of times. The locking mechanism is entirely not strong enough.

I personally prefer a good solid stick over the fancier, lighter poles, if I am going with a single stick solution. This is because I often put a lot of my body weight into the pole when using it for bushwhacking, usually for descents down muddy or rocky areas, and sometimes as a polevault over streams.

YMMV... A bushwhacker/destination hiker like me can be happy with a big smooth stick. A long distance trail hiker might not want to carry around the extra weight of two heavy sticks, and a single stick isn't as great of a stride assist. I totally support poles, just make sure you get what YOU need.

[mich4076]

Maybe I just have been lucky with my Swiss Gear poles. I have used them about 5 times and havn't had a single problem with them. I'll eventually get me some better ones but it's hard now being broke.. 

[MississippiRob]

I find them invaluable on uphill and even more on steep downhills. I have been using Swiss Gear for over a year now. No problems (and if you do have a problem, you return it to Wal Mart and they give you more with no hassle). But, more expensive ones may work better. I am looking for some Leki's, but want them way reduced before I buy.

[Nalgene Ninja]

I just tried out a set of the Outdoor Products poles from Walmart ($12.88 each pole). They have Flick-locks instead to the usual twist-lock style. They clearly say on them that they are not designed to support one's body weight. And it collapsed once as I fell while bushwacking around a large blowdown. However they did save my butt from falling many other times during that 3-day hike.

[Mountain Dog]

Joshua S. is right about the use of trecking poles in difficult teraine.  They not only get in your way but they can become dangerous, particularly if you have the straps connected as recommended.  Tight trails that prevent proper pole swing and placement and bolder hopping are just two examples of where the poles get in the way.  However, once used correctly, most stay with them on improved trails such as the AT and all but the stairway to heaven on the Pinhoti.  BUt, just like footwear, there is no best and only gear.

[McDowra]

I think it comes down to each his own. I wouldn't go bushwhacking without my hiking pole. My bride and I use 1 each, they never get in the way  and  improve our our balance. I have never swung my pole if your trying to do that then I would say your using it incorrectly for your environment.  But then when i was younger I never used one, so it may have something to do with age, balance and the fact I fall more without it .

[Joshua Szulecki]

To clarify... I find that poles (plural) get in the way in difficult terrain. I wouldn't hike difficult terrain without a pole (singular), because I think those are the conditions where one most needs a pole. With one pole, you can make your profile much smaller by holding it on one side, or in the center, and you still have one hand. With two poles, you've got something in or around each hand, and have more trouble keeping both poles out of the brush. I also detest poles with the little circular object at the end, because all it does is get stuck in brush.

[Alabama_Kind_Hiker]

Wow thanks to all of you for the replies. I did buy the cheap Swiis Gear ones just to try them out. I can see where the poles are very handy. I used them to hike the Chinnabee trail Sunday durring the snow storm. I will use these a little more to make my decision but I can see me using treking poles and upgrading in the future. I don't really have the loot to plunk down a hundy on a set of Leki's. If I can get em on Steeoandcheap I may snag them up though. I will use the ones I have for now though. After one hike I can already see that I do like them. Maybe it was the snowy conditions but they were handy.