Hiking Poles or not?

To use or not use hiking poles is something that we struggled with.

Will they just get in the way? Should I know how to use them properly or will I just be better off saving my money and picking up the nearest stick?

I actually got our first set of hiking poles on a whim. I walked past a sale as I was buying something else and they were coincidentally reduced in price to the exact amount that I have left over after my other purchase.

“I will just grab them and figure out how to use them later” I thought.

So, after some research on how to properly set them up and techniques for using them we took them on our first 4 day hike.

They turned out to be absolutely invaluable. We found them to be very useful not only on the uphill sections but on the downhill also.

I am not claiming to be any sort of expert on the purchase and use of hiking poles but I can offer my opinion of their use and how handy they are when it comes to long distance hikes.

I honestly believe that had we not taken hiking poles on the 4 day hike we would have returned with knees and ankles that were much more sore than they were.

I strongly recommend purchasing and learning how to use hiking poles when going on an extended multi day walk.

You won’t be sorry.

Below are some links to get you started.

http://www.abc-of-hiking.com/info/hiking-poles-hike.asp

http://www.ideal-hiking-equipment.com/using-trekking-poles.html

http://www.slackpacker.com/trekking-poles.html

http://www.trails.com/about_6595_basic-trekking-pole-techniques.html