UKH

A100 QUICK-ADJUSTMENT WALKING POLE. Decathlon

Hey guys so I'm doing the Yorkshire 3 peaks in September I do a fair bit of walking usually but only like on mountain at a time back home. Y3P is like a longer walk than I'm used to and thought it might be good in having a/(pair) of walking poles. I heard they help put less pressure on your knees and that.

I's that true at all? Are they worth it? Is there a massive difference between poles other than price?

Thanks 👍😊

I use one pole(or rather I take one pole with me when I walk).

Quite a few who use two poles seem to find them very useful, so perhaps I'm not using my single one effectively. Most of the time I don't use it but I do find it very useful in three situations -

as a third leg when there is no option but to cross a stream,

testing if a bit of bog is likely to hold my weight, and

sometime when descending steep broken slopes,

As I've had only one pole I don't know if more expensive ones are better. I bought a fairly cheap one from Tiso a few years ago that seems fine to me, but my use might not be typical.

Dave

having knackered knees, they do really help... faster up hill and less painful down hill... I also find them handy for bog trotting (with snow baskets on), river crossing, depth checking and selfie stick 😉

My current favourite are the BD carbon poles (fixed length) - light, pack away small and the Y3P is pretty much a pavement the whole way round so you don't need big baskets... Good luck 👍

They're great for all the reasons given already. For years I was a single pole person, but having two really does make a lot of difference. You'll find yourself getting into a natural rhythm, which is really useful on something like the Y3P. Given that poles can often spend a lot of time attached to your pack it is definitely worth spending a little extra to get a lightweight set. When I'm leading groups and I take a pole off a client, for example if they're crossing a stile, I'm amazed by how heavy the ones that are perhaps aimed at the more occasional user are. This will negate the benefit of having them. I have a pair of these and they are amazingly good value for the weight - poles of a similar weight from the more well-known brands are probably twice the price. They're four section too so they collapse down well. I'm not a massive fan of z-fold style ones - they take up far more room and just feel messy in comparison.

 https://www.elitemountainsupplies.co.uk/camping-trekking-c4/trekking-poles-...

They are just glorified sticks. Mine were about £20 have had them for years now. Only really use them when carrying weight, they have saved many a stumble. Great for burn crossing and bog leaping. They can take some jarring out of steep rocky descents too.

Best of all you can really point the hell out of things in the distance as you wrongly name them to your mates.

Poles are a really good aid to balance; they take strain off your knees on the descents and likely reduce the risk of injury; and they add some forward propulsion.

They are really effective if used properly: less so it you don't have the knack sorted but prob still better than nothing. I wouldn't want to use them all the time because they can be cumbersome at times (scrambling ground etc) and it's good to mix and match so that you don't get reliant on them for balance on rough ground. I do use them about half the time when I'm out, and they're especially good for:

• Long distances - you'll be tired at the end of a long day so they'd be a very good idea on Y3P
• When carrying heavy loads
• Snowy conditions, both for balance on slopes and to help drive you forward when you're wading
• A brace in windy weather

Here's an article on using them properly (less stating the obvious than you might at first assume):

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/skills/series/skills/how_to_walk_wit...

To an extent you get what you pay for. A pricier pair might have a neater locking mechanism, fold smaller, be lighter, have a more ergonomic handle... but a cheap and cheerful pair will definitely do, though they may not necessarily last as long. Even pricey ones can get lost or snapped though, and the expensive super light carbon models need to be treated with care.

If you're serious about using poles, especially on longer distances, then it does pay to think about the handle. The typical trekking pole is simply an adaptation of the straight-handled ski pole, and this style of handle has not been adapted for maximum mechanical efficiency when walking. It's a bit like pole manufacturers are still stuck in the straight shafted ice axe era, with surprisingly few exceptions. To be wielded effectively the traditional handle design is supposed to be used in conjunction with wrist straps (and there's a right way and a wrong way even to wear these) but personally I hate straps, as they are restrictive and uncomfy. Strapping your wrist into the pole stops you being able to move your grip up and down the pole as the ground undulates under you, which I do a lot: and there's a risk of a leverage-related wrist injury if you fall while strapped in (it happens). And it's not even mechanically very effective.   

Some handles are more ergonomic than others, so it might be worth trying a few in a shop to see what suits you. I personally think the best design for mechanical efficiency is the Pacerpole: once you've tried them I'd be willing to bet that nothing else will feel as good, especially for long distance walks. They are an investment compared to a cheap and cheerful pair, but no more than other premium end brands.

Another vote for using two sticks. 

I'd avoid the cheap heavy ones with a screw lock, they seem to fail after a while and as others have said, the weight isn't ideal.

I splashed out on a nice carbon set but one snapped when getting stuck between two rocks. I now use decent quality mid range aluminium poles. 

I like poles. I find the ones with a lever lock more reliable than twist lock ones which I've found are either too loose and slip under load or they stick.

Have used sticks for donkeys years now as my knees are not brilliant. They have made a huge difference especially on steep descents where I would be in agony by the bottom. I use the Leki ones with the little springload in the bottom. You need to adjust the length for going up or down and also adjust the wrist straps to get best use out of the. They are very handy for getting across rivers, streams etc.

I use one on descents only as a "third leg" to protect my iffy knees a bit.  I prefer to have the other hand free.

They're amazing for saving your knees on descents, helping you march uphill quicker, stop you eating shit if you trip when you're tired and/or carrying weight, and make river-crossing twice as easy.

I would 100% recommend them, and if you get some I would 100% recommend taking them out lots before the walk you're intending to need them for (so the rhythm and coordination are second nature). 

You can get a good pair of black diamond ones for about £30. 

Go with flick-lock over the ones that twist tight, and go with aluminium overy carbon. 

Oh and don't get those little rubber tips to cover the carbide tips. They will just fall off and litter the national parks. When descending the tourist path on the Ben after climbing the north face a couple of years ago I picked up about 30.

One pole is great for uneven ground and taking some strain. I’ve a vintage Leki twistlock but when I replace will get a spring lock.

Beware the overuse of two poles it doesn’t come without risk.

I used to walk with two but found my balance was poor on uneven ground when I stopped using them.

Ive seen people weighting a pole on rock as an aid to balance only for the top of the pole to skid off causing a fall.

Also some documentation on shoulder injuries in the event of a slip as the hands were suspended in the loops.

I would use two poles now only for when carrying very heavy loads which I don’t anymore.

I'm quite keen on two poles, I've been using them for about 20 years. I use them a bit like ski poles, that is I put quite a bit of effort into placing each one carefully - you soon get into a rhythm when this just becomes part of the whole Zen of walking. Once a pole is placed you can adjust how much strain you are going to take on your arms.

Carrying any size load they help you stay more upright as well.

As others have said, I wouldn't buy the cheapest, they'll be heavy, they won't lock so well and they will break - there again I wouldn't take out a 2nd mortgage either.

My wife and I use pacerpoles, especially on multiday hikes. They are great for all of the reasons stated for poles in general, but the pacerpole handle is a great fit for the hand. On a long hike we will use them almost constantly, even on the flat as we found, in our experience, it helps with your stride.

So around the £30 mark is this a good option? Is there any others? https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901642/oex-x-lite-trigger-trekking-poles-pai...

So around the £30 mark is this a good option? Is there any others? https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901642/oex-x-lite-trigger-trekking-poles-pai...

So around the £30 mark is this a good option? Is there any others? https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901642/oex-x-lite-trigger-trekking-poles-pai...

So around the £30 mark is this a good option? Is there any others? https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15901642/oex-x-lite-trigger-trekking-poles-pai...

Another PacerPole convert here

I started off using some Tesco poles I got for about £2.50 the pair and found them moderatey helpful as sticks, but also found I could get achey wrists and didn't like the 'shock absorber spring' thing iin them. Anyhoo they soon broke in use.

Then I used a lower end LEki on its own for a bit, finding the same wrist ache but realsising I liked the balance of walking along with two poles rather than just carrying 'a stick'.

I briefly tried BD (I think?) Ergo poles that had about a 25deg cant in the handle. Just for long enough to realise the PacerPole 45 deg handle was what I was looking for. I use them for long walks and for wintr walk-ins, finding them a great help for covering miles at the end of the day and for getting up through snow covered boulder fields, deep powder etc. The handles are like banisters for hauling you out of post-holes!

As to pole choice I stuck with Alu for strength (not all alu is equal!) and with the old fashioned twist locks (also for strength and for lower volume). I think it's on the PP website that a trial is reported concluding that slip strength on twist locks is greater then cam lock designs. The secret (!) is simply to keep the poles clean and dry- always separating them for storage and never using WD40. Doing this I've never had a problem undoing them (even frozen) nor with them slipping under load, and the slimmer twist locks are less prone to getting jammed and damaged in bouldery ground.

6 years on, my heavily used £78 3 section PPs are scratched to blazes and on their second tungsten tips, but still going strong and I'd absolutely buy them again.

I might be tempted to try Fizan 4-section Compacts if packed weight/size were critical for any reason, but I'd be more likely to choose between poles and not poles and stick to the PPs.

I'm  a two pole convert.  Now use BD Carbon Z poles for anything over a few hours in the hills.  Good for running and steep up and downs.

I broke one running in deep snow in Dec and managed to repair it so was chuffed I saved £100.

I find them great for stability,  crossing streams and ups and downs.

Two poles almost essential if you're carrying a heavy load on your back and having to a ascend a steepish slope. On descent, one pole is useful, particularly when coming down at speed. Also one pole is really useful for balance when crossing a fast flowing stream using dodgy stepping-stones.

I also find if you learn to you use the straps properly then you don't need to grip the poles, so you don't get tired hands or aching wrists... many people seem to use them all wrong...

I found it was the angle of grip, especially in descending, that tended to give me aching wrists. I suspect I might have had a bit of arthritis in play to start with though, so YMMV.

I do prefer not using straps though, and the grips on Pacerpoles have to be tried to be believed - you hold the pole lightly between your forefinger and thumb, very lightly, yet he pole is controlled and captive and the palmwrest takes weight any time it needs to, but not constantly. Genius design, really.

I began by using a single pole, to take the pressure off a dodgy knee on descents.  When I finally switched to two poles I was astonished at the difference, not only in descent (which I'd expected) but when going uphill.  Being able to use your arms as well as legs really seems to add a lot of power.

They do have disadvantages, especially on mixed ground where you may be scrambling for short distances.  It's worth getting poles which pack up small and can be quickly deployed.  In bad weather your hands are exposed and can get cold quickly, so you need good gloves.  There can be tendency to over-rely on them for balance, and if you do trip or fall they can get in the way - I sometimes dispense with the straps for fear they might cause injury in a fall. Nevertheless I find the advantages fully outweigh the disadvantages.

You do see a lot of people using them incorrectly.  The most common errors are to have the poles set too long, and to place them too far forward.  Also not using the straps correctly.

Pacerpoles for me. It's worth watching Heather's videos on site about how the poles promote posture. Another poles bonus is that you can use a tarp!