Trekking poles.... How many use them?

[thru-hunter]

Required equipment in the mountains for this guy. Me + 15lbs of boots/clothing along with 115lbs of gear/meat tips the scales over 400Lbs on the hoof. Without trekking poles I would have left my knees on the hill years ago. My Black Diamond contour elliptical poles have been going strong since 2007.

 

[mae1993]

Get some you will not regret it been using them for last 10 yrs and have broke two pair one my buddy did and the other was rolling around in the back of the pick up. They are pretty damn tough. Chipped a tooth trying to get one to collapse in winter after it froze so my last pair are Black Diamond flic lock with 2yrs on them now. NO TWIST LOCKS. Sierra Trading Post has some good deals and Campmor.

 

[Bonedalien]

only with the big pack, but very important to me to have with the big pack

 

[rodney482]

I see this a lot on here. Is there a website to go to for instructions.

I youtubed it and listened to the pros.
Then used their tips and found it made a
huge difference.


Setting the length is the most important
proper wrist strap would be 2nd.

 

[5MilesBack]

In 30+ years of hunting I'd never even heard of such a thing until recently. So I bought a pair, and they still sit there. But last year my buddy found a pair laying in a wash while I chased a bull up the mountain, and he actually kept up with me the rest of the day much easier than he usually does, so.........maybe there is something to them. I'll try them this summer scouting, but will only use them for packing and maybe my shelter. I know that if I'm carrying them while hunting, they'll end up like the ones my buddy found........left behind somewhere never to be seen again.

 

[miggles]

I love them! I think the only situation I wouldn't use them in would be ultralight pack weight and flat terrain. For me they are absolutely critical with moderate and above weights or any hilly geography. I find them most helpful on steep downhills where it can be all too easy to get a bad footing and slip.

 

[jpolson]

I almost always have at least 1 pole with me. I use a telescoping version with a 1/4"-20 screw out the top so I can attach my binos or a v-yoke. So the pole multi-tasks as a shooting stick/binocular monopod/trekking pole.

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

Ive been debating this for awhile with myself, I think im going to try a set!

 

[AK Shane]

I won't leave home for a hike without them! Takes stress off your knees. Helps you walk more upright taking strain off the lower back. Makes you exponentially more stable. Can't even tell you how many times they've saved my rear from wiping on steep slopes, rocks, icy trails, etc. The benefits of using trekking poles out weighs any downside 50:1. The question is, why wouldn't you use trekking poles?

 

[Coyote Commander]

I fricken hate em.

I can see the benefit of them for an older body or an extremely heavy load. But for moderate loads I despise the things.

I used em all last summer scouting and grew more and more hateful of them. Took them on the first hunt last fall, used em for the first mile or so of a 15 mile hike in, and they rode on the pack the rest of the trip.

Mine stay in the truck or tent (or back at home). Might break them out to haul meat.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I fricken hate em.

I can see the benefit of them for an older body or an extremely heavy load. But for moderate loads I despise the things.

I used em all last summer scouting and grew more and more hateful of them. Took them on the first hunt last fall, used em for the first mile or so of a 15 mile hike in, and they rode on the pack the rest of the trip.

Mine stay in the truck or tent (or back at home). Might break them out to haul meat.

Just curious but what didn't you like about them? Been using them for 5-6 years now and won't hit the trail without them. If I'm actively hunting they are in the pack but if I need to get somewhere they are in my hands no doubt.

On a side note, I intentionally leave them at home in training hikes. They take too much weight off my legs and I'm there to sweat and bust my ass not go for an easy hike.

Mike

 

[MOcluck]

Just wondering does anybody ever cut a set of poles on the mountain. I was just thinking you could save some weight and if you lost them you would'nt be out anything.

 

[desertcj]

Just wondering does anybody ever cut a set of poles on the mountain. I was just thinking you could save some weight and if you lost them you would'nt be out anything.

Whatever you cut is most likely going to weigh several times what a pair of trecking poles does. I don't see how that's saving weight? Of course you just toss them if you don't like them. Trekking poles aren't really that expensive all in all. I found a set of Black Diamonds for $50 shipped...

 

[Aron Snyder]

There's no argument to the fact that they help you gain climbing speed like crazy. It's like going from 2 wheel drive to 4, but on your feet.

I do keep them in my pack a lot, but they make a huge difference when you need them and also help save the knees.

 

[Coyote Commander]

Just curious but what didn't you like about them? Been using them for 5-6 years now and won't hit the trail without them. If I'm actively hunting they are in the pack but if I need to get somewhere they are in my hands no doubt.

On a side note, I intentionally leave them at home in training hikes. They take too much weight off my legs and I'm there to sweat and bust my ass not go for an easy hike.

Mike

Im just an oddball. I hate trekking poles and am not fond of super stiff soled "mountain boots" (cant feel whats under foot).

I was crossing a very steep avalanche chute last July and between the poles and the stiff boots I just about met my maker. Couldnt feel just how loose the rocks were under that 2x4 of a sole and started to go down. Normally I would have just flopped down flat as a pancake, but I got tangled up with a friggin pole and ended travelling a little farther than expected.

Than they're always tangling in the brush and such when you arent on a decent trail, getting hung up in deadfall, etc. Or you get to a really steep grade where its pretty much a hands and knee climb up, and you either got screw around breaking em down and stowing em, or they're flopping around in the way on your wrists. I dont really swing my arms when I walk, so it was really weird to me to be "skiing" while walking with all that arm movement. Poles for me end up up "skipping" off the ground a lot when I reach out in front with them, just a really un-natural movement for me with all that arm movement.

For a heavy load I can definitely see where they'd be handy, but unless I got 100 lbs on my back, they arent for me.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Im just an oddball. I hate trekking poles and am not fond of super stiff soled "mountain boots" (cant feel whats under foot).

I was crossing a very steep avalanche chute last July and between the poles and the stiff boots I just about met my maker. Couldnt feel just how loose the rocks were under that 2x4 of a sole and started to go down. Normally I would have just flopped down flat as a pancake, but I got tangled up with a friggin pole and ended travelling a little farther than expected.

Than they're always tangling in the brush and such when you arent on a decent trail, getting hung up in deadfall, etc. Or you get to a really steep grade where its pretty much a hands and knee climb up, and you either got screw around breaking em down and stowing em, or they're flopping around in the way on your wrists. I dont really swing my arms when I walk, so it was really weird to me to be "skiing" while walking with all that arm movement. Poles for me end up up "skipping" off the ground a lot when I reach out in front with them, just a really un-natural movement for me with all that arm movement.

For a heavy load I can definitely see where they'd be handy, but unless I got 100 lbs on my back, they arent for me.

Fair enough! And I agree with the stuff boot opinion I hate having a super stiff boot! But that's another thread...

Mike

 

[Coyote Commander]

I will say, they make a damn good cow poker!

Those carbide tips can draw blood pretty easily. Makes for getting a knot headed heifer down the alley a lot faster!

 

[desertcj]

I forgot to mention that I find that my legs and knees hurt a lot worse coming down the mountain then when I'm going up! That's the main reason I bought some. Also, instead of wasting time hunting up the mountain I plan on just booking it to the top and then hunting. I never see anything on the way up, of course now that my bow is strapped to my pack I'll see a monster the next time on my way up the mountain!

 

[DaveS]

I will say, they make a damn good cow poker!

Those carbide tips can draw blood pretty easily. Makes for getting a knot headed heifer down the alley a lot faster!

They also work well for harassing and killing rattlesnakes

 

[eLightfoot]

They also work well for harassing and killing rattlesnakes

Well that ain't very nice.