Hiking poles can bring a lot of benefits to outdoor hiking and traversing activities, such as improving walking stability and reducing the burden on the legs; according to research, using hiking poles while walking can reduce the force exerted on muscle joints such as legs and knees by at least 22 per cent, making the legs feel more comfortable! And using two trekking poles at the same time can provide better balance. And let's not forget that if you can't find a tree trunk, it can also be used as a pole for building a canopy with a tarp.
Understanding the construction of trekking poles
Currently, mountaineering traversing activities generally use three sections of adjustable trekking poles with aluminium alloy/titanium alloy stubs, tungsten carbide tips, handle pads designed to fit the palm of the hand, and quick-detachable snow loops; advanced trekking poles also have a shock-absorbing system to slow down the burden on the arms! Below is a brief description of each part.
Handle: Usually made of rubber, cork, plastic and foam, generally speaking, the first two materials are more comfortable to grip, but also more expensive. Some trekking poles have a 15-degree handle, which is derived from the design of ski poles, and it is easier to hold onto the ground to achieve the braking effect when going downhill, but it is not easy to hold onto the ground when going uphill or walking on a flat surface, and you have to be very skilled in the use of poles to get used to it; therefore, it is not suitable for beginners or those who are walking on flat surfaces only.
Wrist strap: This is the most important part to consider when buying trekking poles, because the mutual transfer of power between trekking poles and user's body is mainly through the wrist strap, so the durability, softness, comfort and width of the wrist strap material should be considered, and it should be possible to adjust the length of the strap to facilitate the wrist's activities, and it is best to choose the wrist strap without a buckle; if it is attached with a buckle, be sure to try on to make sure that it won't affect the wrist or the palm's activities. If a buckle is attached, be sure to try it on to make sure it will not interfere with wrist or hand movement.
Struts: Struts are usually made of steel, aluminium alloy and titanium alloy; titanium alloy is the lightest in weight, followed by aluminium alloy; the lighter the weight, the more expensive the price.
Shock absorbing system: Shock absorbing system is a spring inside the trekking pole, which can cushion the impact as needed, and is more expensive than trekking poles without shock absorbing system; there is another kind of trekking poles that can turn off the shock absorbing system, which is even more expensive. But isn't it great to have a shock absorbing system? Why switch it off?
According to the correct way of using, when you push back with the poles when going uphill, and when you use the poles and legs to bear the downward impact of the body at the same time, at this time you need a shock absorbing system to ease the impact; but when you are going uphill, the shock absorbing system will cut down the backward thrust, that is to say, you need to use more thrust to achieve the same effect as the normal poles, and at this time the shock absorbing system becomes an unnecessary device instead.
Ski ring: Ski ring can prevent the trekking pole from getting stuck in the mud, but the environment of mountaineering traversing has thorns and bushes, the ski ring will hinder the convenience of action, so pay attention to the ski ring should be able to quickly disassemble, so as not to cause trouble.
Tip: There are rubber tip, iron, tungsten carbide, etc. Tungsten carbide is the hardest and the most expensive, rubber tip is the cheapest, but it is also less able to cope with rugged outdoor terrains, and the wear resistance is not as good as tungsten carbide tip.
Adjusting the length of trekking poles
When adjusting the length, loosen all the poles, stand on a flat surface with the poles in hand and adjust the length, there are scales on the top of the poles for reference. Arms hanging naturally, with the elbow as the fulcrum, raise the forearm to 90 degrees with the upper arm, and then adjust the tip of the trekking pole downward until it touches the ground; or put the top of the trekking pole under the armpit of 5 to 8 centimetres, and then adjust the tip of the pole downward until it touches the ground; and then finally lock the trekking pole pole all the way up. The adjustment should not exceed the maximum adjustment length shown on the trekking pole.
The strongest state of the three adjustable poles is when the three sections of the poles are of equal length, so do not extend only one section of the poles but not the other, or exceed the warning scale of the poles, which will cause the poles to be easily bent and deformed and unusable! The best way to use the poles is to adjust the other two extendable poles to the same length, which can ensure the support strength of the poles and increase the service life of the poles.
Correct use of wristbands
The average person uses trekking poles by gripping the handles tightly to apply force, thinking that the wrist straps are just there to keep the poles from leaving their wrists, and if that's what you think, then you're wrong.
The impact of the poles on the downhill should be transmitted to our arms through the wrist strap; while on the uphill the thrust of the arms is transmitted to the poles through the wrist strap to create uphill assistance, so the wrist should not go directly through the top of the strap to grab the handle, but rather, we should pick up the strap, go underneath the strap, and press the strap into our palms, then gently grab the handle, and support the poles through the wrist strap instead of tightly gripping the handle. Support the poles through the wrist strap, rather than gripping the handle tightly to apply force. If you have a buckle, adjust it slightly so that it does not interfere with the operation of the poles. (As shown in the picture)
Modus operandi in different terrains*
The following is the normal* way of using trekking poles, but it is not the only way, you can make slight adjustments in the actual* way to find out the way that suits you, so that you can make full use of the benefits of trekking poles.
On flat ground and on gentle uphill slopes, walk in the same rhythm as you normally would, with your right arm bringing your poles forward at the same time as your left foot, but with the tips of the poles not exceeding the front of your body, and then pushing back against the ground, with your left hand and right hand interacting with each other in the same way.
Steeper incline action and normal walking, but the arm should be forward to the position of the hiking poles in front of the body, the use of hiking poles to support the body up to reduce the pressure on the legs, if necessary, you can use two hiking poles at the same time to do the action of climbing, pushing the body up, the palm of the hand can be placed on the top of the poles to strengthen the power of the push.
Downhill due to the impact is relatively large, it is necessary to use the hiking poles to reduce the load on the legs; hiking poles must be placed in front of the body, and to be more than the front foot first on the ground in order to achieve the effect of sharing the force, at this time, the body will be tilted forwards, this action is not a natural action of our downhill, so we need to practice often, and at the same time, we need to feel the poles to be placed in a position to slow down the legs! The effect of pressure, and will not slow down the original speed and rhythm of travel. If necessary, you can extend the length of the poles according to your personal feeling.
Care of trekking poles
When not in use for a while, it's a good idea to store your trekking poles separately, with the openings down and upright, to allow the moisture inside to slowly drain out. If you can't unscrew it, you can gently tap the locked part or wet the trekking pole to reduce some friction, and then you can unscrew the pole smoothly.
A problem that often occurs with rotating locking poles is that the grommets inside the poles will rotate with the poles and fail to lock, this type of malfunction is mostly due to the grommets being too dirty, as long as the poles are disassembled and the grommets are thoroughly cleaned and then put back in place to solve the problem.
