Walking Poles

[corvus]

G'day All,
Chickers (Devonport at least) have a few $10.00 walking poles and before you condemn these made in China units consider that I have been using mine (bought on e bay for 99cents + freight ) for a few years now and having seen expensive poles bend and even snap I think these units are well worth it.
I just bought a nice Silvery one

[Steve]

Yeah cheapos are alright. I had a $10 one from Kmart for awhile, in the end something gave in and it won't stay open (keeps pushing in when pressure is applied). A good whack with a hammer and it should be right.

With a cheapo you don't care about leaving it behind either, like when climbing a summit. I wouldn't like to leave my expensive pole behind only to be worrying about it the whole time.

[Robbo]

To add another dimension to this thread, what handle/grip type do you use or recommend. As one who is yet to get walking poles, but who will need to before too much longer - the old knees certainly ain't what they used to be!

My walking buddy has tried many types and has finally settled on poles with a knob or ball on them, claiming they are the best when descending, rather than the normal grip. Any thoughts?

TR

[corvus]

Robbo,
As an old fart with the dreaded "Uncle Arthur" I have found that the traditional "walking stick " type grip really suits me especially on the down hill as takes my weight on the palm of my hand rather than on my grip and wrist and it is no hindrance going up hill either
corvus

[Nuts]

Fine as a single pole to keep you upright (or mount yer camera on).

Using two, and the rest of your body to walk is a different exercise and use altogether.
If you are 'working them' up and down hills you will quickly work out why the good ones have a ski pole like grip (and set at an angle)..
If you constantly adjust the to the terrain, you'll find the advantages of a better quality locking system.

[corvus]

Fine as a single pole to keep you upright (or mount yer camera on).

Using two, and the rest of your body to walk is a different exercise and use altogether.
If you are 'working them' up and down hills you will quickly work out why the good ones have a ski pole like grip (and set at an angle)..
If you constantly adjust the to the terrain, you'll find the advantages of a better quality locking system.

Some of the latest model "walking stick " style poles also have an alternate ski pole style grip slightly angled and are perfect for keeping you upright IMHO,having two and using them "Nordic" style is a whole new kettle of "herrings" and can be fun if that is your want.
As an aside my current "walking sick" has seen good use for over a good few hundreds of kms or so during the past four years and at a cost of around $10.00 that equates to less than 4/5ths of you know what .
New one (don't need it ) but it is "more better" with new grips also cost $9.95,have seen on recent walks two very expensive sets of poles ,1 bend then snap ,2 snap ,both in "Nordic" use, I sort of rest my case for at least checking out the cheaper alternate
c

[Chris]

Just to throw another suggestion out there, check out Pacer Poles, which are available from the AARN pack people who also have tents which use the PP's for their poles. A rellie who has them and finds them wonderful recommended them my husband, who is also impressed. I believe they were designed by a physio. They are a rather revolutionary design, and probably need more getting used to than more conventional poles (prob same as the AARN pack), but users are convinced it's worth the effort. Price $199 per pair in Sydney recently.

[Nuts]

Hiya Corvus, Yer, if using them walking stick style, anything will do.

It is interesting (perhaps) to think back 20 odd years and remember that hardly anyone (besides those 'offbeat' europeans ) using dedicated commercial style poles... Then there was a steady increase till they are now quite common.

I started using one pole (support style) when my knees started to show their age (twice mine apparently). I tried two a few times but just couldnt get the hang of it. Following a few heavy trips I decided to take two and stick.... with it.

I guess it is just 'one of those things'. It is hard to explain to those who havent persisted with them. They do become like an 'extension' of your body. Pretty much out of mind. That they do use your upper body is undeniable (You feel it, especially after the first few weeks). This part is not suprising really, afterall, that is 'Nordic' style and is how they use them...

For a while I also had a problem tripping and getting them stuck in things, that also sorts itself out. I'm stil using the pair i started with (Jacko Prostar, not expensive $80-90 from memory) and no problemo (perhaps 800-1000k's whoknows).

I guess its one of those things also that (being forced into) I wouldnt wish on anyone (my knees can ache for days even with using poles) and it is a condition that isnt noticed until its too late (knees 'creaking' is a sign but not always and it quickly progressed from there).

I guess your lucky, my knees are obviously older than yours

Anyhow, just pointing out these ^ facts... see ya tomorrow (am?)

[Nuts]

Oh, and in using them 'Nordic' style, it is not so much the failure of the stick as the adjuster/s, which I have noticed seems a function of price, maybe you got lucky, but I would adjust mine perhaps 4/5 times a day (ie at the start of a 'general' climb, 'general' flat section etc).

[corvus]

Oh, and in using them 'Nordic' style, it is not so much the failure of the stick as the adjuster/s, which I have noticed seems a function of price, maybe you got lucky, but I would adjust mine perhaps 4/5 times a day (ie at the start of a 'general' climb, 'general' flat section etc).

Bugger all to to do with price mine just seem to work
c

[corvus]

Hiya Corvus, Yer, if using them walking stick style, anything will do.

It is interesting (perhaps) to think back 20 odd years and remember that hardly anyone (besides those 'offbeat' europeans ) using dedicated commercial style poles... Then there was a steady increase till they are now quite common.

I started using one pole (support style) when my knees started to show their age (twice mine apparently). I tried two a few times but just couldnt get the hang of it. Following a few heavy trips I decided to take two and stick.... with it.

I guess it is just 'one of those things'. It is hard to explain to those who havent persisted with them. They do become like an 'extension' of your body. Pretty much out of mind. That they do use your upper body is undeniable (You feel it, especially after the first few weeks). This part is not suprising really, afterall, that is 'Nordic' style and is how they use them...

For a while I also had a problem tripping and getting them stuck in things, that also sorts itself out. I'm stil using the pair i started with (Jacko Prostar, not expensive $80-90 from memory) and no problemo (perhaps 800-1000k's whoknows).

I guess its one of those things also that (being forced into) I wouldnt wish on anyone (my knees can ache for days even with using poles) and it is a condition that isnt noticed until its too late (knees 'creaking' is a sign but not always and it quickly progressed from there).

I guess your lucky, my knees are obviously older than yours

Anyhow, just pointing out these ^ facts... see ya tomorrow (am?)

Not the knees for me as yet its my grip that has gone
corvus

[Nuts]

squeezeballs....?

[Ent]

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[Nuts]

yer, the ones I use dont like a lot of weight, they also end up slipping, I guess i just learned how much theyd take (and still be able to get them undone) We also have the non-shocky ones and they do seem to have more trouble keeping tight adjustment. People have told me that the clamp (rather than twist) type are better but I dont have a real issue (and the clamp style can be a lot dearer). I also leave the snow cups on them so they tend less to get stuck..

The parts where you end up carrying them, i generally find that i just have them kind of trailing along behind and bring one forward where possible. It irks at first, but another thing that doesnt after a while.

Not having use of you hands in a fall can be a good thing (so long as you practice landing on yer pack )

[sthughes]

I use 2 poles, Nordic style. Despite original skepticism I now find them brilliant. The new boardwalks P&W are putting down (like between Marions & Kitchen Hut) are terrible for them with the gaps being just the right size to get them caught in. So when I was up there I ended up carrying them and I really noticed it was harder on the old legs, despite being flat going. Thats the whole point of Nordic style use, more a flat/undulating benefit than a steep up/down benefit.

I have snapped a pair in the past, but that was crazy steep scrub bashing with el-cheapo poles (Okay they were $100 but way overpriced at that). I think it's a matter of get them from Chickenfeed for $20 or go the whole hog and spend way more. The grade of alloy seems to make a big difference. My originals were 6061 and snapped relatively easily, new ones are 707something and are much more resilient and more elastic . One of them is slightly bent but if you had seen how far it flexed when that happened it was a great result. For the time being the screw to tighten mechanism is still working even if the plastic bits have come detached. However if I were to buy new ones they would be Black Diamond with the flick lock thing.
In my opinion: If you do just use them for help up and down steep bits then 1 is as good as 2 and whichever grip is fine. If you do get the "walking stick" style grip, shaft strength is much less important because of two things. A) You tend to use it at a much shorter length. B) It is much more difficult to impart a rotational moment on the handle (thus creating a bending moment in the shaft if the other end is fixed in the ground). However generally both types of grips have the same shaft, hence why it is rare to break a 'walking stick'.
I checked the ones out in Chickers and decided it would do the Overland Track but on tougher stuff (off track etc.) I would snap them in 5 minutes, they felt noticeably flimsy compared to my Komperdell ones which are only just strong enough in the tough stuff.
I also second most of what Nuts says. Also with the Nordic style grips it's important to use the wrist straps, they are not just there so you dont loose the poles, they should take a large proportion of the load or you hands will tire.

[SurferShane]

Re: having seen expensive poles bend and even snap

Exactly what happened to me on the Overland Track last week. When I used my mid-priced (about $100 ea) Leki Sierra Photo aluminium trekking pole http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/LEK0075/LEKI-Sierra-Antishock-Trekking-Pole-1-Pole.html to support me when I slipped on a tree root it folded and bent near the base sending me for a major spill that nearly ended disastrously. When I eventually got up I tried to straighten the pole and it easily snapped.

The only upside to the story is that someone had left a bottom section of another pole at Waterfall Valley Hut that luckily fitted what was left of my unit despite having a slightly different cam mechanism.

[Ent]

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[corvus]

These may be the answer check out the "lifetime warranty"
http://www.wildearth.com.au/leki-makalu ... p-580.html
corvus

[SurferShane]

Another thing I did consider is that in comparison to some carbon fiber style poles, the lighter aluminum poles are susceptible to damage that might induce them to later snap. For instance, I found that the pole inadvertently got caught a couple of times between the slats of boardwalks where the sharp edges may cause an indent which could become a weak point? This might not happen on a solid bottom section or better gauge tube?

Probably the reason I had this happen was that I was really NOT trying to use the pole on the boarded sections and was more or less just tagging it along not taking enough care of where it was placed. Regardless, given how slippery these things are, trying to preserve the boardwalks by giving the poles a miss is a lot easier said than done!

I am kinda now hoping the bottom tube I picked up is a better gauge of aluminum. Then the luckiest scenario might have been if someone had discarded a solid fiber bottom? Still, given the wear and tear and smaller diameter of the bottom section it is a wonder the manufacturer has not already done something to strengthen this component?

It might also pay to inspect any pole regularly for dents? I know I do the same with my fishing rods.

[sthughes]

Also makes a big difference if they use Tempered Aluminium or annealed. T6 has about 3 x the tensile strength and 4 x the yield strength of normal annealed 7 series aluminium. Often just 7001 or 7075 is quoted. I've read Komperdell use T6 7075 and you would like to think at the price of them that Black Diamond do as well. Many simply don't say (Fizan for example say if it is 7001, 7075 or 6013. But is it T6 heat treated? I would assume so but??)
Coming back to the Chickenfeed ones (and even the $100 ones I once owned) they generally use 6061 which is about half the strength of the equivalent 7 series alloy. So if you are a snapper like me they may not be a goer. But at $10 does it matter? You could get 12 pairs for the cost of a set of the above 'guaranteed' ones! Ebay is where I'll go next time for a mid-level set.
BTW - Chickers has cheap Crocs at the moment

PS I think mine are solid at the tip? Not sure though. I know one is a tad bent at the basket thanks to jamming in a boardwalk. I think it might be where it transitions to hollow? Perhaps it is hollow all the way and just a coincidence

[Jellybean]

I used to think they were a bit of a w..k, but after trying them have become a convert (like others have mentioned, they've become a godsend as the old knees have deteriorated!). I started off using one cheap Salewa, then added another one. Once I got used to using two, I loved it! Makes life much easier than one. The Salewas did end up slipping (i.e., shortening themselves when not asked to!) at times. Picked up a pair of Leki Makalus cheaply in Nepal last visit (they are genuine!) - aluminium, not the titanium version mentioned above but have the anti-shock which is awesome on really steep descents. I love them! Only thing I might change is the handle (they are rubber and the cork feels a bit more comfortable) and maybe the walking stick version as my knees get more decrepid!

N.B. Walking with them on board walks can be a pain - they do get caught - but as for other terrain, they've helped me out (and prevented a fall) on many occasions!

[Buddy]

I use a stick. Dogwood is good. Do you have any idea how much energy is required to fabricate an aluminium walking pole? Wood is rather more sustainable,eh?

[sthughes]

7075 T6 is about 5 times stronger so unless you want a 1.5kg dogwood stick it won't work.
(Edit: Actually way heavier due to not being hollow!)

Other issues:
No grip
No wrist strap
No point (carbide tip or whatever)
No basket
No way to lengthen/shorten

But to answer the questions:
No
Yes

It would also be better for the environment if we stayed home in an induced coma in our spare time.

[Jellybean]

I use a stick. Dogwood is good. Do you have any idea how much energy is required to fabricate an aluminium walking pole? Wood is rather more sustainable,eh?

Hmmm! Good idea, lets ban metallic trekking poles and just decimate forests instead!

I've been to more than one place where signs have actively discouraged hikers from choosing their own wood "poles" in an effort to prevent further degradation of the environment!

[Nuts]

Dogwood makes good walking sticks. I worked for some time for a tour company that had a box full of dogwood sticks for clients to chose from. As mentioned, they are nowhere near as light or versatile and they are more used like a 'staff' than the way modern poles are able to be used. I dont really see cutting a dogwood stick here and there as a environmental disaster, where it grows the stuff is prolific and well adapted to taking any opportunity to spread. Trouble in Tassie is that (like snowshoes) they very often end up being carried, I know what i'd rather carry....

[melshane2001]

Hi, I was told that Komperdell Airshock Titanal Contour Trekking POles were the best? Have you heard of anything about these or any other type?

To add another dimension to this thread, what handle/grip type do you use or recommend. As one who is yet to get walking poles, but who will need to before too much longer - the old knees certainly ain't what they used to be!

My walking buddy has tried many types and has finally settled on poles with a knob or ball on them, claiming they are the best when descending, rather than the normal grip. Any thoughts?

TR

Also, I was told that if you spend less than $100 dollars you'll only get *&%$#! poles. My husband and I am doing the Overland track in the beginning of season, does anyone have any experience with poles on the Overland Track?

[Joe]

Got a gander at the new Exped Alpine poles last month...man they look sweet. The pole sections are DAC featherlite ....mountains of flex without fear of breakage but still stiff in use. I am seriously lusting over them....will have them v soon

[corvus]

Hi, I was told that Komperdell Airshock Titanal Contour Trekking POles were the best? Have you heard of anything about these or any other type?

To add another dimension to this thread, what handle/grip type do you use or recommend. As one who is yet to get walking poles, but who will need to before too much longer - the old knees certainly ain't what they used to be!

My walking buddy has tried many types and has finally settled on poles with a knob or ball on them, claiming they are the best when descending, rather than the normal grip. Any thoughts?

TR

Also, I was told that if you spend less than $100 dollars you'll only get *&%$#@! poles. My husband and I am doing the Overland track in the beginning of season, does anyone have any experience with poles on the Overland Track?

Pardon me it I sound sort of Daggy however I use (shock horror) el cheappo poles and at $10.00 to $20.00 a pop they really do the job ,I am a serious walker and have used these poles for the past four years and have only just replaced one for no reason other than they were for sale in my $2.00 shop for $9.95

[Ent]

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[Joe]

Killed 2 cheap ones with very light usage. Won't throw good money after bad anymore