Backpacking with trekking poles

[IntrepidXJ]

Just curious how many of you use trekking poles while backpacking?

I have a set, but I rarely ever use them while hiking. I can see how they might be more useful while backpacking, but I'm still not sure I want to drag them along?

 

[Yellowstone 1]

I love mine! They take the pressure of the knees when going down hill. They help give that extra little boost when going uphill at least for me anyway. Most important they have saved me from eatin it numerous times. I have some Black Diamond with shocks. They save your elbows when falling and saving yourself. A friend of mine hates poles cause he likes his hands free. I agree in certain situations. Other than that LOVE THEM!

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I have some Black Diamond with shocks.

Those are what I have as well.

 

[Nick]

I thing trekking poles are the best thing in the world for mountain hiking or anything where you're doing a lot of elevation change. But for desert hiking and hikes with minor elevation change, I don't usually use them. But totally agree with everything Yellowstone 1 has to say when it comes to mountain hiking.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I thing trekking poles are the best thing in the world for mountain hiking or anything where you're doing a lot of elevation change.

The rare occasions that I do use them are usually when I'm hiking up a 14er.

 

[Yvonne]

I like my Black Diamond poles as well and use them usually most of the time, especially on hikes with different elevation changes.
Especially down hill they help me to take the pressure off my knees which are both not in the best shape. Without the poles I would really suffer.There are some situations like scrambling when they are not very helpful and a little bit hindering, but then I can always strap them on my pack.
But in general I'm really happy to have them and I use them on a regular base.
I'm also happy to have them on hikes with river crossings. They give me more stability and I can use them to check the water depth.

 

[Nick]

Miss Buffalo just reminded me, I'm pretty much of the opinion that Black Diamond trekking poles are by far the best pole on the market. Flick locks are the shiznackle.

 

[Yvonne]

Miss Buffalo just reminded me, I'm pretty much of the opinion that Black Diamond trekking poles are by far the best pole on the market. Flick locks are the shiznackle.

I switched from Leki to Black Diamond last year and more than happy with my Black Diamond poles. Compared to Leki definitely an improvement.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Flick locks are the shiznackle.

I like the flick locks on my trekking poles...but not on my tripod!

 

[Yellowstone 1]

Yeah like ibenick said, great for mountain hiking. Before I bought mine I was mush the next day after a heavy up or downhill hike. Not fun to be mush when you need to get out of the backcountry. I also love the stability for river crossings like Miss Buffalo said. Guess it's a personal preference thing. Let's face it they're not the best thing to use when grinding on slickrock.

 

[pixie1339]

I bought a set of Black Diamond poles with shock absorbers last June, and we've been inseparable ever since. I bought them after hiking Bells Canyon and struggling with how bad the steep trail hurt my knees. My knees do so much better with them. I found that they also help my endurance because I can get my arms in on the action, which saves my legs and feet a bit of strain. Plus they're invaluable for stability on river crossings. There are times when they get in the way, but in those cases, I just stick them in my backpack.

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[HomerJ]

The time I love my walking poles the most is when I'm crossing a creek and there's loose/slick rocks/logs, especially when you have a pack on. I agree with everyone else, they're nice when going up steep stuff and even better coming down. But on relatively flat ground I end up just carrying them...

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Ended up leaving them in the Jeep this weekend. There were a couple of sections where they might have come in handy, but overall I'm glad I didn't drag them along on this trip.

Thanks for all the input

 

[WasatchWill]

I'm going to bump this thread because I'm curious...who of you who use trekking poles, also use the rubber tips available out there and that now come on many sets of poles? I've noticed that with carbide tips, using them in places like southern utah with all the sand and sandstone, and even up here in the northern utah where trails can be quite rocky, that the carbide tips are easily worn down into rounded little stubs that results in no traction on any icy spots if you like to get out in the winter and so on.

Looks like both Black Diamond and Leki make an all terrain tip to be placed on the carbide tips to not only provide protection for the carbide, but make the poles quieter and gentler on the trails you hike while also providing improved traction on rock and other terrain...like little hiking boots for your poles. Does anyone have an opinion one way or the other on these tips and are they worth it?

 

[Bob]

Never use them, probably never will.... looks like wasted weight you carry to me. Some of my hiking buddies use (think they use) them but I'd bet 2/3 the time they are strapped to their pack unused. I think a marketing push for them maybe? like so many other BPing items. Use the basics. But a lot of people like them. I'd guess rubber would wear out faster than carbide, they use carbide to drill rock not rubber.

 

[andyjaggy]

I use mine pretty regularly. They help a lot on downhill sections for keeping my knees from hurting, as well as cutting across steep slopes for balance. They come in very handy for crossing rivers as well. I also find they help me get in a good rhythm with my speed, something about getting my arms more involved helps me keep a good and constant pace. I have the Black Diamond Carbon (alpine?) Cork ones.

 

[steve]

I love mine. I used to get super bored on long hikes, but having trekking poles makes it more interesting for me for some reason. I also don't get shin splints like I used to. I thought they looked dorky and wrote them off as things only wannabe hikers used, but then I tried a pair and had lots more energy at the end of the hike. They also keep my hands from swelling. I've strapped mine to my pack for about 10 minutes total this year. I almost always have them. I use them snowshoeing a lot as well, and now they also serve as the poles for my shelter system.

 

[DAA]

I gave them an honest try and wanted to like them, but, they aren't for me. Nice for the steep descents and the very occasional deep river crossing for probing the depth, but at all other times I'd rather have my hands free and not be bothered with them.

I think carbide has about eleven trillion times more abrasion resistance than rubber or plastic, so the alternative tip covers probably aren't going to last as long.

- DAA

 

[WasatchWill]

Perhaps the cheaper brands of poles don't use true carbide then, because like I said above, a pair I had, the "carbide" tips became nothing but bald little stubs after very little use with them. Once those tips became bald stubs, I didn't feel I could safely rely on them to grip any grooves in any kind of slickrock if I ever stumbled. That was a pair of poles by Wilderness Technology from Rec Outlet years ago. Hence why I questioned the effectiveness of the rubber tips like these. I had recently purchased a pair of $30 carbon fiber poles from Costco earlier this last spring to give those a try and were enjoying them up until this week when I had mistakenly set them against the side of my car with the door open. Wind got a hold of the door and swung it shut, snapping one of the poles right in half.

Of course, all the local Costcos are already phasing out their summer gear and all their poles are now out of stock, so having already exhausted pretty much all of my gear budget for the year, I'm now onto another cheaper pair from Rec Outlet that I'll probably be using for the rest of the season until I can afford some higher end Black Diamonds I'd like to get.

By the way, I can be counted among those though used to look upon poles as something only "wimps" used until I learned of the reasonable benefits they offer as has already been discuss above (safety/stability, pacing, reduce weight on knees, multi-use as tent/tarp poles, etc). Now I only strap them up when I really want my hands free for scrambles and boulder hopping.

 

[steve]

Here's a good article I've found on ways to use trekking poles. It seems kinda silly to need an article on how to walk with sticks, but they've got some good points in here.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/hiking_poles_technique#.U8hSevldXzg