The usage of trekking poles has gained great popularity among backpackers. Looks like traditional ski poles, they help to maintain the balance and weight distribution, and if they are not part of your kit hiking, they should. There are many things to consider when choosing a set of trekking poles including weight loss, locking system, shock absorbency, strength and others which we will discuss each in detail. You can navigate here to see a variety of collapsible trekking poles and learn the benefits of using them.
To get started, however, here are the advantages of using them:
– They provide superior balance and footing.
– They reduce the amount of stress on the joints and legs, transferring some of the weight on your arm.
– They make the difficult part of the trail easier and safer.
– They help in the river crossing.
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– They can be used as a third arm to move the brush or branches out of the way.
– They can be used as probes for examining the boggy or other trail hazards.
– For those with weak or damaged joints, poles can be very helpful for walking and maintaining the right balance.
When should these poles be used? Hiking poles can be used on the trail whether the rising or flat steep scramble – it's up to you. In the long uphill, you may want to shorten the pole and on the downhills, you, extend them slightly for better control. Trekking poles should be collapsible so that you can set the length of trekking poles according to your use.
Aluminum or carbon fiber? Most of the aluminum poles should suit you fine. Carbon fiber is lighter, but weight gain was offset by higher costs. a carbon pole is usually on the line and the most expensive.