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Walking Poles ??????

Walking Poles ??????


Postby camy » Thu Jun 12, 2014 7:04 pm

Hi am looking at getting a pair of walking poles. I haven't got a clue what i am meant to be looking for and the variation in prices £5 to £100 :shock: is unbelievable.
Any advice would be great am really still a beginner at walks.
:D
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby mrssanta » Thu Jun 12, 2014 10:07 pm

i would recommend get some cheap ones and see how you like them. if you find them indispensible then save up for a nice light pair.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby kmai1961 » Fri Jun 13, 2014 6:41 am

I did exactly as mrssanta suggests. I got a pair of clunkers from Mountain Warehouse (about £15 for the pair), and didn't worry about banging them around on rocks, throwing them downward in preparation for a bum shuffle, etc.

Then I splurged on a lightweight pair of Black Diamonds (about £90), and pretty much treat them in the same way as the clunkers, and they can take it. They weigh about 1/3 as much as the old ones. And they're pretty/purple! :wink:

But I was really happy I'd done the trial with the cheap ones to start. It took me a long time to even try poles -- I preferred to have my hands free. But once I started using them, I was amazed at how much easier they made coming downhill, especially, as well as adding a bit of upper-arm workout on the uphill bits. But if I hadn't liked them, I would have been irked at having spent nearly 100 quid on something that lived in the closet. And you probably won't really know until you give them a good workout.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby brpro26 » Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:07 am

I agree that poles are worth trying but remember there are instructions on the web to get the best out of them. If you use them any old way you will not get the best benefit from them a may even aggravate or cause an injury.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby mband » Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:55 am

Good idea to try cheap ones first to see how you get on - I couldn't be without them and know they have saved me some potentially painful falls as really helps balance coming down rough ground.

If you are going to spend a bit more though I would get the clip lock ones rather than twist lock. The twist lock drove me crazy - sticking so not collapsing to pack away, not sticking so collapsing when walking or just not locking so couldn't use. Clip lock ones definitely improved my language - no rants of expletives :lol:
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby CharlesT » Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:04 pm

Second the point on clip-lock poles. Used twist-lock for years and was always irritated by their habit of collapsing at times when heavily loaded and their tendency to freeze up in certain snow conditions. Got a clip-lock Leki lightweight pole for last winter and it's a great improvement. I only use one pole to leave my other hand free, but that's a personal choice you'll have to work out.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby kmai1961 » Fri Jun 13, 2014 12:54 pm

Heartily agree with the other "thumbs ups" about the clip locks -- forgot to mention them earlier. MUCH easier to set, in general, but especially while wearing gloves.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby PaulX » Fri Jun 13, 2014 2:14 pm

kmai1961, which lightweight BD poles did you go for?
I really like the specs of BD Ultra Distance, basically they're almost half the weight of other poles on the market. My only concern is that they're not adjustable, and being 183cm tall (6'1'') I'm sort of in between 120cm and 130cm lengths.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby kmai1961 » Fri Jun 13, 2014 2:28 pm

PaulX wrote:kmai1961, which lightweight BD poles did you go for?


By name, they're "Women's Trail Shock Trekking Poles"

The technical specs are:
Series : Mountain
Weight Per Pair : 555 g (1 lb 4 oz)
Usable Length : 62-125 cm (24-49 in)
Collapsed Length : 62 cm (24 in)

It looks like there's a comparable men's version.

hth,
Karen
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby Caberfeidh » Sat Jun 14, 2014 10:27 am

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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby Rudolph » Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:37 am

Caberfeidh wrote: GET A STICK !.


I took your advice and am in general happy but am stuck on one point. After I reduce my stick to half size to fit in the car, I find it difficult to restore to it's original length at the end of the journey. My only success was a budhlia stake which returned to its original length about 3 years after I stuck it in a pot of compost - but that was a tedious wait in the car park.

Can you tell me what i am doing wrong please?

Thanks in advance.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby RyanfaeScotland » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:06 pm

Rudolph wrote:
Caberfeidh wrote: GET A STICK !.


I took your advice and am in general happy but am stuck on one point. After I reduce my stick to half size to fit in the car, I find it difficult to restore to it's original length at the end of the journey. My only success was a budhlia stake which returned to its original length about 3 years after I stuck it in a pot of compost - but that was a tedious wait in the car park.

Can you tell me what i am doing wrong please?

Thanks in advance.


Well for one you have removed, from my understanding, at least two sticks from the wilderness. I'm sure to you this is a trivial matter, hardly worthy of discussion, just like those who bulldoze huge scars across the landscape without batting an eyelid. Don't you realise how many creatures live and thrive in fallen wood? It's exactly this sort of callous destruction of the natural environments that is ruining the land for us and for our future generations.

It's 'Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.' not 'Take nothing but pictures (and a couple of sticks), leave nothing but footprints (and an empty space where the couple of sticks used to be)' and it is a code every walker should abide to religiously.

Consider yourself reported to the RSPBA, the WWF, the WCW, the RAC and the ASAP.
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby Dan Scheer » Wed Jun 18, 2014 10:38 pm

you forgot the BBQ! those guys will definitely be missing those sticks!
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby mrzdavid » Fri Jun 20, 2014 2:19 pm

I got these ones, not too dear and work well enough for me.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0056Z3ICQ/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Re: Walking Poles ??????

Postby murwilson » Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:19 pm

Why do you think you need poles?

If you have a tarp, they are quite handy for that. Crossing a burn, yep, handy for testing the depth, giving a wee bit of support whilst crossing. Shaking at wild beasts to frighten them off, yep, fair enough.

Other than that, a waste of money. And a stick will indeed cover all of the above, if you can find one on your trip.

Think back, maybe 10 to 15 years, did trekking poles even exist? yet everyone got along just fine.

A marketing fad perhaps?

and we all fell for it...

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