How To Choose And Use Trekking Poles: The Ultimate Guide

All kinds of sticks and staff have been used since the inception of tourism as a sport. Sticks allow you to relieve the shoulder girdle on horizontal surfaces of the path, and on steep surfaces they serve as an additional fulcrum. Those who have ever walked under backpacks without sticks probably remember the feeling when their hands simply have nowhere to attach – as a rule, everyone grabs onto the straps of the backpack.

In the article, we talk about the main things about the best trekking pole for travel: including its design features and materials, selection of the length and basis of movement with telescopic poles. 

Since the beginning of the massive industrial use of aluminum, tourists quickly mastered ski poles as an auxiliary tool. Since the late 1950s, ski poles have firmly entered the tourist life. Perhaps history would have stopped there, but ski poles had one significant drawback – a fixed length. Using sticks of fixed length on difficult terrain is inconvenient, and transporting them is even more difficult.

However, without them it was even worse. So people started using ski poles for travel. Since the 1980’s, a lot of handicraft designs of telescopic poles have appeared, when the upper half and handle were used from a ski pole, and the lower link was from a cross-country ski pole. This design allowed the segments to be folded into each other and connect them with screws.

Usage Tips Of Trekking Poles: 

Trekking poles have now become very useful as auxiliary equipment these days. In addition to the main use, they are used to make stretches, set up tents and awnings, probe the soils, measure the depth of rivers or swamps that need to be crossed. In conclusion, a few recommendations for their use. 

How To Adjust The Length Of The Sticks?

To adjust the length, take the unfolded stick by the handle, the arm at the elbow should be bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. This is your base horizontal walking stick length. During the ascent, the sticks are shortened, on the descent- they move apart. 

When buying the best trekking pole for travel in an online store, you should focus on the maximum length of the sticks. 140cm- the basic option for growth from 175 and above. Sticks 130-135 cm long are suitable for smaller stature. 

How to Properly Walk With Nordic Walking Poles For Travel?

When moving on a horizontal surface, the rule of uniform support must be observed: you take a step with your right foot and lean on the left nordic walking poles for travel, your left leg- the right stick, and so on. This way, you will always have an even support of four points. On an uphill, especially a steep one, shorten the sticks and, when moving up, do not carry them far, this will allow you to fully use the strength of your hands. On the descent, spread the sticks apart, first confidently rest the sticks down the slope, load them, and then go down and so gradually down. 

Since the lower segment of the poles tapers towards the tip, in order to avoid spontaneous folding, it is better to adjust the length at the expense of the second segment. 

The lanyard should be adjusted so that it does not pinch the hand and you can freely use the sticks.