Trekking poles/blisters

How are you holding them?
Do you use the straps?
Where do you get the blisters?

Experiment with how you hold them.

I have the same pair and like to keep my thumb over the top sometimes (i cut the straps off).

When it's not winter I wear these: Salomon XT Wings Glove WP.

They are fingerless but have a tiny stow away wind mitt. The palm is padded while the top is totally mesh, so they are solid where they need to, and super breathable where they can be.

I stow surgical gloves next to the mitts as well for some UL rain glove. These I can wear under the gloves so that they don't shred as quick.

I got them on sale and bought another pair but haven't had to use the new pair yet. For now the original pair still looks like new, but I'm only 8 months in (2 times per week, about a marathon or a half each time).

Hope you find what you need.

(not my photos/hands)

I have a similar problems. My hands also blister if I use a shovel, rake, etc for any extended time. I wear light running gloves with a patterned rubber palm. This prevents blisters, provides good grip on the poles and allows sweat to evaporate easily.

Cliff

I use mine this way :

the tip of my fingers touch the pole but I don't grip them apart from the occasional steep bits.
Even then, the strap takes most of the pressure.
Try it.

If you don't work with hand tools most every day, it might take awhile for your hands to toughen up enough to stop the blisters. Take a roll of tape with you to use on the hot spots when needed and gradually, your hands should adjust.

I use mine the same as Franco. Hardly grab the handles, if I do, then really loosely. Straps do all the hard work.

I don't have tough hands. Raking the drive for 30 minutes without gloves leads to disaster.

I don't have straps. I use my poles for balance and "catching" a stumble. The only time I really lean on them is on steep uphill. On level ground they are hip high.

I hold them loosely, with thumb 1st and 2nd finger. Similar to Frank, above. They swing freely forward, I walk past, basically balancing them, then swing forward.

In fact they are so loose that occasional I'll drop one, or a tip will get stuck in the mud and stay there as I walk on.

See how little grip you really need. If you stumble your grip will be automatic.

YMMV.

The strap method really helps. More of a "push" than a "pull" that way (for me anyways). If you need to tape up your hands try some climbing tape.

I have the same poles and go strapless as well. I move the poles around a lot as I hike, usually carrying them in one hand on the flats and then using them on the inclines and rougher ground. And of course, baton twirling when the afternoon wears on a bit. When I am using them the grip varies with the terrain. Cruising and using them for light balance I usually make a ring of my thumb and finger and the pole hangs loose in that. Going up steeper terrain when power is needed I use more of a full grip with my whole hand. Going down steeper hills my hand frequently ends up on top of the grip so the pressure is on the palm near the first and second finger. Moving around like this helps keep from rubbing just one spot on my hands.

I use Glacier Gloves for sun protection, plus they work great for keeping blisters away.

Never had blister issues with my poles (only the tips are cork.)

Regardless, I stared using these things about a year ago for sun protection:

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/chroma-sun-gloves.html

They quite rugged, and work well for all sorts of activities, beyond the trekking poles. And because they are breathable, my hands never felt sweaty in them.

Thank you all. I think I will try the strap method/playing with grip but bring fingerless gloves (the biking gloves are, and I have fairly light ones other than the padding in the palms) as back up.

Been hiking with trekking poles for 15 years. Mine are some old Leki poles with wooden (yes, wooden) handles. I found that I tended to get blisters, particularly in the webbing between thumb and forefinger, where the pole strap is. I've been wearing bicycle gloves for years. Tried lots of alternatives, but never found a good substitute. So I go for ones with minimal padding and as lightweight fabric across the back of my hands as possible. In hot weather they can be somewhat uncomfortable – they get pretty much drenched from my hands sweating. On the other hand, they help retain warmth when its cold. All in all, they're a reasonable compromise.

-duane

"Going down steeper hills my hand frequently ends up on top of the grip so the pressure is on the palm near the first and second finger."

Just cup the butt of the handle all the time. End of problem. You can also get rid of the straps and save some weight. The cupping technique is easier on the wrist, too. When gripping the pole the standard way, your wrist flexes from side to side, not up and down like it is designed to do. Cupping flexes the wrist the way nature intended.

Jenn,

As you know, blisters are caused by friction. Given that you don't use your poles a lot, that is probably the problem.

There are two strategies you can employ:

1. Toughen your hands
2. Reduce the friction

In the old days it was common practice for hikers to rub their feet with rubbing alcohol a couple times a day before a hike to toughen their feet. I can't validate that. Might work with your hands.

To reduce friction, in the old days with leather boots, many of use wore a silk liner sock under a wool sock. That worked well for many people. You might want to try a light but snug silk glove if you can find one. More breathable and lighter than a bike glove.

Another reduce friction strategy would be to grip your poles a little tighter, so your hand are moving as much to create friction. Too tight would not be good either. Rowers do hand exercises to strengthen their hands so they can grip the row tighter.

Don't know if this is helpful — if not, at least I tried :)

"In fact they are so loose that occasional I'll drop one, or a tip will get stuck in the mud and stay there as I walk on."

A wrist loop of Trip Tease or some such lightweight cord attached to your poles will solve this problem at a weight penalty of perhaps 3-4 grams, depending on the length/diameter of cord used.

Rub your hands in the dirt. Your hands are too slick.
Where I place my hands on the poles depends if I'm catapulting or sking down the scree.

I like bike gloves, or better yet, Grease Monkey fingerless work gloves from Home Depot for $10.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/99978/index.html?skip_to_post=846939#846939

+1 on using the straps under the palms in the cross-country ski style and not using a white knuckle grip on the poles. I only have a tight grip when managing steep ground and high steps or "root ladders." The straps still support the bulk of my weight.

On the other hand, I'm not sure they are slick enough. When I run ultras, I lube my feet with Wet Platinum (silcone-based personal lubricant) and that stops blisters a treat.

I'll look around for silk gloves. I don't really want to toughen my hands, because I like to at least pretend to be feminine (and wandering around with less than 10 toenails already detracts from that). We'll see. I'm going to be doing more stuff with my dog this year so less stuff with poles so I really won't have the chance to toughen my hands when I do use them.

As a guy who works with his hands I say go gloves. I try to wear gloves almost all the time when I am working – in large part for my wife's sake. Because of this my hands are not rough and tough like most guys in the trades, and thus I now must wear gloves for stuff that is really hard on the hands. So I try all kinds of gloves and have numerous pairs for different situations. I would suggest trying a variety of gloves from hardware and garden stores until you find some that are comfortable for you.
Interestingly enough I do not have issues with poles – though I only use one if at all – except that sometimes the handle of the pole drys my skin out so much that the skin cracks.
Also I would caution against Tom's suggestion of cupping the top of the pole in your palm. Pretty easy to damage the palmar nerve that way if you do it lot, and take it from a guy with nerve damage in his hands from years of carpentry, you do not want to damage your nerves. No fun to have random jolts in your fingers that feel like little electric shocks, or move your finger a particular way and it feels like you are tearing something in there.

And another rave review for sun gloves. My skin makes me very sun-concerned so for a three-week hike in the CA Sierra I got some fingerless sungloves. Impressed how much I liked them in so many ways. Warmth, cooling, & cleanliness in addition to sun protection and blister proofing. Mine are a light polyester from Coolibar, but Googling I see they now only sell way long gauntlet ones (but seeing the mentioned Glacier Gloves, OR and many similar). Little plastic nubs for gription are still hanging in there, unworn. These gloves are the greatest thing since padded straps.

i use OR pilot gloves but not always with my poles. i didn't like my trekking pole grips so i cut them off and used lizard skin baseball bat rap topped off with a gossamer gear grip. I've liked this set up much better. with this set up my grip is long and i set my poles higher then i need if i start to feel hot spots coming on i just slide my hand up and down the large length of grip wile the hot spot cools

2 thoughts.

First, and I'm really surprised no one has mentioned this- is it the straps or the poles themselves causing the blisters? I used to get them from the straps, and just got rid of straps completely several years ago.it took some getting used to and might be a little controversial, but it works for me.

Second, and it imagine I'll catch some guff fur this- check out Pacer Poles. No, I'm not on their payroll and have no vested interest… Just live 'me!

IMHO, HYOH, YMMV, ETC.

For me, anyways, it's the poles causing the blisters.