Walking sticks, trekking poles, ice axes, and canes

[Nix]

As I've....become more mature...I've taken to using a walking stick more routinely. And my knees seem to appreciate it. Really, the walking stick is likely man's oldest mulitool, one with a myriad uses, limited only by the imagination.

In Winter, I often go with two trekking poles, but in Summer the walking stick still wins because it's nice to have a hand free, and it can serve as an impromptu tent pole.

If you use a hiking staff, walking stick, cane, ice axe, or trekking poles, post up a pic and tell us about them!

[Nix]

To start off, I just got this new Komperdell "Camera Staff".




My last walking stick was by Trax and serve well for many years. However, it got bent when I managed to trip over it. How that happened is still a mystery. I straightened it out pretty well, but it always had an odd bend and I started to doubt it's structural strength.

Then the rubber foot wore out and I couldn't find a replacement. "No longer made." So I was left with a bent staff with a big spike on the end.

The new Komperdell has a few dozen miles on it and seems to be working out nicely. Easy to adjust the length for going uphill and down hill. The grip is a bit narrow for my big hands, but the wrist strap help with grip and leverage.

Overall, I like it!

[Greg Jones]

Here's mine that I bought to use as a wading staff, but it gets regular use on hikes.
The make is Hammers, the top comes off to expose a camera mount, the wrist strap has a small compass, and thermometer that are completely accurate when compared to more expensive units, the tip comes off to expose an ice pick, and there's also a snow basket for snow trekking that's not available for pics, I'm sure it's packed with my ice fishing gear

[Greg Jones]

And one more 

[Greg Jones]

To start off, I just got this new Komperdell "Camera Staff".

(Image removed from quote.)


My last walking stick was by Trax and serve well for many years. However, it got bent when I managed to trip over it. How that happened is still a mystery. I straightened it out pretty well, but it always had an odd bend and I started to doubt it's structural strength.

Then the rubber foot wore out and I couldn't find a replacement. "No longer made." So I was left with a bent staff with a big spike on the end.

The new Komperdell has a few dozen miles on it and seems to be working out nicely. Easy to adjust the length for going uphill and down hill. The grip is a bit narrow for my big hands, but the wrist strap help with grip and leverage.

Overall, I like it!

Looks like a winner 

[Nix]

 

The cork top on my Kamperdell also unscrews to become a camera mount. A feature I've never used.......may you can tell from the fuzzy nature of some of my nature shots. 

[Greg Jones]

  I can't remember ever mounting a camera to mine either Nix, except of course for that picture 

[Nix]

It's a bit like a corkscrew on a SAK: you never know when you'll really need it, but it's kinda nice to have.   

[Syncop8r]

I prefer having just one stick for balance when going downhill (and taking a little weight off my knees) or crossing streams etc, rather than using two actively whilst walking.

I had a pair of telescoping poles but

One of my walking poles snapped under my weight:

and the other stopped telescoping properly.

Now I use a stick of either Kanuka or Manuka which is light, springy and very strong given how slender it is:

[Nix]

Nice!

 


I've got a Hickory stick that I really like as well. I'll post a pic of it here shortly....as soon as I take another walk....

[Nix]

There is something special about a good piece of wood.

I still prefer wooden paddles, too! 

[Syncop8r]

I need to take a proper photo of it sometime. I plan on oiling it, putting a strap on it and perhaps fitting the tip from one of my 'proper' poles.

[Syncop8r]

I have heard good things about Komperdell and Leki poles. 
I while back I was looking into a hybrid between a pole and an ice axe by Black Diamond.

[Nix]

Ice axes always seem a bit short to me. I have one, but don't use it as much as my trekking poles in Winter. I do think it is sized properly, but still it never seems as versatile for the type of Winter hiking I do. The trekking poles have pretty good 'bite' and if I'm wearing snow shoes or crampons I feel more secure with four 'legs' than just two or three.

An axe/pole hybrid sounds interesting, though. 

[Nix]

[Syncop8r]

That might be what I was looking at.    The pointy bits could get in the way when just used as a pole though.

[Nix]

Here is where I like it:

Moving uphill, but walking across an incline. So, the uphill hand holds the axe and jabs the point into the ice or snow crust. Then a step. Then reposition the axe, sticking that point into the crust.

Used like this, I find the axe help with balance and gives some security.

It's the same going down hill in a transverse manner. Stick, step, stick, step.

But the terrain doesn't always cooperate with the technique. So it's a bit limited in it's use, at least for me.

Of course, the principal use--arresting an unplanned descent--remains the same and is surely a good thing, especially for hardcore mountaineering. But I don't hang around in such rarefied air much anymore. 

[Gerhard Gerber]

Most days my Ray Mears inspired big stick is fine......despite weighing 1.1kg 

On the two long distance multi-day hikes I've done so far I had the above-mentioned stick and one of these alu hiking poles, second time round the two DIY'ed from bamboo.

Second hike would've been fine with 2 alu hiking poles it turns out, bit I still haven't found something suitable for when I (hopefully) do the first hike again.

The need is very simple, it needs to fold, collapse or break down somehow, but be able to stop my entire weight without breaking.

If something like that exists I don't know about it and possible can't afford it....

[Syncop8r]

I was wondering about using the screwing/unscrewing bits off a pool cue on a DIY wooden stick....   much easier to just buy collapsible aluminium/carbon fibre/whatever poles though.

[MadPlumbarian]

Here’s my two hiking sticks, the one with the leather grip I made from scratch, the other I ordered but added a lot to it including a saw, razor blade, fishing gear, and other stuff, that other cane I got a few years ago cause I had enough, my backs so bad, every once and a while it just goes out gets so tight, just getting up from a seat is sooo bad, so I broke down and just got one, of course I had to spiff it up a little yet ever since I bought it my backs been great, and has yet to go out (knock on wood)! But it’s there if I need it!
JR

[Aloha]

I use an REI shock absorption pole with cork hand piece.  Its been a great pole and something needed here in rattle snake area.  I cannot find a picture but I'm sure I've posted somewhere here on MTO. 

[Gerhard Gerber]

I was wondering about using the screwing/unscrewing bits off a pool cue on a DIY wooden stick....   much easier to just buy collapsible aluminium/carbon fibre/whatever poles though.

That would be ideal, half the length of one of my walking sticks would fit within the profile of my backpack, because the big issue is the poles sticking out when tied to the backpack.
If I could figure out a way to make that strong enough without weighing 2kg that would be ideal....

[Syncop8r]

I use an REI shock absorption pole with cork hand piece.  Its been a great pole and something needed here in rattle snake area.  I cannot find a picture but I'm sure I've posted somewhere here on MTO.

We need to see a pic of it being used to dissuade a rattlesnake. 

I was wondering about using the screwing/unscrewing bits off a pool cue on a DIY wooden stick....   much easier to just buy collapsible aluminium/carbon fibre/whatever poles though.

That would be ideal, half the length of one of my walking sticks would fit within the profile of my backpack, because the big issue is the poles sticking out when tied to the backpack.
If I could figure out a way to make that strong enough without weighing 2kg that would be ideal....

My wooden pole is so light I hardly notice carrying it in one hand when not needed. 

[Gerhard Gerber]

......and I see my big stick as strengthening exercises for my smithing activities.......problem comes in when climbing and scrambling.

On my last hike there was a lot of that, also can't really think of any occasions where shop-boughts wouldn't have worked better.

Fish River was another matter entirely, but on the decent my big stick was seriously in the way.......and very much appreciated the rest of the way...   

[Syncop8r]

Wait until pfrsantos finds this thread.... 

Wrist straps are good for letting them dangle whilst you climb.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Wait until pfrsantos finds this thread.... 

Wrist straps are good for letting them dangle whilst you climb.

I seem to play right into his hand

This is not the worst one......but when the scrambling gets bad you don't need anything dangling that could get in the way:



Fish River definitely not....

Here's some good photos of the descent........nobody in our group even thought of taking photos for the 2-3 hours it took to get down in the valley: http://www.getaway.co.za/activities/hiking-activities/hiking-the-fish-river-canyon/attachment/fishrivercanyonhike_namibia_getawaymagazine_050/

[Aloha]

Thankfully I havent encountered a rattle snake but we've ran across several very large snakes on our hikes.  I'm not sure what they were but we gave them a wide area as we passed. 

[Nix]

Same here, Aloha.

If I have a suspicion about a 'snaky' spot,  I'll give it a poke with a staff to alert a potential critter. Same in tall grass: I'll use the stick to sweep in front of me where a rattler might be lurking.

[Syncop8r]

So many different types    http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/snakespics.html

[Aloha]

That King Snake is one I've seen.  Scared the (bleep) out of us, as it looks like a Coral snake.  I've also seen the Gopher Snake which also scared the ( bleep ) out of us.  It mimics the rattler as a defense mechanism.  This was a large snake so we gave it a wide area in which to slither away.   Those are 2 we've seen for sure now that I've seen the pictures.  Like Nix I use my walking stick to sweep areas that I believe snake might be.  So far we've been pretty lucky not to have crossed paths with anything dangerous.