Why use hiking poles. They save your energy, your joints and help you keep your balance in harsh terrain. But if you don’t use them right, you’ll just be weighing yourself down. Here is how to use hiking poles.
WHY USE WALKING POLES?
1. MOVING FASTER UPHILL & ON THE FLATS
Trekking poles help you go faster on flat ground and going uphill. They let you use your arms to push forward, giving your legs a bit of a break. You’ll be able to hike farther since your legs are doing less work.
2. SLOWING YOUR DESCENTS
Going down steep hills, especially with tired legs or a heavy backpack puts a lot of stress on your knees and ankles. Over a long hike, that’s a lot of pounding on your joints. Leaning on walking poles going downhill reduces the wear and tear.
3. BALANCE IN TECHNICAL TERRAIN
Trekking poles are like an extendable arm helping you balance in complicated terrain. If the trail is very rocky or muddy, you can use the poles as two more points of contact with the ground. If one foot slips, there are still three points to keep you standing.
4. MANY OTHER USES
Walking poles have many other uses you’ll see on the trail. They can clear stinging nettles and other obstacles from your path, be a monopod for your camera, hold down a tent instead of a peg.
SETTING THE HEIGHT OF YOUR TREKKING POLES
Here’s how to adjust them to be the most comfortable for you.
90 DEGREES TO START
“Firstly adjust the poles to the correct length – so that the pole handle touches the floor when you grip the pole above the basket with your elbow bent at 90 degrees.
Depending on the length of your legs, you might want to shorten them from this height. Everyone’s most comfortable height will be different. Adjust yours until you find a height what’s most comfortable.
Most trekking poles come with three sections, with two parts to pull out and lock. I find setting the top at about 2/3 its height works well. Then place the bottom section to the right height to bring your elbow to 90 degrees.
If you’re in the snow, remember that the end of the pole will sink into the basket so you’ll need to make it a few inches longer.
CHECK THE LOCKS
Check that the locks are tight once you’re done setting the height. Plant the pole and lean on it a bit. The last thing you want on the trail is for the pole to collapse when you need it most.
SETTING & USING THE STRAP
When you put the straps around your hands, reach up from the bottom, through the straps, and then grab the handle. The strap will wrap around your hand and let you lean on it, so your hand doesn’t slide down the handle if it gets slippery or tired.
Some walking pole straps are adjustable. Tighten yours as far as they’ll go and still be able to grip the handle comfortably. Loosen it slightly until you’re able to hold the handle with no problems.
Why use the straps like this? If you grip tightly, your hands and wrists will start to hurt, and it becomes uncomfortable.
ADD YOUR BASKETS
Most walking poles come with round discs that fit onto the bottom, like on a ski pole. These stop the pole from sliding into deep mud or snow. Some have ski baskets as well that are bigger than the mud baskets. If the baskets aren’t already on your poles, slide them onto the end and screw or click them into place. They shouldn’t move once set.
WALKING ON FLAT GROUND
Standing on the flat ground, you’ll have your arms at 90 degrees. Every step you take you’ll swing your arms just like you naturally do walking. Step with your left foot forward and swing your right arm forward. If you want, start by holding the poles in your arms and watch how your arms swing when you walk.
Swing the pole forward, plant the tip in the ground and push off the ground when you step past it. The main idea is to push yourself forward with the poles, one side at a time.
If you come to a large log or rock to step over you can try planting both trekking poles up where you are going and pulling yourself up. Sometimes having one up to pull and one down to push works well.
When you swing the pole forward for the next step, try to keep it as low as possible. The higher you lift the pole, the more energy you are using.
Keep a loose grip on the handle. Using the strap correctly will help with this. Try holding the pole with only your thumb and index finger to practice a light squeeze. Holding the handle too tight won’t break anything, it’ll just use extra energy.
GOING UPHILL
Shorten your poles when going uphill. Since the ground in front of you is higher than where your feet are, you don’t need the poles to be as long. Your arms will get tired of reaching too high.
If the uphill section is short, you could ignore it. Adjusting the height of your poles might take a couple of minutes, and you’ll be back on a flat section again anyways.
An alternative to unlocking and re-locking the poles at a shorter length is to take your hands out of the straps and grip it below the handle. You don’t have to stop to change the lengths, and you get a shorter pole. Some walking poles will have soft grip material below the handle for this reason.
GOING DOWNHILL
Just the opposite of going uphill, adjust your poles to be more extended when going downhill. You can also hold the poles on the top of the handles for negotiating steeper sections. Test the placement of your pole is secure before putting your weight on it.
SIDE HILLING
Side hilling, or contouring, is when you hike across a hill. One side will be higher than the other. Adjust the uphill pole to be shorter than the downhill pole. For lesser angles, grab the pole below the handle. If you are switchbacking up a hill back and forth, switch hands with the poles as you turn back and forth to save time.
TESTING TERRAIN
Walking poles are used as an extension of your arm. You can test rocks to see if they move before stepping on them. Or to see how deep mud is. We all have had rude surprises stepping into what we thought was a couple of inches of mud when it was actually more than a foot deep. Mud or snow baskets will prevent the pole from sinking too deep.
HOW TO STORE YOUR POLES WHILE HIKING
Sometimes you need your hands-free when you’re hiking. Climbing ladders, checking maps or taking photos are tough to do with walking poles in your hands.
1. STICK THEM IN THE GROUND
If you’re taking a quick picture and the ground is soft enough, stick the poles in the ground. Don’t forget them when you leave.
2. ATTACH THEM TO YOUR PACK
Most backpacks have some straps on the outside for attaching gear. Strap your poles to the side or back of your pack, is an option if you won’t need them for a while.
HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR POLES
If you want them to last longer, or have a pair that you like taking care of them is a must. Cleaning and drying will help a lot in the lifespan of your poles. When you give them a proper deep clean, disassemble the pole clean with a damp cloth and dry. Don’t use any oil or lubricants to clean them as the locking systems may not work as well. They need friction to lock, and you may ruin that if you use an oil or lubricant.
You can also get new parts for poles as well, like expanders, tips, and baskets.
