Topic: Walking Poles (Read 10942 times)

chris · « **on:** February 25, 2010 »

Are these actually any good?!
I Know a few of you use them when your out and about and I was looking at getting some. I've been having trouble with my ankles recently (can hardly go a walk without tweaking one!) and was wondering if walking poles would help with that. Its seems to make sense in my head that four points of contact on the ground will provide better stability and less ankle tweaking!

suspectmonkey · « **Reply #1 on:** February 25, 2010 »

I quite fancy trying out a pair of poles, but haven't done so yet. I especially like the idea of being able to use them as tent poles with a tarp! The ones that caught my attention were Pacerpoles which seem to get excellent feedback. They also convert to a neat camera mono pod as well, so you could effectively ditch the tripod on the days out.

chris · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2010 »

Yeah I noticed those when I was having a look online. I was being swayed by the tarp idea aswell! People do seem seem to be divided on them seems you either love them or hate them.

MG1 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2010 »

i find them helpful it takes a lot of strain off your knees and ankles.

RedLeader · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2010 »

I'm torn on walking poles. The cheapy ones I have weigh 300g each so if you want 2 for a tarp it's 600g. Discounting actually using them to walk and seeing them purely as required weight takes my tarp setup to 750g + 600g = 1350g when a Hike Lite tent is 2069g. Still plenty of saving but it's creeping up there. However, from my last few outings I really prefer the tarp - it's great fun and gives a real feeling of being outdoors, although I have yet to have a bad experience. I've spent very wet nights under one but was lucky that the rain never ran under. (It's worth noting that tarping it in the summer will probably need a mozzie net which will probably be another 300g although when the weather is finer I could certainly use a smaller than 3x3 tarp.)

When it comes to walking with poles, sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. They're useful for coming down steep inclines and very helpful for fording streams but sometimes I just feel like it's another appendage I have to think about. I have lost my footing by paying more attention to where the pole is going than the foot

chris · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2010 »

I'm not overly fussed on the weight issue, if they weighed 3kgs each but stopped me goin over on my ankles i's use em!

ulsterwalker · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2010 »

Quote

I'm not overly fussed on the weight issue, if they weighed 3kgs each but stopped me goin over on my ankles i's use em!

Though must repent to the Lightweight God's !!!

As someone who uses poles I obviously like using them. They help take the impact off your knees and other joints and share the load across your body so that you your legs don't tire as quickly, that said you will burn more energy using them. They definitely give you greater stability and can save you going over on yourself, and can also help you make bigger jumps/drops, however whether that is really a good thing depends on who you are.

I used to look at people with poles and think they were dicks but after being given a pair on an expedition and using them with heavy packs (and to keep stray dogs away) I wouldn't be without them. That said others came back form the same trip and didn't look back at them, they are a bit like Marmite in that way.

If I were you I'd borrow a pair and see if you like using them over a couple days, they take a bit of getting used to, and that way your not going to end up with bits of useless aluminium sitting about the house.

I picked up my pair of Black Diamonds nearly half price for around 30quid off ebay and am very happy with them, I picked them up pretty much for their locking system which is supposedly superior to Leki or PP. The Pacerpoles look interesting but are rather pricey in my eyes and I wouldn't be buying them without borrowing a pair for a weekend, in any case I won't be buying them unless my BD's fall to bits.

ulsterwalker · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2010 »

Oh and re:the monopod thing, nearly all pole companies have a monopod walking pole thing, or you can get creative and just drill a hole into the top of your poles and a thread

DryBag · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2010 »

I use them; usually I carry them until I'm on a steep descent or traversing scree or fording a stream or something, then I just keep using them because I couldn't be bothered stopping to put them away.

Mine are cheap Lekis and the twist tightening mechanism annoys me because it slips.

Kirth · « **Reply #9 on:** March 01, 2010 »

I got poles from Lyndsays in Coleraine. £25 each down to a tenner for Vango ones,

I think they are great. I will be up there this week, and could grab you one or two if ya want.

chris · « **Reply #10 on:** March 01, 2010 »

Quote from: Kirth on March 01, 2010

I got poles from Lyndsays in Coleraine. £25 each down to a tenner for Vango ones,

I think they are great. I will be up there this week, and could grab you one or two if ya want.

Thanks for the offer mate but I saw them In Tkmaxx so I've already picked a couple up. Tresspass ones. They are actually pretty good, I noticed them on the ascents alot.

Kirth · « **Reply #11 on:** March 01, 2010 »

My mate bought two of them, I wient in to get them also and there was none left.

MikeD · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2010 »

I had bought a cheap one (new) off ebay for around £5 - I think I overextended it - and put my weight on it - getting up Slieve Donard in the snow (which is was great for getting some traction in the snow) - anyway - it snapped in two.

So, probably best to avoid sub £5 poles !

twentyclicks · « **Reply #13 on:** March 18, 2010 »

I have 2 Leki Super Makalu's (got the spring in them) and between myself & my mate they have been half way round the world!

Really great for stability (crutches / old people - nothing new I guess). Mine get most use with a heavy pack, but I often take 1 on a day trip and use it short, like an ice axe, for "dry hand" stability going up steep bits. As my pack gets lighter, the question of "1 pole, or 2" will surely come up?

There is some statistic that I will get very wrong... that using 2 poles transfers 1 tonne of pressure off your knees for every 1000m descent ...or something significant like that

I agree with Ulsterwalker about the locking mechanism on the Leki's - it's a twist lock (basically an expanding rawl plug type thing) and it is often difficult to get it to catch enough to tighten. They are also susceptible to working loose in the cold - this happened to me unawares, and I bent the bottom section when I transfered my weight. Slightly bad craic at the time, but repaired under warranty.

clic, clic, clic...

LandyLiam · « **Reply #14 on:** November 08, 2011 »

just spotted this info on poles

Quote

Northumbria University took two groups of walkers, approximately 20 in each, all of whom were physically active. They ensured that they were of equal fitness, ate the same dinner, the same breakfast, carried the same weight, and had the same stops whilst ascending and descending Snowdon. Heart rates and exertion levels were recorded during the hike, at the end of it, and 24, 48, and 72 hours afterwards. Muscle damage was also recorded. The only difference between the two groups was that one was given, and trained in the use of, walking poles – the control group was not. This is the first research actually carried out on hills, so it is significant.
The results favoured the pole group. They had less muscle soreness, less loss of strength, and had a faster recovery. Part of the measurement involved checking certain enzyme levels which indicate muscle damage.

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