7 Great Tips on Trekking Poles

• Trekking pole offers several benefits on hike
• Seven parts of a modern trekking pole
• Which is best? Wood or metal trekking poles
• What to look for when buying a trekking pole
• How to select best trekking pole for hiking kids
• Use single or pair of trekking poles?
• When you might not need a trekking pole
• BONUS: Kids can make their own trekking pole

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

What to look for when buying a trekking pole

Examining your trekking pole before purchasing it will ensure your comfort
and the tool's usefulness when on the trail. 

Purchasing a trekking pole isn’t as simple as grabbing the one that’s your favorite color. To maximize comfort and the pole’s usefulness on the trail you’ll want to look at each of its major parts and determine if they best meet your needs.

Shaft
Start by examining the shaft. It should be sturdy enough that it doesn’t bend when pressed to the ground; if it does yield, it won’t be able to handle rugged terrain. Always purchase a telescopic pole as well. This will allow you to adjust the pole so it best matches your height and walking stance. In addition, if you hike up or down inclines, you’ll want to be able to adjust your pole.

Shock absorber
The shaft should contain a shock absorber. This reduces the amount of shock your wrist and elbow must absorb each time the trekking pole strikes the ground. If you will do a lot of up and down hill hiking, look for a shock absorber in which you can lock out (or “turn off”) the anti-shock system. That’s because a shock absorber actually works against when you go uphill, as it reduces your power each time the pole is planted. You’ll want to use a shock absorber when going downhill, though, as your pole will hit the ground with more impact, so reducing the force your wrist, arm and shoulder must absorb is vital.

Hand grip
Next, look at the hand grip. Opt for hard rubber or cork. These are soft grips that are shaped to fit your hand and will absorb sweat. Eschew plastic grips, which are hard and remain wet, which can cause your hands to blister. Foam, while soft, lacks durability, and also should be avoided. Test various trekking pole grips to see which best fit your hand. An angled cork handle tends to be ergonomic and is a good bet.

Hand strap
A strap on the handle to wrap around your hand is useful so the trekking pole doesn’t slip out. Make sure you can fit your hand through it and that the fabric doesn’t dig into skin. The fabric shouldn’t be frayed, as it will only further tear with use and become worthless.

Tip
Carbide tips provide the best traction, as rubber tips tend to slip on rocks and wet surfaces. Rubber tips, in contrast, tend not to create drag as they don’t penetrate the ground. There are other good reasons to go with the rubber tip, depending on your personal tastes. A carbide tip’s poked holes into the ground, in some situations, can have environmentally negative consequences; they also can scratch rock, which goes against the leave no trace ethic. Perhaps more noticeably, carbide tips tend to sound like fingernails on a blackboard whenever crossing rock. They also can cut and scratch seats and other objects in vehicles when traveling.

Basket
See if you are able to take the basket on and off. If walking on wet surfaces or through snow, a basket is a good idea so the trekking pole doesn’t sink into mud or sand. On dry ground, a basket tends to wedge itself between rocks and tangle up in brush; when crossing fast water, it makes the trekking pole difficult to use.

Add-ons
Finally, examine if there are any add-ons, such as a camera mount or a compass at the top of the hand grip. Generally, they’re unnecessary and not worth the additional cost they carry. A tripod is much better for a camera mount than a monopod, and you’ll want a compass that can be placed over a map to help you best navigate.

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.

When you might not need a trekking pole

There are a few instances where a trekking pole is unnecessary and might best left at home.

Any flat, wide, short paved trail that you take without wearing a backpack probably doesn’t require a trekking pole if you’re at least in moderately good shape. Striking the trekking pole against asphalt and cement actually can do more harm to your wrist as the pole’s tip can’t penetrate the pavement, creating shock. If you do wear a lightly loaded backpack on such trails, a trekking pole still probably can be dispensed with so long as the distance is under a mile.

A number of day hiking trails at state, county and even national parks fit the description of a “flat, wide, short paved trail,” as they are designed for people to make brief jaunts from their vehicles to some interesting natural feature.

The more elevation gains, the less packed the surface, the longer the distance (especially over a mile), and the heavier your backpack load, however, and the benefits of using a trekking pole far outweigh the inconvenience of having one of you’re your hands occupied by carrying it.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Trekking pole offers several benefits on hike

Look at almost any picture or illustration of a hiker, and you’re likely to see a trekking pole in his hands. There’s good reason for that – a trekking pole simply offers too many benefits to be left at home.

First and foremost, a trekking pole helps you maintain your balance when walking. Think of a chair. A three-legged stool always is more stable than a two-legged one. As you move over rough terrain – up and down a hill, across streams or rivers, over scree and rock – a trekking pole provides that third leg. Even if walking on a flat surface, a trekking pole is vital when carrying a backpack, as heavy loads make maintaining your normal, two-legged gait difficult.

Maintaining your balance reduces stress on your back, legs, knees and feet as your cross rough terrain and haul a backpack. The trekking pole always will take pressure off your back and hips, which is particularly important when going uphill. When descending, it greatly reduces shock to your knees and feet.

A trekking pole also can help you maneuver. It’s especially useful in pushing aside brush, spider webs, and other minor obstacles. You can use it to feel the stability of a stream-laden rock before stepping on it. It also can serve as a brace to break your fall.

There are a number of creative uses for a trekking pole as well. For example, if lost and forced to stay a night in the woods, it might be used as a pole to keep up your tarp. You also might employ it in self-defense; while it’s not strong enough to stop an animal, it can be used as a stick to keep the creature at bay.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Which is best? Wood or metal trekking poles

Is a wooden pole better than a metal one for hiking?

When out on the trail, you’ll see hikers usually a variety of trekking poles. Usually though, they are made of one of two materials – wood or metal.

Which one is better to use? The answer depends on a number of factors and your personal preference.

Broadly speaking, a wooden trekking pole has a couple of major advantages over a metal pole (which usually is made of aluminum or carbon fiber). First, it is sturdier. Metal poles tend to be thin and built for lightness and so will bow. A wooden also often is hand carved, so often will be more ornamental, allowing it to express its user’s personality. This admittedly is an aesthetic factor rather than one of performance, but for some hikers that’s significant.

Likewise, a wooden pole also carries some disadvantages. Most notably, what you see is what you get when you buy it. They are not adjustable for your height, and typically there are no add-ons (such as tips or baskets), as there’s no place to attach them, unless you head into a wood shop and start modifying. Another problem is that they are inflexible. They come in one size only – the size you bought it in – so there’s no folding it. That may not sound like a big deal, yet imagine if you decided to take off your jacket but couldn’t fold it and had to carry it exactly in the shape it takes when worn; that would be inconvenient. Wooden poles also tend to be heavier and bulkier than their metal counterparts. They also will disintegrate from the natural elements if made of soft wood; hardwood poles do as well but have a longer life. Wooden poles also lack a shock absorber that the better metal poles will have; if walking long distances or on a rocky surface, that absorber can help reduce stress on your wrist and arm. Lastly, wooden poles’ hand/wrist straps are a single leather loop that can dig into your hands and will wear as exposed to the elements, though often the loop can be easily replaced.

The advantages of a metal pole, as you might imagine, are the disadvantages of a wooden pole. For example, metal poles sold in store are adjustable for your height. You also can easily add on or take off a whole variety of items – such as baskets or tips or camera mounts – to enhance your hiking experience. They also are collapsible and lightweight. They are fairly impervious to the elements unless exposed to salt, such as on oceanside walks. Better models come with a shock absorber. The hand/wrist straps usually are of better material and are wider than a wooden pole’s leather loop so they don’t dig it and they don’t wear as quickly.

Metal poles aren’t perfect, of course. They can break if too much weight is placed on them, though this typically is only a problem with the less expensive, cheaper made models. And as with almost anything that is mass produced, most of them lack any aesthetically unique qualities, though I suppose some people may prefer the manufactured look.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How to cross rough terrain when hiking

Though most of the terrain you’ll cross with walking kids will be fairly flat, as they age you’ll start tackling rougher country. In addition, if carrying an infant or toddler in a carrier, there’s no need to limit yourself to flat trails, so long as you know how to traverse slopes, scree and other hindrances. Not knowing how to cross such ground can cause you and your children to fall.

The more you and your kids hike, the easier traversing difficult terrain will become. After a while, it’ll become second nature.

Some difficult terrain you may encounter includes:
g Up a slope - When heading up an incline, slow your pace, take short steps, and keep body upright. This will ensure you keep your balance.
g Down a slope - Ironically, going down a slope can be as exhausting as going up one, particularly on a steep trail. Don’t let gravity take you down too fast or you’ll slip; at best, your feet, ankles and knees will ache by the time you reach bottom. Your trekking pole really can help you stay upright when going downhill. You can maximize your trekking pole’s effectiveness by holding it securely with your arms bent at the elbow in a 90 degrees angle in front of you. In addition, test each stone with your pole before stepping on it.
g Scree - Scree is small, loose rock often found on slopes, especially in mountainous areas. It can slide beneath your step, causing you to slip, which in turn can cut up your hands as the rocks often are sharp. Walk across scree by stepping sideways so the long side of your feet have more contact with the slope. If climbing up a slope with scree, take small steps with your feet spread-eagled or splayed. This puts your weight on each boot’s instep, reducing both strain on your legs and the odds of slipping.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How to select trekking pole for yourself, kids

Walking sticks offer several benefits, especially with carrying children

Also known as walking sticks, hiking sticks or walking poles, trekking poles are necessary for maintaining stability on uneven or wet surfaces and to help reduce fatigue. The latter makes them useful on even surfaces. By transferring weight to the arms, a trekking pole can reduce stress on knees and the lower back, allowing you to maintain a better posture and to go farther.

Trekking poles have some other benefits beyond keeping your balance. If forced to stay the night in the wilds, a stick can be used to build a makeshift tent. It also can be used to fight off attacking animals.

As an adult with a baby or toddler on your back, you’ll primarily want a trekking pole to help you maintain your balance, even if on a flat surface, and to help absorb some of the impact of your step.

Qualities of a good trekking pole
Graphite tips provide the best traction. A basket just above the tip is a good idea so the stick doesn’t sink into mud or sand. Angled cork handles are ergonomic and help absorb sweat from your hands so they don’t blister. A strap on the handle to wrap around your hand is useful so the stick won’t slip out. Telescopic poles are a good idea as you can adjust them as needed based on the terrain you’re hiking and as kids grow to accommodate their height.

The pole also needs to be sturdy enough to handle rugged terrain, as you don’t want a pole that bends when you press it to the ground. Spring-loaded shock absorbers help when heading down a steep incline but aren’t necessary. Indeed, for a short walk across flat terrain, the right length stick is about all you need.

When hiking, take off any tip protectors that come with the pole. Usually these protectors are included so the sharp tip doesn’t cut or scratch other objects while you’re traveling. You probably don’t need such a sharp tip on a pole when hiking with kids, children, but should you have one, definitely make sure kids don’t horse around with the pole.

You may have seen pictures of hikers using two trekking poles, as if they were skiing. Having two poles works well on long backcountry treks and over steep terrain, but you probably will only need one pole on your day hike. I myself like to have one hand free in case I need to hold my child’s hand or help him up or down an embankment.

Trekking poles for children
Children don’t really need trekking poles unless tackling steep or uneven terrain, but they’ll likely want one to look like an adult. Kids as young as three can use trekking poles. You will need to adjust it to their height, though.

If buying a trekking pole for a child, make sure the grip isn’t too large for them, as children have smaller hands than adults. Next check the length. Holding the child’s arm out at a right angle (with the elbow the bend) in front of them, adjust the pole length so that the tip reaches the child’s ankle.

You’ll have to show most children how to use the trekking pole, or they’ll soon be dragging them behind them. Prepare for younger kids to misuse trekking poles, which they find are great for whacking plants, trees, rocks and even siblings.

Also be prepared to eventually carry a young child’s trekking pole, even if they’re still on the ground. They’ll grow tired of carrying it (or playing with it). Velcro leather pieces that bicyclists use for their wrists are perfect for securing their trekking pole to a carrier or backpack.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to pack for your very first hike with kids

Error on the side of going light when day hiking.
Photo courtesy of Petr Kratochvil. 

If you’re new to day hiking with kids (or hiking at all), you’ll probably find that the most difficult hike to pack for is the first one. As you’re not quite certain what to bring, your tendency is to either way overpack or way underpack.

Go seek advice from a hiking guidebook, and you’ll find each author has a slightly different take on what to pack. That’s because everyone has somewhat different needs and creature comforts. What is a throwaway for one hiking parent may be an absolute necessity for you and your children.

Don’t worry: The first couple of hikes are an opportunity to figure out what you need and what you don’t.

Begin by going through the lists of what to pack in three or four hiking books. Write down what all lists have in common; these items probably include a backpack, trekking pole, canteens, walking shoes, layered clothing, first-aid kit, map, and compass, to name a few objects.

Make a second list for the items that aren’t recommended in every hiking book – these items probably include binoculars, head lamps, cords, emergency blankets – and decide if you want to carry them or not. Error on the side of going light, especially if you haven’t gone hiking in a while (or maybe never at all, shame on you!).

Then adjust on the second trip, adding items that you need. But don’t subtract anything!

After going on three or four hikes, review the list of items that not every hiking book recommended. If you haven’t used those items, seriously consider removing them from your load to help lighten it.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How much should a child carry on a hike?

Infants through 4 year olds shouldn’t be expected to carry anything. Preschoolers might use a trekking pole or collect interesting stuff found on the way, but they probably won’t carry any of it for long. Small day packs are fine for healthy 5-7 year olds. A low volume internal day pack is okay for 9-12 year olds.

A good rule of thumb for how much they can carry is no more than 25 percent capacity of their backpack. Most upper elementary school age kids can carry only about 10 pounds for any short distance. Subtract the weight of the backpack, and that usually means only 4-5 pounds goes in.

I’ve seen some formulas that say a child should be able to carry a pound of weight for every five pounds they weigh. A 90-pound child then would be able to carry 18 pounds. This formula seems overly optimistic, however. A physically fit, athletic teenager probably can carry this much, and as they near adulthood, more. But don’t expect this of your fourth grader – and especially not of your preschooler.

Increase the amount that children carry as they grow and are capable of taking on more weight. Once a teenager, they can move up to small adult backpacks and carry some of the load that you usually take. Still, limit the amount your teens carried based on their abilities.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Get kids motivated to hike this summer!

NOTE: This blog entry originally appeared in Seattle Backpackers Magazine.

Finally summer has arrived – sun and warmth reigns, trails surfaces run dry, green leaves and grass beckon. In short, it’s time to hit the trail, maybe for a day hike, maybe for an overnight campout.

Packing the gear and hoisting a backpack over the shoulders is a lot easier to think about than to do, however. After a long week at work, there are always enough chores around the house to keep you busy, and sometimes you just want to plop down in the sofa and relax.

Even if you get yourself motivated to go, the kids’ calls to instead go to the local water park may drown out your announcement that a family hike is planned this weekend.

What to do? Try some of these pre-hike activities with children to get them (and you!) excited about hitting the trail rather than the Wii console.

Watch videos
Beat your kids’ television addiction by using it as a tool against them: Watch videos, if available, of the area you plan to hike. Usually videos of national and state parks can be checked out from public libraries. The narration can be a bit dry, but sometimes the videotaped scenery is so spectacular, that kids want to go there and see it for themselves.

Make your own hiking gear
Children also can make their own hiking gear, such as a trekking pole. For materials, you’ll need a stick, knife for carving wood, sandpaper, and wood finish. Start by walking with your children into your yard (if you have a lot of trees), or go to a nearby woods. Each child than can pick a stick that their hand fits nicely around and that comes up to their hips. At home, carve off bark and sand it. Then have children stain it with a brown or reddish-brown finish. They now have a hiking stick. Most children can’t wait to use it.

Make trail mix
Nothing wins the hearts and minds of kids as readily as food. Before going on hike, have kids help you make homemade trail mix, also known among backpackers as gorp. For ingredients, you’ll need a cup each of salted peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Add other ingredients (sunflower seeds, cashews, granola) as you and your children desire. Portion out – and other than a quick sample for a taste test, don’t let kids eat the trail mix until you hit the trail!

Word finds
For older elementary school kids, word finds (also known as word searches or word puzzles) featuring hiking and nature terms are available online for free. These are great activities to keep kids busy while you go through the less interesting aspects of planning the hike and can spur discussion as they ask you what a word they’ve never heard before means. Type “hiking word searches” in a search engine for downloads.

Play dress up
Four- and five-year-olds love to play dress up. So why not dress up as a “hiker”? Explorer sets are available at a variety of toy stores or online fit outfit your child with such items as a fishing vest, canteen, binoculars, compass, and more. Your child almost certainly will want to use the cool new toys on the hiking trail this weekend.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Think safety when kids come near water

Children will find water fun, but adults need to be on their
guard to avoid drownings.

Kids love water, and incorporating it into a hike is a great way to turn them on to the pastime. Still, water is very dangerous, so you need to make sure children play it safe.

Avoid trails that wind too close to swift-running rivers, and unless the child is a teenager avoid stream crossings. Before being allowed to go in water, children should know how to swim. Enrolling them in a swimming course is a good idea. They also should know what to do if drowning, and older children should know how to rescue others.

If children wade into streams or lakes, make sure the water is clean. Also carry sandals or an extra pair of sneakers as hidden dangers, like sharp rocks and sticks, can be stuck in the bottom of bodies of water and cut bare feet. Don’t dive into water where rocks clearly line the bottom or stick above the surface. A head easily could hit the rock, leading to a drowning.

To rescue a drowning child, first you must not panic. More than ever, you need a clear head. All too often, a drowning person pulls down their rescuer or a strong current also grabs hold, causing both to die. Next, you’ll need to quickly assess the situation to determine how the child will be saved.

The best of all worlds is when the child is nearby and you can reach out and grab an arm or leg to pull him in. When reaching out, lay down at the water’s edge and spread your legs to give yourself more stability.

If the child is out of reach, you might be able to extend your arm via a strong branch or trekking pole. Lay down at the water’s edge as previously described and shout to the child to grab the object you’re holding out. When the child has a secure grip, pull him in.

Should the child still be out of reach, you may have to get into the water. Be sure that there’s something secure for you to hold onto so you don’t get pulled under. Extend a leg or arm and shout to the child to grab on. When the child securely latches on, pull them toward you. You may then need to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Putting on gear during a day hike with kids

Once you arrive at the hiking area, you’ll want to strap on your own gear – and that’s not so easy to do when you’re also trying to watch little ones and making sure they don’t discard clothing or gear you just make sure they had.

Double check so you haven’t left something valuable in the vehicle that needs to be taken on the trail, such as maps you used to reach the site, your mobile phone, your wallet, and trail mix your kids talked you into munching on early. Once you’ve done that, get your gear on.

When putting on the backpack, tighten the waist belt snug, then shift the pack as high on your shoulders as you can and tighten the belt again. This will provide better stability when walking and keep most of the weight on your hips rather than your shoulders, which would be tiring.

If you have a baby carrier, put on your fanny pack first, then situate and buckle up the child in the carrier. Next, put on the carrier, grab the trekking pole, and gather the kids around to go over safety rules (more about that in an upcoming blog entry!).

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Carry handy carbiners on next hike with kids

Carabiners are metal loops, vaguely shaped like a D, with a sprung or screwed gate.

You’ll find that hooking a couple of them to your back or fanny pack useful in many ways. For example, if need to dig through a fanny pack, you can hook the strap of your trekking pole to it. Your hat, camera straps, first-aid kit and a number of other objects also can connect to them.

Hook them to your fanny pack or backpack upon purchasing them, so you don’t forget them when packing. Small carabiners with sprung gates are inexpensive, but they do have a limited life span of a couple of dozen hikes.

Read more about day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

How to best cross water with hiking kids

When hiking with children, you want to avoid crossing water. Still, sometimes to reach a destination you’ll have to go through small streams, or in the case of a tide or a recent flashflood you may be cut off from your vehicle. With children, it’s usually best to avoid a water crossing by properly timing your hike – don’t walk a beach at high tide, for example – or simply turning back when the trail ends at a waterway, such as when a bridge is washed out.

If you must cross, do so where the water is calm and no higher than hip deep, which probably will be too deep for young children, meaning you’ll need to put them in a baby carrier. You’ll typically find calm spots at a bend in the river or stream, mainly because the waterway widens and slows at the turn. Look ahead for any deep water. It will appear dark or greener than the rest of the waterway. Before crossing, check the far bank to make sure it isn’t undercut or steep, as climbing out of the water will be difficult for children or for you if they’re on your back.

One kind of water crossing you may face is rock hopping across a stream that at worst runs only a few inches deep. Approach any rock hopping cautiously, for the stones will be slippery. You want to keep your feet dry and don’t to want to risk falling – children can drown in just three inches of water. First, select your rock, looking for those that are wide enough to support one of your feet and that can be reached with steps rather than jumps. Always test each rock’s stability with your trekking pole before committing to it.

If you lose your balance, don’t fret about stepping into the water to stay upright. It’s almost always better to have one wet foot than to fall.

Waterlogged ground, such as marshland and swamps, ought to be avoided. More than your feet will get wet as you sink into mud, which makes stepping very difficult if not impossible for children. Should children fall, they might land in pockets of deep water. In addition, snakes and insects can abound in such environments.

Read more about cross dangerous terrain when day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.