Trekking Poles....Great or Hype?

“i have thought a lot about this thread and here is my thinking on this...

trekking poles are a lot of hype.

now those that have seen me use and rant about trekking poles will wonder why i am saying this.

the sad reality is that most people don't have the slightest clue how to properly use trekking poles to get the advantages mentioned in the article wanderer posted. i like to say i see more people "hiking while carrying trekking poles" than "hiking with trekking poles" if you catch my drift. for most people I have seen the advantages (which I have found to be significant) are lost and these are just dead weight in the hands. why do people spend so much money on a piece of technical gear and then refuse to learn to use it properly?

what constitutes proper use? well that's where people will say, "what works for me is what works." so have at it. still for those that want to read a cool web site on a widely used and accepted technique i'll offer the URL below.

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm <-- trekking poles

http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles3.htm#Using <-- adjustment and use

if you have never tried the technique applied here (and it does take practice to get down to where it's automatic) consider giving it a shot. the benefit is dramatic and almost immediate after one hike of practice.

i'll add on edit that i get a huge kick out of ultralight hikers who love trekking poles but cut the "wrist straps" off of the poles to save weight. "i never drop my poles", they will say. this displays a fundamental lack of understanding for the engineering of the trekking pole and why the strap is there in the first place. it's a load-bearing component of the system... not a "catch me" strap to keep you from dropping the pole.
last edited: 6/23/07 12:03:21 PM”

“...and for those that are interested the concept of hiking poles goes way beyond trekking poles. there is still a lot of room for development (which includes the development of "proper" technique). i wanted to offer an example of what some people are experimenting with. check out the following web site. personally i am not convinced yet but i have never used these. i would love to get my hands on a pair and try them out. i won't review a piece of gear or a technique until i have tried it out for myself. that said, these make use of the hands to grip the pole (unlike trekking poles) so the use of the wrist stap is totally different...

http://www.pacerpoles.com/”