Trekking Poles

Trekking sticks

Trekking sticks are auxiliary equipment designed for long hikes in conditions of variable terrain, mainly mountainous. Their task is to remove some of the load from the joints and muscles of the legs by transferring it to the arms and other zones of the upper shoulder girdle. Especially significant benefits from trekking sticks are felt during the descent from the mountains. In addition, the sticks provide an additional support point. In particular, when your center of gravity shifts under the influence of a heavy backpack, the sticks will provide better stability

Sticks for movement in mountainous areas have been used for a very long time. It is known that back in the 1900s, mountain guide Alice Manfield used a long wooden stick as an auxiliary equipment on hikes

Structure

Trekking sticks come in both fixed lengths and those that allow you to adjust it in a fairly wide range (from 65 to 145 cm). The latter is often used in mountainous areas, where it is convenient to use shortened or, on the contrary, elongated sticks, depending on whether you are going up or down

From a structural point of view, the trekking stick is generally a hollow tube of aluminium alloy. In some cases, aluminum alloyed with titanium or carbon fiber. The second version of the sticks is noticeably lighter, but also has a higher price. There is a carbide tip on the lower end of the stick, that provides good grip and slows down the wear of the sticks. The handle of trekking sticks is in many ways similar to the handle of an ordinary ski stick, but it has a number of small differences that allow the tourist, depending on the relief, to use different types of grips

Manufacturers equip some models of sticks with "anti-shock" - a system that smooths out the impact of a stick on hard ground. sticks like this can be used by people with weakened wrists or elbows to relieve the stress on them

Do not confuse trekking sticks with Nordic walking sticks. The latter are intended for aerobic workouts involving walking on a flat surface and have much more in common with cross-country skiing sticks.