To pole or not to pole, that there is thine question.
Are they crutches that'll get you into more trouble than they're worth?
To pole or not to pole, that there is thine question.
To pole or not to pole, that there is thine question.
Are they crutches that'll get you into more trouble than they're worth?
I used them for about 10% of my thru hike, didnt like them, helped on steeper inclines though. I think they were more useful before we hd ultra light gear so probably still useful if youre a poorgay milsurp kiddie
im starting to move away from them the lighter my pack weight gets. i think at least a single pole will always be worth it because of the weight savings from using a trekking pole tent and convenience with my tarp.
>holes
Sexy.
invaluable if you're ascending and descending with a big pack
this is how you really move stuff around. carrying on your own back is below peasant, that's refugee tier
>thine question
It's "thy question", thine is used before vowels
The Q is silent, dummy.
Inb4 weak legs
Don’t forget
>you don’t need them if you have really light gear
>HMG pack
>trail runners
>SmartWater bottles
The PCT doesn't actually have extreme elevation gains/losses over short distance which is where poles are nice.
He hiked the Triple Crown with them.
Also didn’t take his shoes off at water crossings. HOW DOES HE DO IT?!
>Also didn’t take his shoes off at water crossings. HOW DOES HE DO IT?!
Bootoids apparently can't fathom simply letting light shoes or runners air dry. I'm a an actual Appalachian redneck who owns knee-high insulated Dryshods (for marshes and small creek wading), USAF mukluks for very cold but dry conditions, duck boots with fluffy socks and merino sock liners for cold but wet conditions, work boots, etc. Also two pairs of waders and two pairs of wading boots.
But even a clodhopping son of a b***h like me can see that in warm weather, getting those gay Crayola-colored foam city boy trailrunners is the way to go. Just literally fricking walk through the water, idiots.
>muh ankle support
I love this board.
Works fine in cold weather as well. Just use wool socks and shoes that doesn't have too much padding. It's quite amazing how quickly you get back to comfortable temperature, despite socks and shoes being soaked with ice cold water
What percentage of serious hikers use memesticks? I'm not looking for anecdotes like . What are the percentages? Because I only see old people, thots, and gays ever using them.
Internet says 90% of AT Thru-Hiker’s use them. The article I saw sites the ATC survey but I couldn’t find the original source. Observation tells me the same. Online anecdotes all lead me to believe that’s probably accurate as well.
Trekking pole usage feels like the midwit meme, with experience on the X axis and the chance they won’t be used on the Y axis.
What about on shorter trails? Does anybody besides seniors, Karens, thots and gays use them if they're not on some long thru hike?
The same article said it’s 15% for day hikers. It didn’t mention “karens” or “gays.”
Just 15% for dayhikers? Makes you wonder if thru hikers primarily have poles for setting up quick, lightweight shelters with a tarp and rope.
No.
I did about the first 100 of the PCT with them, and then ditched them. I just don't like them.
I use them for snowshoing
I bring them in the summer because they are nice for steep grades but I don't use them off trail or on the shoreline (flat) trails.
Bring 1 just in case or for your tent.
I love using mine. It's not about making the suffering easier, but saving energy to go further. It's just efficient. Out of all four people I hike with, all four of them eventually converted.
I only use them for my shelter and when crossing deep ass rivers. The rest of the time they're strapped to the side of my pack.
If only there was a way to find a hiking stick in the woods.
hammocks are the supieor form of /out shelter. ive had my amok dramur for 2 years and its better than my bed at home
1) what does that have to do with poles?
2) why aren’t you sleeping in a hammock at home if it’s more comfortable than your bed?
If I'm doing >20mi a day over >3 days and carrying a pack >20lbs, I'll bring poles.
I like trekking poles for descents. I also use them to pitch my shelter
i just use a good sturdy stick. Not so much for balance or support more to just test the ground before i step and use it as an extra thing to snag onto stuff in case i slip
Are people really too dumb to figure sticks out? Not only are they fricking necessary on slippery/loose bullshit but they really do improve efficiency on the flat. Just find some sticks outside, you don't need REI for this one
I carry one, It lives on my pack, it is used for going down hills to test how loose the soil is and to make a Holden tarp
I always bring poles but I stow them to the outside of my pack. They've come in super handy once when I tweaked my knee several miles out and another time doing half dome at Yosemite where I just got completely exhausted
is
>just find your own stick in the woods
the ultimate midwit post?
a single stick is a walking stick. trekking poles involves two sticks of roughly the same size. you get some of the advantages of trekking poles with a walking stick, such as balance, but its not the same thing. when you're using the double sticks you're basically getting an upper body workout and shifting iirc up to like 40% of the burden off your legs. its very nice especially the heavier of a pack you carry. trekking poles are good for clearing long miles and its very rare/unusual for long distance hikers to not use them. in the mountaineering world they are popular for endurance battles but not on technical terrain. that's what they're for.
there's nothing wrong with picking up a walking stick on a hike but its not even close to the same thing as using trekking poles lmbo.
i know none of you go outside very often maybe once a year because literally all the experienced hikers i see use poles the anon posting thru hiker surveys isn't wrong lol. its actually a pain in the ass to find 2 sticks light and sturdy and straight enough and about the same size in the woods. have you even thought it through? why would i waste an hour every time i go outside vs just buying a pair of sticks 15 years ago that i still use?
its one of those things where you think you sound like the rugged badass mountain man saying it, but it just sounds green.
what kind of poor Black person can't pay $30-100 for a stick that ways way less and doesn't slip on rocks? seriously $30 is all you need for a high end pair of z poles off alibaba.
I'm not reading all that lmao.
cuz ur a midwit
Swing and a miss
lol wheres all these rugged backcountry mountainmen who think poles are gay and use military surplus gear?
doesn't exist.
total fantasy.
i never see anyone do the stuff that you weirdos post about on this board. maybe sometimes army guys but they figure out pretty quick civvie gear is better lol.
Pros:
Will help with distributing pack weight off of your legs.
Will stabilize you on ascent and descents, as well as on unstable ground and water crossings. Can always have at least 3 points of contact while in motion.
Can be used as part of your shelter.
Will keep your arms moving. Often on long hikes without I find my fingers swollen after having my hands lowered for extended periods of time.
As a result of more traction and less strain on the legs, many find they will be able to hike longer distance without fatigue
Cons
Another piece of equipment to buy
Have to actually use them to figure out how to get the ergonomic benefit
Hands often get sweaty in warm weather
All in all I think if you're gonna cover long trail distance with a pack you will probably find benefit in them. If you don't currently use them bum some off a buddy and give them a try even if all you do is load up your pack and do a long day hike. I got tired of bumming one off my buddy during hikes, got my own set and I'm glad I did.
I use them since forever, because although they add weight, I end up moving faster with them. Upgraded to carbon, too
>He doesn't carry walking sticks that he carved with his own two hands
NGMI
I was remembering you homosexuals calling them "cripple sticks" over and over while I was carrying a 60 lb pack up a steep friggin hill the other day. Wish I had them then, they weigh very little.
They look stupid and are usually dead weight for the first twenty miles you go each day