- Trekking pole
__TOC__Trekking poles (also known as hiking poles, hiking sticks or walking poles) are a common
hiking accessory. When in use, they resembleski pole s as they have many features in common, such as baskets at the bottom,rubber -padded handles and wrist straps. Unlike ski poles, however, they are often made in two or three sections and can be extended and retracted as necessary for use. One-piece poles are proven to be safer and more durable.fact|date=July 2008 Their maximum length is usually 135 cm (54 inches). Some poles come with spring-loaded tips to aid walking under normal conditions and to reduce wrist strain, but such devices may only add unwanted weight to the poles.fact|date=July 2008 Trekking poles are usually made from lightweightaluminum orcarbon fiber. When fully retracted, they can sometimes be stored in the side pocket of abackpack .Descendants of the common
walking stick , trekking poles are usually used by hikers for the same reasons — to provide some rhythm to their walking pace and for added support. On flat, smooth terrain they really aren't necessary although using them can increase the exercise a hiker gets from the trip, as well as the speed. But on less certain terrain, or steep slopes, they provide useful lateral stability, and many turn to them for help withknee pain. They can also be used as aids when climbing rocks or boulders, to probe the depth of mud or water and facilitate a crossing. When traversing steep slopes for long distances, some hikers make one pole shorter than the other to make those trips feel more as if they were taking place on level ground. Some backpacking tents are designed to use trekking poles astent poles. Along the same lines, trekking poles can be used to set up aBivouac shelter . Hikers who take tosnowshoe s inwinter find trekking poles especially useful.Impact
Some hikers have complained that pole use leaves a visible impact on the surrounding trail, poking visible holes in the ground and damaging adjacent vegetation. The most common complaint is that the
carbide tips leave visible white scratches on rock, and make scraping sounds. All these detract from thewilderness experience they seek. cite journal | last =Marion | first =Jeffrey | authorlink = | coauthors = Teresa Martinez and Robert Proudman | year =2001 | month = Spring| title = Trekking Poles: Can You Save Your Knees — And the Environment? | journal = The Register| volume = 24| issue = 5| pages = 1, 10 | publisher =Appalachian Trail Conference | id = | url = http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7BD25B4747-42A3-4302-8D48-EF35C0B0D9F1%7D/RGsprg01.pdf| accessdate = 2008-06-09 | quote = ]The
Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC), which estimates that pole usage rates on theAppalachian Trail vary from 90% among thru-hikers to 10-15% among day hikers, recommends several measures to mitigate the environmental impact of trekking poles in accordance withLeave No Trace principles of low-impact backcountry recreation. Hikers, it says, should not only be aware of what they put their poles into, they should remove the pole baskets unless hiking in snow and use rubber tips to avoid scratch marks on rocks. On level sections, or in areas where the potential for adverse impact is high, the ATC suggests putting the poles away entirely.ee also
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Nordic walking
*Walking stick References
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