hiking staffs

[Charlie]

if you use one why do you

it there something to look for when buying one

and what brand or type

[Squid]

I use only one on the way down, to help stabilize my self. It is either a trax or trexs or something, got it for 50 bucks, impressed on its strength and how light it is. I also carry my life link guide poles but in 3 years that I have owned them, they never leave my pack until someone else wants to use them. I use them for back country skiing and snow shoeing.

I tend not to use poles coming up mountains only because I feel they get in my way, and I am quicker with out them. But coming down and after my bad ski accident 2 years ago my left knee takes a beating and the pole helps lessen the hits. And I also find using one pole instead of 2 keeps me moving a little slower coming down, so that again saves my knee and hip.

The pole I use when fully extended is almost 5 feet long, helps a lot of steep descents.

[spyboy]

Do you mean natural wood ones, or metal?

I use a Trax collapsible one, that is padded on the upper part of the shaft so you don't freeze to it in winter.

It has a rubber foot with an animal print on the bottom (thus Trax), but you can pull off the rubber foot and there's nice little spike for winter or terrain where you want to make sure the stick doesn't slide. I think there's a basket for it, so it won't sink into the snow, but I'm sure that's been lost to my junk bin many years ago no longer to be found.

The head is a wooden ball that can unscrew, leaving a camera mount on it (to make it a unipod).

I use it because I like to take pictures while hiking (it's great for panoramics, you can level out and just rotate the camera and keep shooting) and for my descents since my knees are shot from 18 years of snowboarding.

Sometimes it gets in the way, but it does collapse down, so you can at least secure it to a pack.

[Squid]

Oh sorry, looking for one, the new black diamond flick lock poles, everyone who has them seem to really like them, I like two part poles rather than three part because they are stiffer and less to go wrong with them. Some people like the three part poles because they pack really small. There are many poles out there, and going out to different stores and finding which ones you like best is a good way to figure out which ones you like.

[Squid]

Do you mean natural wood ones, or metal?

I use a Trax collapsible one, that is padded on the upper part of the shaft so you don't freeze to it in winter.

It has a rubber foot with an animal print on the bottom (thus Trax), but you can pull off the rubber foot and there's nice little spike for winter or terrain where you want to make sure the stick doesn't slide. I think there's a basket for it, so it won't sink into the snow, but I'm sure that's been lost to my junk bin many years ago no longer to be found.

The head is a wooden ball that can unscrew, leaving a camera mount on it (to make it a unipod).

I use it because I like to take pictures while hiking (it's great for panoramics, you can level out and just rotate the camera and keep shooting) and for my descents since my knees are shot from 18 years of snowboarding.

Sometimes it gets in the way, but it does collapse down, so you can at least secure it to a pack.

Haha we use the same one for the same reasons!

[spyboy]

Yeah, after I saved my post I saw yours and laughed.

When I hiked Monadnock last fall, my Trax saved my butt a few times, when I slipped on wet rocks, on the descent. It works great to prop against the rocks infront as you climb down through steeper parts too.

K

Haha we use the same one for the same reasons!

[Steve M]

I have a set from LL Bean. The only time I use them is coming back down. They are very helpful for saving my knees and feet. They also slow my decent so I don't come down too fast and take a nasty spill.

[Charlie]

thanks for your advice .i was looking at some three part ones and some have a spring in them like a shock absorber. i am 6'4" and 380 lb so i need a sturdy one .

[Bill O]

Here's me and my staff



It's imperative to get a staff that is the right length otherwise you'll just be digging holes in the desert for nothing.

[Charlie]

i was looking for one like moses so when i come across a large river i can get across it a little easier