Althouse: Trekking poles.

July 1, 2010

Trekking poles.

Ever use trekking poles? We got some like this.

37 comments:

traditionalguy said...: Sure are fancy hickory walking sticks you've got there.; 7/1/10, 6:12 PM
Synova said...: People around here walk with sticks often.

I think they'd laugh at a trekking pole. Would you worry about breaking it if you had to use it on someone's loose dog?; 7/1/10, 6:14 PM
Larry said...: I have a set of Lekis I've been using for 15 years. They're great, especially on uneven terrain with a heavy backpack.; 7/1/10, 6:22 PM
David said...: Many ended up in Chicago.; 7/1/10, 6:26 PM
Paddy O said...: I have some REI ones. They're great for hiking up and down mountains. Came in especially handy when a friend twisted his knee at 10,000.; 7/1/10, 6:29 PM
Moose said...: You guys are SO white...; 7/1/10, 6:33 PM
Anonymous said...: I go on an annual hike. One of the dudes brings them. I used to make fun of him. Then, I borrowed them and I realized that they are wonderful. They really help. I am a huge fan now.; 7/1/10, 6:35 PM
themightypuck said...: My mom uses these to help rehabilitate her recently replaced hip. She loves em.; 7/1/10, 6:44 PM
Scrutineer said...: Got a pair to try out years ago for a three day trip in Glacier Park. Hated them and sold them to a hiker who crossed my path halfway through. They seem more distracting than helpful, but I have misshapen soccer player goat legs and don't need the assistance.; 7/1/10, 6:45 PM
dbp said...: I've used one of those before, but only for mountain climbing and I called it an ice axe.; 7/1/10, 6:50 PM
Unknown said...: Yes, but do they work past Alpha Centauri?

Seriously, I'm glad you're making the most of the beautiful part of the country in which you reside all year round.; 7/1/10, 6:50 PM
Michael said...: I have used them for about ten years and wouldn't go on a long hike w/out them. I usually do a big, above tree line, hike three or four times a year. I scoffed for a long time, about as long as I scoffed at rolling luggage. I consider them indispensable.

I am not sure you need to spring for the branded model. REI makes them that are perfectly serviceable.; 7/1/10, 6:53 PM
dbp said...: Actually, they sort of make sense: I broke a ski pole early one day and skied the rest of the day without poles. Verdict: I suck at skiing when I don't have poles.; 7/1/10, 6:54 PM
Phil 314 said...: Getting old is b***ch

(You know after trekking poles comes this. Get one with the seat in it and the handy front pouch.); 7/1/10, 6:56 PM
Foobarista said...: We like them - they're good for walking in steep places with lots of rocks, particularly if you have little depth perception (like I do).

I get a whole lot less tired if I'm walking under full pack if I use a pole. Also, the fact that it has a bit of "give" lets me use it to bounce off of things. And the composite ones are a whole lot lighter than hardwood sticks, which matters at 10,000 feet with a 40 pound pack.

We use only one though...; 7/1/10, 7:00 PM
rhhardin said...: Kate McGarrigle fashioned her own.; 7/1/10, 7:05 PM
Trooper York said...: You really should be careful what you purchase at the spur of the moment.

They will be around for a long, long time.

Just sayn'; 7/1/10, 7:08 PM
Trooper York said...: That's the real Trek pole.; 7/1/10, 7:09 PM
traditionalguy said...: I agree with Foobarista (what a name)that only one is needed for going up and down in the steep places. I am surprised that the nature lover in Althouse picked metal poles instead of an organic wood walking stick. The weight is close to the same, and I'll believe the Professor hikes with a 40 pound pack when I see it.; 7/1/10, 7:16 PM
Daniel Fielding said...: I have a pair of hickory trekking poles that a local woodworker here in Ann Arbor whittled. Paid $25.00 for the pair; 7/1/10, 7:36 PM
David said...: Trek poles are bestl for the downhill part, which is good news for most of us here.; 7/1/10, 7:56 PM
kjbe said...: I love using them. They're great on uneven terrain for the knees. I'll be using them in two weeks, backpacking in the San Juans. Can't wait!; 7/1/10, 8:20 PM
Bob Plankers -- lonesysadmin.net said...: You'll run into two types of people while using them: people who think you look stupid and deride you, and those who have used them before and know how awesome they are. Especially when you have a heavy pack on hilly terrain.

Make them shorter if you're going uphill, longer if you're going down.; 7/1/10, 9:01 PM
Pastafarian said...: This is horrifying.

They're made of heat-treated 7075 aircraft aluminum, with carbide tips. Do you know how much engineering has gone into these...sticks?

Whenever I see a teenage girl texting "lol" on a cell phone, I think of the generations of scientists and engineers that toiled and worked their lives away for this ultimate purpose, of allowing this ignorant little shit to express her amusement in the most illiterate way possible to her little shit friends.

That's bad enough. But at least I couldn't take that phone from her and replace it with a tin can and a string.

These are sticks, Althouse.

Please warn me if you're ever planning a hike in Ohio, because if I cross your path and you're using these things, I can't be held responsible for my own actions.

And did Meade get his own set of sticks with Aergon Grip and Super Lock System (SLS)? That's surprising to me.; 7/1/10, 10:01 PM
Big Mike said...: I only know of one person who ever used a walking stick. It was just over 50" long and about the diameter of his thumb.

It was called a "jyo," he was a fourth degree Aikidoka, and in his hands it could be lethal.; 7/1/10, 10:20 PM
mc said...: I encourage the purchase of a Pat Crawford walking stick. It can be reconfigured and used as a blowgun or billy club, and it is finely crafted.

I don't use a staff while hiking but the blowgun seems like too much fun. I could use it around the yard and get good at it before I set off on a hike and blowdart nothing.

His craftsmanship is very cool though.

Pastafarian is misguided, no pun. It is a thing of beauty, the manner in which technology cascades towards the mundane, where we all can taste it.

http://www.crawfordknives.com/SURVIVAL%20STAFF%20PAGE%201.htm

http://www.crawfordknives.com/; 7/1/10, 10:28 PM
Kurt said...: Looks like you've got the fancy high-end ones. I decided to get some after my first long hike in the Sierra Nevada when I got a very, very sore knee on the way back down. I got some discount ones on sale at Sierra Trading Post a few years back and now regularly take them with me on most hikes that will involve significant climbs or descents. The poles also nice to have when you have to cross a creek or something--they aid in balancing when you are stepping from rock to rock, etc.; 7/1/10, 10:30 PM
Kurt said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/1/10, 10:30 PM
bagoh20 said...: Those are nice...lightning rods!

If you normally walk with crutches what do you use when you break your leg?; 7/1/10, 10:32 PM
Blue@9 said...: I use mine all the time when backpacking. Really saves your knees and lets you move much faster over rough terrain, not to mention river crossings.

I'm sure people ridicule them, but my response is that you've got to be a complete retard to care more about how you look (in the wilderness) than about how much you're enjoying your experience.; 7/2/10, 12:05 AM
Amexpat said...: Trekking poles may look dorky, but they save a lot of wear and tear on your knees, especially if you have a pack.

I've been using Lekis for years and think they're great. They weigh next to nothing and can telescope down to fit into carry on luggage.; 7/2/10, 3:14 AM
MadisonMan said...: My mom uses these to help rehabilitate her recently replaced hip.

I associate them with old people as well.; 7/2/10, 7:46 AM
Known Unknown said...: "You guys are SO white..."

Moose FTW.; 7/2/10, 10:06 AM
former law student said...: Until I read the comments here I thought people swinging long pointed sticks on day hikes were simply really fucking annoying, but I can see how they can help the elderly and the infirm.; 7/2/10, 12:07 PM
Charlie Martin said...: I've seen people walking with these things back to the old mountain man who was a friend of my grandfather; made what living he needed by hand-shaping knives from pieces of old automobile leaf springs.

Only, up in the mountains of Colorado, we call them "sticks".; 7/2/10, 5:08 PM
KJohnson said...: This 30 year old loves her Leki walking poles. Mine have rubber tips for sidewalk/street lunchtime walks. Increases your caloric output by 30% and lets me walk faster all the while protecting my knees and ankles. I'm sure they don't look cool, but they work so well!; 7/5/10, 12:00 AM
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