Camping

Image by Pig Monkey via Flickr

Make a Great Hike Even Better

Hikers who have never used trekking poles really don’t know what they’re missing. I know all of the young and fit types might see them as some kind of walking stick for old hikers who have hiked one too many trails but don’t know when to give up . . . but the benefits are available for everybody, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an old hiker, a young hiker, a newly converted hiker or just like taking long walks along long trails . . . trekking poles can be a great help. You might feel kind of silly at first . . . that’s normal, but hey, they could soon become a regular and irreplaceable part of your hiking equipment.

Trekking poles can be quite pricey, (over $100) but there’s really no need to splash out all of that cash on your first hiking or trekking poles, just start off cheaply (ski poles work well) and then, if you really do feel the benefit of hiking with poles and decide that you’ve been missing out on some well deserved assistance for years, you might decide that the benefits far outweigh the costs of trekking poles.

Benefits of Hiking with Trekking Poles

Enough of this chit chat, let’s look at the very real benefits which trekking poles can add to your hiking adventure.

• The first thing you’ll probably notice when you’re hiking with trekking poles is that your arms get a lot more involved in the action . . .  meaning that they take some of the strain which historically your legs have had to deal with all on their own.  You’ll not only be able to manage those uphill climbs more quickly and easily, you could also see muscles developing on your upper arms which you haven’t seen since college . . . bingo wings are soon a thing of the past when you get pumping your trekking poles.
• Soon afterwards (possibly after your first hike with trekking poles) you’ll realize that your old knees and ankles are not giving you quite so much trouble as they usually do. You might be able to stand or climb the stairs without creaking . . . no, that’s too much to ask, but knee and ankle joints do tend to take a pounding on the trail, whereas using trekking poles helps to life the pressure from these sensitive bits throughout the day.
• Twisting and straining is an everyday part of hiking for many back packers. It’s really easy to twist an ankle climbing down a rocky slope, even if you have your hiking boots laced up tightly, so trekking poles can really help if this sort of situation arises. You can use them like crutches and hop your way home, instead of crawling along like a snail and annoying the rest of your hiking party . . . “I told you not to go that way, what did you expect, you should have gone down the right side like everybody else,  just because you thought it was a short cut . . . “
• Hiking in snow or ice is also much easier with the addition of trekking poles. They can dig into it like claws and increase your stability no end.

She seems to really know what she’s talking about, and doesn’t she use some big words? I wouldn’t know where to start spelling some of those . . . . She’s passionate about poles alright!

What was all that about rabbits and carrots? Remember that when you start to use your own trekking poles, now then, the rabbit comes out of the hole, then what happened next . . . ?