Trekking Poles-To use or not to use?

[Christopher May]

Whether to use trekking poles? I’m switching from a tent to a Spinnshelter, Tarptent, or Silshelter. This decision includes whether to use trekking poles for support or use a non-trekking pole support(somewhat lighter).
My knees never bother me/ I do a lot of yoga and don’t have any problem with balance, and I enjoy having my hands free so I’ve never used trekking poles. But I’m open to change. Please give any input on whether you feel trekking poles are beneficial in terms of hiking efficiency for someone with a total pack weight of 20lbs. without any physical need for the poles. Thanks.

[Pedro Arvy]

I was also never a treking pole user until I did the John Muir Trail. Now I never hike without them in the mountains.

If you are hiking in very hilly terrain, they making hiking so much easier. On flat hikes, I dont use them at all though.

The Lightrek poles here http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek-Trekking-Poles.html are incredible.

[paul johnson]

i’ll second the motion for both the use of trekking poles (in general) and the LightTrek poles (more specifically), and also the newer LightTrek Plus poles.

Use the “Forums Search” capability to search for: trekking poles, LightTrek, ascending, descending, steep, and grade. Start with “trekking poles” (no need to use the dbl-quotes in your Search); i just found many posts that way (just to test out my advice to you). There have been several other very detailed posts, both from myself and other more knowledgeable/experienced individuals on this subject. Some of the posts enumerate the benefits of trekking pole use and also very lightly delve into applied kinesiology in the use of trekking poles.

Feel free to post back if you can’t locate these posts. You might also try the Main Forum Index and explore some related threads.

[William Siemens]

I have come to “believe” in trekking poles, but after many miles, I still just can’t stand to use ’em. I just hate having to futz with wrist straps when I need to blow my nose or whatever. Plus, up here in grizzly country, one hates the thought of trying to use bear spray or hot lead with a pole hanging on your wrist. I am coming around to a nice staff — or sometimes I carry ONE pole, no wrist strap.

[Anonymous]

I wonder why properly conditioned backpackers would go through all the trouble to lower their base pack weight to 5 lbs or less and still feel the need for Trekking Poles?

Is this yet another awkward step away from their comfort zone? Is there nothing else to tie their tarp to at the end of the day? Shouldn’t at some point ones skills replace the dependency on hardware?

To quote Ryan Jordan “ultralight backpacking is simply the art of carrying as little as possible while enjoying these activities”

Ray Jardine wrote in his book Beyond Backpacking “In terms of maximizing distance covered and minimizing the total load, Trekking Poles are superfluous. By far the best way to reduce stress is to reduce the pack weight”

[jacob thompson]

I was just thinking today that I might start a thread on this same topic.

However my question was a little different. A friend and I are planning a PCT thru-hike in ’07. I was wondering whether it would be beneficial to take them or will I have to lug them around them around with little purpose? I will be using a tarp of course, probably a similar design to the MLD grace 1. Thus I will need something to support it with. So I do have dual purpose for them (I also thought of the possibility of making one of them able to be used as the handle of an umbrella. I was going to make it from titanium spokes and cuben/spinntex. your thoughts Bill?) My base pack will more than likely be around the 4-5lb mark due to shared gear with my friend. So really I have no need for them physically but the question remains will they be beneficial even if they are superfluous?

[Ryan Jordan]

>> I wonder why properly conditioned backpackers would go through all the trouble to lower their base pack weight to 5 lbs or less and still feel the need for Trekking Poles?

It certainly decreases your “need” for them, at these weights.

However, I still find them useful for uphill propulsion and downhill balance – in open terrain. on narrow trails with brush growing up on the sides, or in ruts, or in rocky (scree/talus) areas, they can actually be a liability.

Even on day hikes and runs with no pack, I find trekking poles useful for the reasons mentioned above.

Trekking poles for tarp setup only – that’s not enough of a reason for me to carry them. However, this is a big advantage as well – sticks and trees are not always available to me above treeline. I don’t have to search for sticks (time investment required) when I pitch my tarp in meadows. Even in forested areas, I can pick my bed, not let it be dictated by the location of trees. As such, I get a comfy lie, good views, and quicker setup.

[paul johnson]

Addressed to no one in particular:

search the Forum posts for “Trekking Poles” (you don’t need to use the dbl-quotes in the search). All of these questions have been dealt with more than adequately in some prev. posts of mine & others – some quite lengthy, so i won’t repeat these comments here.

the only thing that i will repeat here, since it was perhaps alluded in various ways in a couple of prev. posts.

trekking poles, in a sense, serve the same purpose as “shared gear”. they redistribute the work done by the body’s muscle groups. this redistribution is more beneficial than the somewhat decreased efficiency (some comments later somewhat address this issue) of employing upper body muscle groups for propulsion/locomotion. reducing the work load on any muscle group increases the length of time that those muscles can perform before reaching a point known as momentary muscular failure (a “point” reached which is a combination of loading and repetition, i.e. higher loads=fewer reps; lower loads=higher reps – it’s that simple; load x reps = MMF). certainly, conditioning can ameliorate/improve performance, but wouldn’t conditioning + technique (in this case, trekking poles) improve performance further?!! of course it would. common sense, right?

intangible benefits also include reduced load on/work performed by smaller, more easily fatigued “stabilizing” muscles. this is due to the wider “base” the poles provide & the increased balance that results due to the wider, more stable “base”.

As Leki says, “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Even in four legged creatures the structure and musculature of the fore limbs is radically different from the hind limbs & provide no where near the propulsive force of the hind limbs. Yet, still, in part for this reason (and a whole bunch of others) they greatly out perform nearly all other two-legged creatures in the ambulatory department (ratite birds being somewhat of an exception).

as far as trekking poles go, they are NOT a new fangled invention of the corporate greed mongers. my maternal grandmother, who was in her 70’s at the time when she, climbed the Alps to locate a flower she remembered from childhood always did one thing before getting very far along a hike. she searched for a nice branch lying on the ground to use as a hiking staff. trekking poles are just one of a couple of modern incarnations of the old hiking staff. there must be some reason why poles and in some, not all, cases long spears have been employed in this fashion for millenia the world over (was this the origin of the UL mantra – “muti-use”???). what possibly could “uneducated”, but totally “in tune” with their environment ancient or more “primitive” peoples know that us highly educated techno-geniuses don’t know, i wonder…???

don’t want to use trekking poles?. that’s your call. to each their own. but, at least do what your ancient ancestors did – pick up a branch to use as a hiking staff.

some of the steep, rocky trails where i hike would be very dangerous to traverse without them. certainly, it could be done, but, unless one were part Mtn. Goat (on their father’s side??? [don’t want be callin’ anyone’s mother a goat – them’s fightin’ words where i come from.]), you would do it slower than if trekking poles were used.

finally, i would suggest poles that weigh no more than 5-7oz per pair (depending upon the length of the poles; mine at 115cm long weigh only 4.7oz with trekking baskets & spectra “keeper” cords (not to be confused with wrist straps). my old scale generally reads a tad on the high side, so the actual wt. might be a tenth or two lower. if any of the prev. posters’ comments were predicated upon experience with 16-22oz poles, then i can understand some of the objections. i’ve used these older technology, heavier poles and there is no comparison to the new CF one section poles. “try them, you’ll like them.”

[Note to J.T. : Ironman,… glad to have you back at the Forums after your summer hiatus. hope to hear more from you.]

[paul johnson]

>> “futz with wrist straps”

try some LightTrek poles with spectra “keepers”. just let go of ’em & they hang there by the keepers. they’re so light you don’t even notice them. on my very first hike using these 4.7oz per pair poles, on my first stop for rehydration (i wasn’t using a Platy bladder that day – Platy bottles instead), i let go of the poles. when i was done drinking, i actually looked on the ground for the first pole!!! i didn’t even feel it hanging on my forearm!!! ok. ok. so, i’m a bit of a geek & once (only ONCE, mind you), in over 40 years of wearing glasses, did i look for my glasses when they were on my head. so…, maybe i’m not the best judge of this!!

not having true wrist straps is NOT a negative in both mine & other posters’ experiences. search the Forum posts & you’ll see several other posts that deal with this matter & the possible explanation for NOT experiencing forearm fatigue when using these UL wt. CF trekking poles w/o true wrist straps.

[paul johnson]

trekking poles are not counted in the “base pack weight”.

they are, by common confession and general acknowledgment, not a step away from “their comfort zone”, but a step towards increased stamina, speed, and balance.

let’s see, if i recall the equation correctly….

stamina+speed+balance = ComfortZone

yeah…that’s ’bout right.

>>To quote Ryan Jordan “ultralight backpacking is simply the art of carrying as little as possible while enjoying these activities”

---

If trekking poles increase “enjoy”ment, then they might still qualify under RJ’s definition.

>>Ray Jardine wrote in his book Beyond Backpacking “In terms of maximizing distance covered and minimizing the total load, Trekking Poles are superfluous. By far the best way to reduce stress is to reduce the pack weight”

---

If trekking poles enable “maximizing distance covered and…” minimize “the total load” on the lower muscle groups then perhaps they are NOT “superfluous”. Ray J is right on with most of his comments/insights. However, this statement of his, which was quoted, is one where he fails to allow…, no wait…perhaps that’s too strong…”fails to encourage”…, yeah, that’s better, …fails to encourage others to live one of his mantras, viz. “hike your own hike”. While there should be no argument about the last sentence of his quote (viz., “…best way to reduce…”), the use of trekking poles actually causes the “perceived” pack wt experienced by the lower limbs to be less than if trekking poles are not used. this is due to redistribution of load/work amongst the body’s muscle groups. So, in effect, use of trekking poles allows one to, in a sense, obey Ray J’s edict regarding pack wt.

Should they ALWAYS be used? Can’t ans. this ques. better than D. J’s comments above (or below if you’re listing these posts in Rev. Chrono. order). So, please, reread his post in this Thread. However, for me, they are an “American Express” pc. of gear, i.e. i “Never leave home without” them. Hey…should i choose to hike for a distance one day without using them, but just having them along, they can always do multi-duty should i stumble while not using them and sprain a joint/ligament or break a limb – they can be used to splint my joint/limb!!! Now there’s a multi-use I hope never to have to experience!!! They’re prob. lighter than whatever branches are laying about.

bottom line: use them if you want. don’t use them if you don’t want. there is no law against either stance. “hike your own hike”. i just can’t get the hang of the single shoulder carrry, but i’d never tell Ray J, or anyone else for that matter, that it’s wrong to do so. when it comes to trekking poles, they have some legitimate, perhaps irrefutable reasons, for their use, but obviously personal preference must play a key role here as well.

[David Lewis]

I also do a lot of yoga and have good core strength. I’m also a marathon runner and have pretty strong legs. I use poles. I find them extremely useful for stream crossings (where I hike, I might cross half a dozen slippery streams a day). I also find them useful for uphills/downhills… which are frequently rocky. As for straps. I hate them. I remove them. Poles are a lot more pleasant to use them you’re not strapped into the things. When I’m on flat land, I just carry them in one hand… parallel ot the ground. I may try going without sometime… but for stream crossings at least… I think I would often need to search out a stick.

[jacob thompson]

Good comments Paul.

I have no doubt that poles are beneficial to hiking. Just using them proves that to me. When I want extra milage or speed poles are a good way to make it easier. The simple Physics of it also explains how beneficial they are if used correctly.

My main concern was that I will have to have sectioned poles for a thru-hike for several reasons. Ease of carrying is the main one, If I’m not using them for some reason then I dont want to have to lug long poles around. The second reason is that whilst I’ve had no troubles with My lightrek + (which by the way, Glen was kind enough to post to me all the way over here in Australia. Postage cost nearly as much as the poles and even that is cheaper then what a moderately light set will cost in Australia.) I wouldn’t like to get 100′ onto the trail and have one snap, then I’m in for only having 1 pole and having to buy a replacement. I’ve seen that there are some collapsable poles that are pushing that kind of light weight (cant remember their name though).

Since I’m going to make a lot of my gear I will add something to my pack to aid storage of poles. So all in all I’m once again convinced that poles are a positive and will definitely have a spot on my Thru-hike Gear list.

[paul johnson]

Jacob,

a few comments. may be worth what they’re costing you, i.e. nothing, but here goes anyways.

i have carried my poles a couple of times bungeed to my pack. they stick up a bit above my head & extend below my pack. they obviously don’t drag on the ground and don’t interfere with anything on the trail. bushwacking might be another story. but given the UL spinnaker fabric my pack is made out of, i steer clear of bushwacking.

breakage: haven’t broken my original LightTrek poles yet (over 300 miles on them – i’ve stopped keeping track some time ago). still a concern? ok…there’s the BMW Stix Pro poles. too expensive? try the LuxuryLight Trail Sticks (use one or two, ~80 bucks each if my aged memory is working – one respondent to these Forums ans’d a ques. i asked him – viz., his ans. was he uses two of the Trail Sticks – wt. for two just under 8oz – if memory serves).

Lt. Wt. sectioned Poles:
REI sells a 3 section CF pole weight ~2x what the BMW Stix Pro poles weigh. Figure ~11oz or so for the pair (wt. depends upon whether you can get by with the “compact”, i.e. shorter, poles or the regular length). Komperdell (which makes these poles for REI) also has a 2section CF pole. i’m not sure if it’s sold in the good ole USofA yet. maybe someone reading this knows?

[David Lewis]

Jacob: The Womens Komperdell C3 carbon fiber poles (sold by REI under their own brand name) weigh 148 grams / 5.2 oz each with the straps removed. The newer 2 section version will be a little lighter… but less packable. The “women’s” version extend to 125cm and have marginally smaller grips. I have them (the 3 section version) and I love them!!! I like the flexability and packability of an adjustable pole… plus… certain shelters… like the Wanderlust Nomad… work best with adjustable poles. Actually… that shelter probably ONLY works with adjustable poles… unless your fixed length poles are exactly the right length for it.

You can remove the straps just by pulling them thru the handles… you don’t have to destroy anything to remove them. I find straps annoying… you’re always lashed to the poles and it’s a pain to get yourself out of them… plus with no straps it makes it really easy to choke up on the pole when going uphill or palm the top of the grip when going downhill.

[Joshua Mitchell]

Titanium Goat is selling a similar stick / staff to what Luxury Light sells. for significantly cheaper.

[paul johnson]

thanks for the info & links.

[Ross Bleakney]

I day hike a lot more than I backpack. The weight on my back has little to do with whether I will bring poles or not. I can’t imagine myself saying “I’m carrying a lot of weight so I better grab my poles”. I’m more likely to say the opposite (“let’s see, I’ve got my pack weight down to 15 pounds, what else can I shave off”). I use them primarily for going down steep hills. I occasionally use them uphill, but only because I don’t feel like putting them away. They get in the way of proper arm swing on level ground, so they tend to slow me down.

I would suggest you use poles if the terrain is 1,000 feet per mile or steeper. In other words, most California hikes don’t require them — most Washington hikes do.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I used an old pair of ski poles to try the concept and liked it well enough to invest in a set of trekking poles. I feel a little silly with them on the flat sections but they are incredible when going up or down root farms and those sections of trail that are really small creek beds. I always felt like I was going to do a bad face plant when climbing down a series of steps made of tangles of roots; now I just plant a pole, walk down to it, plant the next one and so on. No turned ankles! Going uphill, I can add the strength of my upper body to lift and stabilize me through the obstacles. They are great for hopping around the mud holes and navigating slippery timbers and logs.

My knees are okay, but my wife has a bad knee and she took to poles right away– now I have to work to keep up with her (and had to buy another pair). I use a tarp tent with the trekking poles, so the system is complete.

[John Chan]

I use them. I find that in any terrain short of flat they take alot of stress off the knees, and my upper body gets a workout.

Kinda like nordic trackin’ on the trail.

That and I use a tarp as well.

Stream crossings are made alot more agile with them to boot.

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