What do you do with your hiking poles?

[Gene C]

I bring a DSLR with me when I'm backpacking and often take photos during the hike. My problem is that I need two hands to take a photo, but I need at least one hand to hold my hiking poles. I try to lean them against my body, often putting one through the strap of the other for added stability, but they almost invariably end up falling to the ground.

Osprey packs have loops on the shoulder strap and backpack side for sticks, but you need to collapse the sticks, pull the loops out, put the sticks in, etc. That's not going to cut it. I was thinking that I need a little hook on the side of my pack so that I can hook the hiking pole straps on while I'm handling my camera, but I'm afraid it would get in my way while walking. Maybe a hook that can be twisted to the side while walking so that it's out of the way. MYOG?

I can't be the only one fumbling around with hiking poles. Any thoughts?

Gene

[Serge Giachetti]

Gene, I had the same issue. I move around quite a lot to get the angles I want, so having poles in hand is a major PITA. If its a really photogenic area, I'll probably just stow the poles, which is thankfully quite quick with the BD ultra distance z poles that I use. But, when I'm just shooting intermittantly, I have a pretty simple system, that may or may not be like osprey's, but i find it works pretty well without the need to compact the poles.

I attached a loop of shock cord toward the bottom of the left side daisy chain of my pack. This is just a simple loop that you knot closed, which you may have to cut a couple of times to get the right diameter, so I'd start longer than you think you'll need. Then I added another loop of cord onto the daisy chain of my left strap, except this time with cord lock. The bottom loop is just to keep the poles from moving around too much, while the top one is what holds them in place with the chord lock tightened just below the grip of the poles. The bottom loop needs to be loose and stretchy enough that you can get your pole tips through without much struggle, but not so loose that the poles are moving around a lot. This system works best with light weight poles, for sure.

The only other thing that I'll add, is that for some of the reasons you mentioned, my enjoyment of photography while backpacking has gone up a lot since I ditched my DSLR and went with the sony rx100. This is a camera that you can easily snap away with one hand and the image quality rivals most DSLR's with decent quality lenses (not pro or prime glass of course, but hey, it fits in your pocket). Its just much more fun and seamless, but you can still take some 'serious' landscape shots and print big(ish).

edit: and here's a good place to order shock cord and cord lockers if you can't find them locally: http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/spectra_cord.shtml
and here's a good

[Mole J]

I don't use an SLR, but for quick on the hoof snapping I just let the poles go, and grab my camera from a pocket (clothing or pack), and use the camera. The poles just dangle from my wrist by the straps.

If you use the straps correctly, you can do many things while they hang from your wrists. When finished, a quick flick, and the handles are easy to grab and carry on.

[Rick M]

del

[Kent McLemore]

My poles came with a little plastic clip that holds them together very securely. I keep it attached to one of the poles all the time. With a snap it turns poles not in use into a solid unit much easier to store, lean against a hip or a tree or whatever instead of two gangly poles one always fighting the other.

[Greg Mihalik]

Take three steps away and stab them into the ground, into a bush, or lean them against a branch.

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