Effectively Using Hiking Poles: The Gas-Brake-Coast Method

Makes me wonder how many have given up using poles. I had to, and don’t really miss them now that I don’t need the help stumbling around under a heavy pack.

Haven’t given up on poles yet, but feel like I really want them infrequently on the trail nowadays, after adopting UL backpacking. Other than steep downhill sections with big steps, poles never really feel necessary any more, especially on short, light trips or day trips. On long flat trail sections, the poles usually get strapped to the pack. Not ready to leave them home yet on overnighters as they hold up the tarp, are really efficient early season if there’s snow, and most overnight trips still tend to have big downhill sections in the Pacific NW.

Pictures in section Attaching your Poles don’t show whether thumb should be placed up (as you do with ski poles) or down the strap. In a following image, thumb seems down. However, personally I keep it up, and many other people do the same.

In this video Ryan seem to put his thumb above the strap: