Trekking Poles – I need advice… or convincing…

[Mike W]

…

[Roger B]

Mike

I use poles exactly for the reasons you mention. Specifically down hill, my knees ain't what they used to be and I find the support provided helps to relieve the strain on my knees at the end of the day. My wife now uses poles all the time because she sees the benefits when going up hill.

Now that I have poles I use them as part of my shelter set up, when solo I use them with a MLD tarp or poncho, with my wife I use a BD Betalight.

I suspect that as we get older poles may become an important and useful accessory in ensuring that we continue to hike our own hike.

[Anonymous]

I gave up trekking poles, I agree that conditioning is the key… Never needed them when I carried a "heavy" pack certainly don’t need them when going "UL" as far as using them as a poles to support my tarp its not that hard to find a branch/tree to fulfill that function. Perhaps someday when I get old and the legs start to give out I'll reconsider.

[Roger Caffin]

> I’ve not found they help on smooth, steep downhill trails. Is this just bad technique on my part or am I right in assuming that poles won’t help much in this situation?

It always helps to remember that many years ago no-one used trekking poles because they hadn't been invented. Funny about that.

And also remember that in some countries very few people use poles even today – Australians generally don't bother with them.

But by not buying them you are being very selfish and not transfering money from your pockets to the vendors' pockets. Very mean of you.

[Bob Bankhead]

"It always helps to remember that many years ago no-one used trekking poles because they hadn't been invented."

True enough. Folks used hand-carved hiking staffs or a convenient stick instead. Then someone got tired of having to find a decent stick, got smart, and invented trekking poles. Someone smarter – probably travelling by air – got smarter and made them collapsable/adjustable. End rant.

Buy them at REI. Keep the receipt and write the purchase date down somewhere safe.

Try them out on several treks.

If you discover they don't work for you, return them for a full refund (or a different type). There is no time limit on returns, but you will need the receipt or at worst, the purchase date so they can look up the sale under your REI number.

If you decide you do like poles, but want a different brand that REI doesn't carry, use your refund to buy that brand.

[Steven Bergeron]

> but having experimented with them I’ve not found they help on smooth, steep downhill trails. Is this just bad technique on my part or am I right in assuming that poles won’t help much in this situation?

It could be a technique issue. How many times did you use them and for how many miles?

The more you've used them the less likely I would think that it was technique. That's making assumptions on my part. But there is a learning curve (as with anything) so the more you've used them the less likely I would think that it's technique. (What do your friends say about your technique?) My hiking buddy and I started using poles at the same time and we definitely went through a "spastic spider" phase (his term for our flailing) at the start.

Do you use them on the uphills too?

Most of my knee problem is with uphills. But if I don't take care of my knees on the uphill – or are very tired – I have problems on the downhills too. You may need to use the poles just as much on the uphill portions of your hikes in order to have your knees less abused (or your legs less tired, or both) on the downhill portions.

Do you feel it in your arms when you use the poles?

By the end of even a day hike, my arms have had a workout. If they don't feel like they aren't being worked, my knees don't get the benefit of using the poles.

As a final note, I find I either carry my poles or lash them to my pack for most hikes (day or otherwise) too. But I wouldn't be backpacking any more without them.

Good luck,

Steve

[Brian UL]

This seems more like a medical question to me, but I wouldnt hold my breath for any independent scientific studies.
People love thier poles! I mean really get attached, they become an extention of themselves and so they will defend using them.
I myself dont use them.
I just hike for fun and the love of being out there. I wont bore anyone with why I stopped using them- its on an older thread.
But- I dont miss them. Without poles I feel like Im just taking a walk in the woods, with them I feel like Im on some more serious endeaver -Im 'hiking"
Thats totally subjective though.
Some ways to improve bad knees that I can think of-
stay well hydrated, find a diet that helps build collegen in the joints, slow down on big inclines/declines-move more purposly w/ good posture and build up the supporting muscles in the joints. Oh, and lighten your pack !

[Dale Wambaugh]

I've found that trekking poles help me lift going up and add stability going down. Much of the hiking I do is on rough trails with rocks and root "ladders" and the poles are a huge help in those areas. On the smoother sections, I think practice will make for less need for close attention and distraction from the scenery.

My technique going down hill is basically planting the pole and walking to it. The pole helps stabilize, adds control, and some braking, which should help your knees.

They certainly take some load off going up hill as you can lift using your upper body strength. I find them a huge help where you need to take a larger step up than is comfortable.

I would check with a trainer or physical therapist to see if some specific exercises will help with your steep/smooth/downhill issues. You mentioned biking and rowing and it maybe that some of that activity is adding stress to your knees or may need some balanced exercise. I'm no expert, but I do know that things like seat height and using too low a gear while biking can add knee stress, and I suspect there may be other, more subtle issues that an expert might help.

[Michael Reagan]

I too have had knee issues that used to cause considerable discomfort on long or particularly steep downhills. I did the following three things:

1. Lost weight. Now my knees have to carry less of me and boy are they happy about that!

2. Began taking a Glucosamine/Chondrotin suppliment at the advice of my family doctor. He has patients that have avoided knee surgery because of this stuff, so he highly recommends it. I have found that if I take it regularly for a month or more I can really begin to feel a difference in my knees.

3. Switched from a single hiking staff (an ancient and honored device) to trekking poles (new-fangled and kinda sissy-lookin'). I have to say that the poles have utterly transformed my hiking. Now I actually look forward to steep descents on the trail. The poles take a huge amount of stress of my knees, sharing that with my arms and upper body. They also provide me with greatly improved stability (avoiding falls and twisted ankles!) and allow me to make tricky descents much more confidently and with greater ease.

Poles are also very helpful on uphills, and have saved me from several stumbles that otherwise might have resulted in falls on rocky trails. So yeah, I like my poles and recommend a set if you have bad knees or are an older hiker like me.

Hey, this is my first post! Thanks for letting me in!

Michael

[Joe Westing]

I also have knee problems like many of you, but I would probably use poles even if my knees were perfectly healthy. Using poles as supports for creaky joints is important to me, but I also use poles on all trails (flat, uphill, downhill) to increase my speed and endurance. I use a "nordic" style to push off from behind to propel myself forward.
Doug Johnson explains it best:

"First, in my opinion and experience, using trekking poles can be easier on the body and also more efficient over long mileage. I started out a naysayer but converted after using my wife's poles on some long days and through deep Utah sand. Now I use poles for every hike.

Second, there are two main styles of pole usage:
"Trekking style" mans you use the poles for stability and balance. The tips are place beside the feet as you walk and they take weight off the knees and offer additional security. These poles tend to be shorter typically fit the 90 degree rule mentioned above.

"Nordic Walking style" means that the poles are used for forward propulsion, much like a XC ski pole. Sized for this style, the poles are usually a bit longer (mine are about 5 cm longer). Here, the poles are place behind the feet and you push off for increased speed or forward momentum.

That said, you'll likely develop a blend of the styles, although you'll typically fall into one camp. For example, my wife uses trekking style 90% of the time but uses NW style when climbing steep sections. I use NW style primarily but switch to trekking for stability through really rough sections or when descending sketchy or very steep parts."

[Mark Regalia]

I can't speak to your knee problems. I have had my share but back before poles. I did try a hiking staff, but never found it to be much help. I tried modern poles for awhile and decided that I really disliked them. I felt like some sort of four limbed robot, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack – the mechanical man. Not my idea of an wilderness experience. I ended up carrying them more than using them. And when I carried them I had to worry about poking my poor dogs in the face with them. I now carry one pole which has use in stream crossing, loose rock and tricky descents. That's about it.

[Andrew :-)]

Perhaps the poles are a bandaid fix for the problem. You sound like you are active and exercising but still experience problems during certain functions (downhill etc). Perhaps your training has left you with a joint/muscle imbalance. I'd seek a solution, via professional advice/therapy from a Chiro/physio etc then do rehab to remove the 'cause' of the problem.
Personal experience has shown me that my knee problems were due to incorrect biomechanics due to imbalanced musclegroups, posture etc. Even though very fit certain muscle groups weren't balanced.

Either way, good luck with it mate.

[Dave T]

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[Jaiden .]

If you can't borrow some, the cheapest poles to buy are at Walmart. There are two kinds, the red ones (which are sold singularly) and a pair of blue ones. Both are branded Swissgear, but I'm guessing they're komperdells. EDIT: correction: "swiss gear is made by Wenger" (thanks Andrew…. but I still think they're just fine if admittedly heavy)

The pair is about $16! They've worked great for me and my wife. Also they're anti shock and have a compass on top of each.

Much cheaper than the super lightweight versions, but still not too terrible, IMO.

[Andrew Richard]

komperdells! now thats a stretch!
swiss gear is made by Wenger. (Walmarts version of Target's Greatland stuff.)
they are good for trying poles – youre not out much but a return trip to walmart, however you should realize that they are low quality and high weight. should you enjoy using poles, once you switch to a better quality version you will immediatley feel a difference.
the only convincing you need is to try them yourself.

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