Walking stick / hiking stick / hiking staff - What do you use?

[knarfeng]

I like using a walking stick/staff. Adds stability. And I have an issue with my hip. Normally it's fine, but occasionally it hangs up until I turn it exactly so. The stick gives reassurance in such situations.

I have one of those folding rods. It's handy for traveling.

But I prefer wood.

The bamboo pole has the advantage in weight. The walking stick is oak. It's heavier, but more satisfying to hold in my hand. So the bamboo gets used for longer treks and the oak gets used on my evening stroll through the neighborhood.

Anyone else use a walking / hiking stick?

 

[jmh33]

 

[barleywino]

check out this hiking pole with optional spear attachment http://www.neotrekk.com/index.html#bigstik comes in different price versions (carbon double wall, carbon single wall, or alloy). The spear (Texas toothpick attachment) resides inside one of the hollow pole segments and is potentially useful for discouraging animals (or as a pole for setting up a tarp etc). It is not sharpened like a knife and is also aluminum so can't really be used for cutting but is pointed enough to poke an animal with, as a last defensive resort. One can wrap Wilson tennis grip (cushioned tape, available on Amazon ) around it to make it easier to carry.

 

[not2sharp]

An ice axe. Even during the summer it was a solid and versatile tool that helped to maintain a good third point of contact.

n2s

 

[knarfeng]

check out this hiking pole with optional spear attachment http://www.neotrekk.com/index.html#bigstik comes in different price versions (carbon double wall, carbon single wall, or alloy). The spear (Texas toothpick attachment) resides inside one of the hollow pole segments and is potentially useful for discouraging animals (or as a pole for setting up a tarp etc). It is not sharpened like a knife and is also aluminum so can't really be used for cutting but is pointed enough to poke an animal with, as a last defensive resort. One can wrap Wilson tennis grip (cushioned tape, available on Amazon ) around it to make it easier to carry.

I got a metal pole and I find I much prefer wood of some sort. I don't see any need to carry a spear.

Is that what you use yourself? How do you like it?

 

[barleywino]

Around here there are mountain lions (I saw one a couple months ago), coyotes (some of whom are pretty fearless), wild pigs (we’ve seen tracks), snakes, even pit bulls whose owners let wander off leash, etc. On those occasions when I’m not concerned, like when I’m in a group, I prefer hiking with carbon fiber poles (two poles better than one pole, and one pole better than no pole), for stream crossings, loose slippery trails, or simply to save my knees on the downhills and help power me uphill. Occasionally I use an old adjustable length ice axe (petzl snowscopic, no longer available), I think Stubai currently makes a telescoping ice axe, also useful for pounding tent stakes. I have a wooden hiking pole but, although esthetic, i find it just too heavy compared to other materials.

 

[Danke42]

I use a long one like your bamboo for snowshoeing. Kind of like a Telemark pole but shorter.

 

[SimplyMinded]

I sometimes use one I got from Brazos when I'm walking the pooch or hiking local trails. The one I ordered was a bit thinner than I expected but it's sturdy enough. We have occasional coyotes around here and sometimes a loose dog or two. I've never had to use it for anything combative but it's nice to have if the need would arise.

 

[1911bphil]

I have a Cold Steel Blackthorn cane that I use when walking the dog in the neighborhood. It's not too heavy and it gives me a less than lethal option if I need it.

 

[drewway]

I agree with knarfeng wood is best. Here are my most used, the blond colored was meant to be a custom broom handle I picked up at a shop in Gatlinburg, TN.
20230115_124003 on Flickr
Here are my favorites. The horse was hand carved by an Amish gentleman, and the other is a tribal stick my parents brought back from a trip to South Africa.
20230115_124027 on Flickr

 

[knarfeng]

Around here there are mountain lions (I saw one a couple months ago), coyotes (some of whom are pretty fearless), wild pigs (we’ve seen tracks), snakes, even pit bulls whose owners let wander off leash, etc. On those occasions when I’m not concerned, like when I’m in a group, I prefer hiking with carbon fiber poles (two poles better than one pole, and one pole better than no pole), for stream crossings, loose slippery trails, or simply to save my knees on the downhills and help power me uphill. Occasionally I use an old adjustable length ice axe (petzl snowscopic, no longer available), I think Stubai currently makes a telescoping ice axe, also useful for pounding tent stakes. I have a wooden hiking pole but, although esthetic, i find it just too heavy compared to other materials.

So, is that a "yes" that you have one of those spear type poles? Do you hike with the spear tip fixed in position? If not, how long does it take to convert from a pole to a spear? I'm really not interested in carrying a weapon. But I am curious as to how that setup would actually work in practice.

In just the local area we have bobcats and coyotes. Farther out there are occasional puma. I've had encounters with both bobcats and coyotes. Hasn't been a problem. (The bobcat just moved off the trail a ways and watched me pass. The coyotes took one look at me, then vanished into the brush.) In puma country, you need to watch your six, be aware of anything overhanging the trail, and try to look large. They are ambush predators.

For weight bamboo is hard to beat. It has an excellent strength to weight ratio. So it satisfies aesthetic and pragmatic needs all in one.

 

[MolokaiRider]

Whenever I am hiking in the rain forest, I enjoy carving and whittling a walking staff before I start. I then leave it at the trail entrance for another hiker to use.

It's a great way to play with my knives too!

 

[MolokaiRider]

Here are a couple that I brought home. Nothing fancy, but effective.

 

[BitingSarcasm]

I have 4 telescoping hiking sticks from Costco in the back of my van for my boys and whichever of their friends are getting dragged out on the trails with me. I like to use a wooden hiking stick, my favorite being made from an Ash tree from my yard. I put one of Windlass's butt caps on it for rocky trails and cover it with a rubber tip for asphalt or sidewalks. I like the strength of a heavier stick, I don't want to try and lever myself up with a toothpick or find out that a plastic joint is fatigued when it takes a shock load at my full weight.

 

[junglefighter]

Since I travel to the Philippines a lot and have access to a boat load of hardwoods along with rattan.. I just dropped the hammer on a magahony walking stick from china to go along with my canes that I have here.. This cane is 35.5 inches long and is used daily due to knee injuries from the previous two career fields I worked in before I have a 55 inch brazos cedar walking stick I use when I go out in the boonies at my home there.. It has a spike on the end of it, so I don't think the airlines would like for me to use that when I am trying to board for my flight..

 

[A.L.]

I’m in the market for trekking poles. Last summer I got to trail where it would have definitely helped having a pair. I really like the idea of solid stick but collapsible sounds better for travel and pair seems to be the overall preferred way to go.

 

[Danke42]

Here are a couple that I brought home. Nothing fancy, but effective.

View attachment 2047375

Those sure look like mine!

 

[tiguy7]

I like a 3 section adjustable Leki walking stick. The handle can be used as a cane or a ski pole. The tip has a Tungsten Carbide insert for ice which is ordinarily covered with a rubber tip. 4 different diameter snow baskets are available (the smallest is shown). I like the cane set up (with my elbow locked) for knee/hip support.

 

[barleywino]

So, is that a "yes" that you have one of those spear type poles? Do you hike with the spear tip fixed in position? If not, how long does it take to convert from a pole to a spear? I'm really not interested in carrying a weapon. But I am curious as to how that setup would actually work in practice.

In just the local area we have bobcats and coyotes. Farther out there are occasional puma. I've had encounters with both bobcats and coyotes. Hasn't been a problem. (The bobcat just moved off the trail a ways and watched me pass. The coyotes took one look at me, then vanished into the brush.) In puma country, you need to watch your six, be aware of anything overhanging the trail, and try to look large. They are ambush predators.

For weight bamboo is hard to beat. It has an excellent strength to weight ratio. So it satisfies aesthetic and pragmatic needs all in one.

The pole is assembled out of hollow segments which fit snugly together end-to-end and which you can customize for length and whether or not it has a spear. The spear segment comes with a hollow tube segment that covers the spear like a sleeve and has a solid tip for hiking. To expose the spear, you just pull the hollow tube off the end, unlike other brands where you have to waste time unscrewing a segment. A little wd40 helps.

Do you carry a knife when hiking? That is a weapon. This is not a weapon, as I mentioned it is made of aluminum and is not sharpened like a knife.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

My memory is a bit fuzzy on this one, as I've had it for close to 50 years. Bought in either Rhode Island or Connecticut when I was in the Navy and made from New England hard maple. Still use it on all my hikes away from home. (Around the farm I use one that I made from an oak sapling that I had to cut down because it was growing under a power line.)