Benefits of Hiking Poles
by Susan Alcorn
As a 68-year-old long-distance hiker and backpacker, I can personally vouch for the benefits of using hiking poles. I don't leave home without them.
Hiking poles can extend your hiking years
We all know that walking is an excellent exercise, but sometimes we find that the hills are a bit steeper than they used to be — that's where hiking poles come in. Hiking poles are growing in popularity in the U.S. and for several good reasons — some may be obvious, others less so, but using them can extend your hiking years. Here are "12 tips for using hiking sticks."
Use hiking sticks/poles for:
- Lessening the impact on your lower body — joints and muscles and increasing your upper body workout
- Greater stability when walking on tough terrain — including loose rock, ice, snow, or muddy patches.
- Providing extra "legs" when making stream crossings
- Fending off threatening dogs or cows, or distancing yourself from rattlesnakes
- Looking taller if you should encounter a mountain lion or bear.
- Keeping your hands from swelling when temperatures climb.
- Allowing you to switch to lighter shoes — trail runners instead of hiking boots.
- Splinting a broken arm or leg
- Moving the branches of a trailside shrub to have a look before you sit down
And, here are some uses you may not have considered:
- Twirling as a baton while hiking along (great entertainment)
- Draping your wet laundry when clotheslines aren't available.
- Propping up a tent or creating a ceiling support for a snow shelter
For more information on the advantages of hiking poles, check out:
Trekking Poles 101 - OutdoorPlaces.Com
Sticks and Stones: the pros, cons, and uses of trekking poles
For further information from the author on hiking equipment:"10 Hints for Hot Weather Hikes"
Happy trails, Susan Alcorn