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Posted by Alicia on January 1, 2007 at 8:50:38 pm EST
In reply to Good ballance or trekking poles posted by Prelucir on December 29, 2006 at 1:36:04 am EST

I think most of the points have been covered by now, but I wanted to add that I love my trekking poles. I do think that it’s a personal preference and they’re certainly not a required item, but I personally have only seen benefits to using them, particularly on long and/or steep routes and/or when carrying a heavy load.

The number one reason I use them is to take some of the load off my knees, particularly on steep and/or long descents. Before I started using trekking poles (about six or so years ago) I often got achy knees after a steep descent, but now that never happens. I also believe that poles give you a better all-around workout since you use your upper body with them. For me, using trekking poles is a preventative health measure so I can keep my knees healthy as long as possible and hike and run longer in life.

I don’t have the best balance in the world either, so I really appreciate poles during stream crossing. They make me much more confident.

They also can come in handy for rigging up a tarp or other shelter.

As for the carbide tips marking the rocks and making that annoying clanking noise, I usually put the rubber tips they sell on the end of my poles (they make them for walking on the road). This gets rid of that noise and the tips don’t scratch the rocks. However, the tips will change the poles’ traction and you do risk losing the rubber tip if it gets stuck in the mud somewhere and never finding it again and then worrying about having littered somewhere on the trail.

I recommend other people try out trekking poles, particularly if they have any concerns about their knees or balance. I find I go faster with them than without and feel better for having them. I use them on all backpacking or snowshoeing trips and most hikes, but usually not for short and/or very flat day hikes. Since they’re telescoping I use the same poles for cross-country skiing too and just switch out the baskets in winter for all winter activities.

Ultimately though, it comes down to personal preference. If you’ve tried out trekking poles and they slow you down or don’t help your balance or pace or knees, then do whatever feels best for you and what works for the terrain you cover. Trekking poles work for me, most of the time.

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