Are hiking poles meme-tier hiking gear? Im getting into hiking

>>729272
They are excellent for mountainous terrain and heavy pack loads, but not really needed for flat land.

>>729276
Ok I was wondering about that. I live in western WA so most of our hike trails are mainly mountainous and hills

>>729272
Used to geocache with one of these for the hard to reach containers-o-shit

>>729279
I live in the Alps, folks here always used a staff for hiking, it really helps, especially when you are done for after 8 hours of walking and your legs feel like rubber and have to carry a heavy pack down a steep and slippery slope. It helps you balance your weight much better and gives you a more stable step.
Also, they are great when you ford a river, and it helps to keep an even pace.
Nowadays everyone uses collapsible poles, they are more convenient and if you choose a suitable model they can do the same job like the old hiking staff.

>dreaming of a heavy duty collapsible staff, 5' length.

>>729272
I've used one for the past 20 years, but nowadays you usually only see them sold in pairs
Its made me more stable in loose rock, saving my life several times; a tripod is more stable than a bipod
It can collapse and be tied to a pack for serious talus
It allows me to engage my upper body when going uphill
It takes some weight of my knees downhill
It can be used to poke cornices to see if they are stable
It can be used to fling road apples at people

‘I have no fitting gifts to give you at our parting,’ said Faramir; ‘but take these staves. They may be of service to those who walk or climb in the wild.

>>729289
>>729293
>>729281
So im getting the sense that these are generally highly approved? That's good to know, I was on the fence cause I thought people would thin they were a cop-out but if they genuinely help that much I'll get one. I've seen some with the carbide tip and rubber tips and springs. What are the benefits of those?

>>729272
My knees aren't that great and the poles help take a little pressure of within the context of the entire hike. Definitely worthwhile gear.

>>729299
>What are the benefits of those?
It helps adding features with funny high tech names and increase the price.
I recommend to get go for one of the cheaper tank models like Leki Makalu or Komperdell Ridgehiker or whatever Black diamond makes with alu and snap locks.

>>729299
Rubber is better on rock , carbide for mud / dirt

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Great going downhill to force yourself to engage in the steep part, help reducing pressure to the knees, give balance if muddy.
Good going uphill, make me climb faster, extend the pace length.
No really useful on flat land, by I take them anyway, strapped to my pack.

>>729329
What do you think on this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PKVjqriB4Q

I'm looking for something like this, but the price is hefty.

>>729334
Looks like the kind of staff a shepherd would have used a century ago. It's smart for realy steep terrain, because poles are bad when you have to use the hands, but I would rather use an ice axe (piolet) with a long handle.

>>729272
A hiking stick is always wise to carry. You can also pitch a tarp or A-frame tent with the meme poles.

>>729321
Imo carbide is better on rock than rubber, rubber will just tend to slip if you put weight on it.

they're faggotry.

i hump heavy-ass bags of climbing gear miles into the backcountry and don't use them.

you can always tell by the tracks how far into a hike a person is-at the beginning the imprints are nice and sharp, by the end they're just parallel lines tracing every step from being drug.

but if you want to anchor yourself to a crutch, by all means, go ahead.

>>729349
>>729272
Also forgot to mention, for the OP, check out mountainsmith pyrite poles, they retail pretty cheap and often are on sale. I have a lot of expensive shit but I've had those poles for years and haven't found any reason to replace them yet.

>>729354
Ok those are more my price range for now, I'll def look into those
>>729351
wouldn't people just collapse them if they got tired with them? and where I am hiking it would be difficult to drag them since it's not much flatland at all

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>>729272
I have an opinion...

>>729279
I'm also from Western WA

>>729289
I live in Luzern 6mo a year.

The first time I saw trekking poles was in Switzerland about 8 years ago. I always thought they were meme tier hiking equipment and those who used them were giant faggots. Being the retard that I was, I had a life-altering experience while hiking around Neuchatel, Switzerland 3 years ago.

I was with a research group and we were hiking 4 hours off of a steep upper peak. I had about 35lbs of camera equipment with me + camping gear so I was pretty loaded up. Everyone around me had trekking poles. I ate shit a few times and the probability of injury was high. After that trip and after having my thighs utterly wrecked from trying to stabilize myself and my load, I went out and bought a set of Black Diamond carbon poles w/ cork handles and haven't looked back since. Trekking poles with a load are superior in every conceivable way and I really cannot recommend them enough.

My suggestion to you is get cork handles (better grip with sweaty hands), and adjustable legs. This way you can really fine tune the pole, and increase/decrease length for situations. Also if you break or crack a module, you can replace that rather than buying a whole new pole.

>>729382
Im guessing REI has a ton of cork handle ones? How easy is ti to find/replace the parts if you do break a module?

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>>729387
I bought mine at REI actually. The dude above who is posing atop that green valley...we have the same ones. Regarding parts, you just hit up REI (if broken within one year of purchase - utilizing the REI no questions asked warranty) or the manufacturer after that.

Oh...they also come standard with graphite tips. Those are good for soft dirt and what not, so I suggest picking up the rubber tips and the snow baskets so you're more versatile.

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>>729299
Stop caring what strangers on the Internet say and be you.

>>729334
Unbelievable tekkers!

>>729351
>you can always tell by the tracks how far into a hike a person is-at the beginning the imprints are nice and sharp, by the end they're just parallel lines tracing every step from being drug.

When I walked the Camino de Santiago, I got into several discussions with people about whether it was worth using poles or not. Lots of people did, and thought it was strange that I didn't, but I really hadn't given it any thought (I'm also from western Washington, and never saw the need for using them). I tried using sticks a few times and didn't really notice much of a difference, probably because I wasn't carrying much weight (about 13-14 pounds). A lot of the people who swore by them were older, thought, and I kind of understand the need if your knees are in bad shape. Of course, plenty of older people did fine without them.

That being said, lots of the people I saw using them weren't using them the right way. In fact, probably most of them weren't. It seemed like most people were just making light, dragging contact with the ground as they swung their arms, or did a weird thing where they would move them both at the same time (like a skier, I guess). Seeing that really made me think that a lot of hype behind trekking poles is just people repeating what they've heard. I'm sure they're useful for heavy loads and people with bad joints, but most of the time, they probably don't make a difference.

>>729414
>dragging contact with the ground as they swung their arms,
Thats maybe nordic walking or something, but not how you use trekking poles, they are really meant or difficult terrain where you can't drag them, because you are either going steep uphill or downhill or traverse. On flat land they are simply not needed.

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>>729272
I only carry mine for protection. They make quite the whacking/stabbing sticks.
They are great on hobos and dogs, haven't tried them on anything else yet.

>>729366
>wouldn't people just collapse them if they got tired with them?

you'd think, but considering they don't need them in the first place, they just aren't that proactive about using them appropriately. they just get told they have to walk with them, so they keep walking with them.

>>729382
that sound like exactlty the situation i DON'T want them. when on loose, steep terrain i like to be very mobile and dynamic, and not be encumbered by where to place pole tips or worry about them flailing out around me.

op, think about them as training wheels on a bike: sure you can still get around, but you're not improving your balance or focus, you're limited by where they'll take you, and if you try to take them off after being accostumed to them you'll flop over uselessly.

tl;dr-train yourself to walk properly without a crutch

>>729447
>that sound like exactlty the situation i DON'T want them. when on loose, steep terrain i like to be very mobile and dynamic, and not be encumbered by where to place pole tips or worry about them flailing out around me.
Sorry but you are wrong. In steep terrain, with heavy pack, thats what they are made for, thats why I use them.

>>729447
That's not really a fair comparison or factual. No human is going to forget how to walk because they used trekking poles....

I don't think you've hiked down very many mountains before otherwise you would know how much it destroys your knees. Poles give you a way to get your hands involved instead of leaving them at your side

>>729455
>I use them.
bully for you. i don't, because i like to keep my feet moving, and the fewer spots i have to look to place something for stability on wobbly talus moraine of death the happier i am

>>729460
the cool thing about analogies is they don't have to be literally accute across the comparison, just enough to provide an idea for someone who isn't familiar with the details of what you're explaining. and yeah, they won't forget how to walk, but they'll make you lazy, and weaken your balance and self-righting without them

and as long as you don't come down hard every step (which you'll get good at if you rely on your legs to walk instead of artificially propping yourself up on your arms) your knees will do just fin. i spend half the year running around the sierra with a heavy fucking climbing pack and the only times my knees hurt is when i have to come down those nightmare granite steps laid down some of yosemite's trails.

>>729468
Hm well to each their own I suppose, and yeah the steps are terrible. At least on a hill you can take baby steps, not the case with stairs

>>729351

Enjoy your knee replacements in another 25 years.

One point worth noting about trekking poles is that in the desert, they are a good idea to use as they are an additional warning to rattlesnakes to let them know somebody is coming through.

>>729468
>the fewer spots i have to look to place something for stability on wobbly talus moraine of death

Is that the only surfaces that you ever hike on?
Also, there's a reason that bighorn sheep and mountain goats walk on four legs rather than two.
But you already know everything, so who am I or anybody else to suggest a better way of doing things to you?

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>>729596
>Is that the only surfaces that you ever hike on?
when else are you so unstable you desire additional points of contact? or are you really so floppy after artificially propping yourself up for years that any slightly uneven terrain overtaxes your sense of balance?

>there's a reason that bighorn sheep and mountain goats walk on four legs rather than two.
because they're evolved to, and we're evolved to walk on 2. so since you're designed to walk on 2, why are you trying to walk on 4?

and i'm always open to better ways of doing things. but hobbling yourself with trekking poles is not better. learning to maximize your body's ability is better.

>>729651
We aren't designed at all, we just happened.

Bipedalism is an evolutionary hack. Our knees and back aren't really meant to withstand it, they're still quadruped legs and spines, we just get away with it because they last long enough to pass on our genes and we're smart enough to manufacture our own front legs when they give out. You'll find that out on your own when you get older.

>>729651
Trekking pole's main function is load transfer away from your joints.

You can train your muscle, your balance, but not your joints, they can heal slowly from damages but still take on cumulative wear and tare in the end.

"maximize your body's ability" doesn't sit well as you age in terms of joint health, just look up joint problems for sport players/professionals.

i like having a walking stick

makes me feel explorative

>>729674
thanks for the life lesson, grandpa

>>729686
>away from your joints
no, it just transfers it to other joints, in angles that they're even worse at handling and diffusing loads.

and when you train your accessory muscles that stabilize your joints your strengthen them, strengthening and increasing the durability of the joint.

and the high abuse, repetitive, unnatural actions professional athletes perform that shred their joints aren't representative of the type of use people hiking and backpacking will encounter.

>>729708
Training the muscles and balance is important but it can be done outside of hiking or backpacking as well.
You do stabilize your joints when you train, and it does increase durability but it does so by reduce the risk of injury, the actual joint doesn't grow in strength. And that only solve part of the problem, wear and tear of your joints are unavoidable and this is where trekking pole come in.

At the end of the day, trekking pole is a trade off between letting your knees take all the hit or spread it out slightly to your arms and wrist.

>>729708
Also in terms of athlete's problem with their joints, it is a pretty good representative of what aging does to joints, in an accelerated form.

>>729334

Really interesting way they use it there. What is it made of? I'd be a little worried that it'd snap. Also, no hand loops so if you drop it down a steep slope, you're fucked. But it looks interesting.

>>729351

>The obligatory "I'm too rugged for that shit"poster

There's always one.

>>729447

Funny how you never mention actually owning a pair...

>inb4 I bought a pair and instanty threw them out as I was too good for that shit

>>729468

>STOP LIKING WHAT I DON'T LIKE

>>729708

>transfers

No, spreads. Distributes. So that you don't fuck your knees.

You don't need them except for specialized applications. Downhill on some ultra steep trails with a heavy pack, if you have bad knees, snowshoeing in 7m or powder with a Snowboard on your back, etc. I find them annoying and pretty useless, but to each their own.

>>729651
>because they're evolved to, and we're evolved to walk on 2. so since you're designed to walk on 2, why are you trying to walk on 4?

Because humans did not evolve to live on talus or scree slopes. Sheep and goats did.

>>729739
>the actual joint doesn't grow in strength
fine. the actual gap between bones doesn't strengthen. BUT the muscles and ligaments supporting and controlling it do. so the joint *effectively* becomes stronger.

>>729870
>you have to own something to judge its merit
what a good little consumerist you are. i bet your titanium spork is indispensable as well.

>>729872
op asked, i'm explaining my position. but go ahead and downboat me, faggot.

>>729874
>transfers, spreads and distributes aren't synonymous.

>>729996
I don't know why you're being an absolutist cunt about this. To each their own, you've been blessed with great knees, good for you. Doesn't mean you won't like poles in the future when your knees do start to age. Furthermore, Yes, everybody is different, but I don't see marines coming home with great joints after hoofing 80 pounds around in the desert. Its not about subjecting your joints and ligaments to the maximum amount of stress possible. That's stupid and you don't get "badass" points for doing it. Poles might only distribute 10-15% of weight away from your knees, but the point is you can strength your joints with moderate use which is a whole lot safer than subjecting them to higher weight, given the huge amount of time it takes for collagen to either heal from injury or strengthen in response to stress.

Take this from a former trail worker and ranger. When you spend some time carrying a hammer drill or chainsaw, with fuel, and a pack 10+ miles a day, get back to me about your joints at the end of the season.

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>>730002
>op asks for opinions
>i share my opinion
>i'm a cunt for it

sorry i disagree with your worldview anon. next time i post i'll include a trigger warning at the top for you.

>>730003
I don't think you understand what he was objecting to. The Internet doesn't have a huge scoreboard somewhere that gives you points for making other people give up in an argument. Rather than thinking of the next zinger that will really stick it to all those retards out there, why don't you carefully consider what they're saying, and ask yourself what's really going on.

What if some 40-year-old guy realized just yesterday how beautiful nature can be, and wants to get into hiking? Trekking poles are going to make it a lot easier for him, especially starting out. I mean, what would YOU tell him to do?

>>730449
i've considered the argument for trekking poles before this thread and every time i've found them wanting in every aspect. zingers and imaginary scoreboards have nothing to do with it.

re: you're hypothetical newbie 40 year old, i would tell him the exact same thing as if he wanted to get into lifting and was considering using a smith press for squats or bench: DON'T! it will make it superficially easier as a beginner, but it will hobble you i the long run. better to start off with lighter weight without a crutch and learn to do the lift (hike) properly than to start off with more weight using a crutch and become reliant on it.

>>730579
*your

too many beers to grammar properly.

>>729272
I started using trekking poles due to the fact that two of my tents require them to set up. I've grown to like them, or perhaps just become indifferent to them. They do help in steep and uneven terrain or pointing to things. I used to turn my nose up to the use of trekking poles but they do have a few purposes. As far as day hikes I would never use.

I like them because the allow me to engage my back and arms to go uphill faster/get a more complete workout and transfer some of my upperbody's weight to the ground through my arms instead of all to my legs on the downhill.

BC fag here so everything is mountainous and rocky

>>729651
Pole or staff is a very good thing to have when crossing moving water. It will also save your ass when you're traversing a grassy slope and the grass is slippery.

You sound like somebody who has very limited experience carrying loads on anything other than flat ground.

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I used two trekking poles for the Annapurna Base camp trek and the poon hill trek. The entire trek took about 10 days and I stopped using them on the 3rd day in. For me I found them helpful getting your muscles used to the strain of walking 6-8 hours a day but after that I kind of enjoyed walking without them more, they just drew me think more methodically about walking itself instead of enjoying the walk if you get me? Plenty of people here have suggested them and I think they are certainly a wise pick but personally I do not think they are compulsory, but by all means bring one, you never know when you will need it.

>>729447
>op, think about them as training wheels on a bike: sure you can still get around, but you're not improving your balance or focus, you're limited by where they'll take you, and if you try to take them off after being accostumed to them you'll flop over uselessly.


My God, this is an idiotic post.

>>731522
not op but I think that it is not entirely idiotic. Porters and guides on trekking tours don't use them.

>>729272
Why everything in america must be bought? Just find a decent piece of hardwood and make one...

>>731609
>make from hardwood
How to make that telescoping?

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I just want a stronger umbrella, that would do