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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: Davon on 17:52:29, 12/04/19

Title: Poles
Post by: Davon on 17:52:29, 12/04/19
After just throwing away one of my leki  walking poles after I reversed the car over it , I have been thinking about walking with just one pole.
Just wondered about peoples thoughts . 1v2 ?
Also any other type of pole ( for the few of us that's getting on a bit !!!) ;)
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: ninthace on 18:05:02, 12/04/19
For me - always a pair as I am a full time user.  I have owned and worn out Leki, Komperdell and Kingfisher Expedition walking poles.  For the last 5 years I have been using carbon fibre Pacerpoles https://www.pacerpole.com/ (https://www.pacerpole.com/)  As far as I am concerned they are the dog's gonads.  Really light, supremely comfortable and tough as old boots - I must have done over 3000 miles with them by now.  Very good customer care too.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 18:10:38, 12/04/19
I also have Pacerpoles and would recommend them.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 18:17:17, 12/04/19
I had a pair of 3 section pacerpoles just over 10 years ago. The sections jammed and I could no longer move them. Ended up binning them because I stopped using them and couldn't sell them with jammed sections. I do find walking easier with poles but for some reason I tend not to use them. I've only owned the expensive pacerpoles and cheap go outdoors poles I didn't find a huge difference between them other than weight and bounce but I expect ninthace and Bigfoot_Mike have more skill with them than I.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: happyhiker on 18:24:38, 12/04/19
I use two poles particularly for steep downhill sections where it has been shown they save considerable weight for the knees. I wonder if you use only one whether this would cause an imbalance, with one knee taking more stress. I have not seen any arguments in this direction but it seems logical.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Pitboot on 18:53:32, 12/04/19
Another vote for Pacerpoles. And I always use a pair.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Mel on 18:55:31, 12/04/19
My personal thoughts are that it depends how you (want to) use it/them. 


I have one pole (a wooden walking staff) which I use for balance if there's a steep bit or I'm walking along a path with a sharp drop to one side.  I'm not sure if I suffer a bit with vertigo but having this "third leg" (no sniggering at the back  ::)  ) really helps me keep my balance.  It stays attached to my rucksack if I don't need it for that bit of balance reassurance.


If you want to use them to increase speed/cardio/upper body exercise to get a good stride and rhythm then using one on it's own isn't going to work.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: ninthace on 19:05:07, 12/04/19
Add improved posture to the list Mel
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: ninthace on 19:06:34, 12/04/19
I had a pair of 3 section pacerpoles just over 10 years ago. The sections jammed and I could no longer move them. Ended up binning them because I stopped using them and couldn't sell them with jammed sections. I do find walking easier with poles but for some reason I tend not to use them. I've only owned the expensive pacerpoles and cheap go outdoors poles I didn't find a huge difference between them other than weight and bounce but I expect ninthace and Bigfoot_Mike have more skill with them than I.
Had you taken/sent them back to Bowness - they probably would have fixed them for you Rob.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Rob Goes Walking on 19:13:21, 12/04/19
Had you taken/sent them back to Bowness - they probably would have fixed them for you Rob.

Oh well. You live you learn. The Go Outdoors poles I have now are perfectly adequate.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Jays on 19:30:29, 12/04/19
We use Nordic poles which are connected to your hand with straps.
The best bit is you don’t need to grip as the are connected to your hand , and therefore an extension to your movement.
We use LEKI Nordic Walking poles witch do have a lifetime guarantee!

Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Bigfoot_Mike on 19:32:06, 12/04/19
I had a pair of 3 section pacerpoles just over 10 years ago. The sections jammed and I could no longer move them. Ended up binning them because I stopped using them and couldn't sell them with jammed sections. I do find walking easier with poles but for some reason I tend not to use them. I've only owned the expensive pacerpoles and cheap go outdoors poles I didn't find a huge difference between them other than weight and bounce but I expect ninthace and Bigfoot_Mike have more skill with them than I.


They take a bit of time to get used to, but thereafter they made walking easier. I only tripped over them once, happily not on a narrow ridge.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Owen on 19:57:41, 12/04/19
Never got on with pacerpoles the grips just don't feel right to me and they put the poles at the wrong angle. Plus no straps, just wrong.
I use black diamond poles with straps, so I can use them nordic style. I only tend to use when I'm carrying a heavy pack, don't both when I'm just out for a day walk.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Pitboot on 20:00:24, 12/04/19
Owen, my Pacer poles have a sort of strap, like tent bungees.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: ninthace on 20:21:56, 12/04/19
Owen, my Pacer poles have a sort of strap, like tent bungees.
I quite appreciated the absence of the traditional wrist loops.  The grips fit naturally into a relaxed hand so there is no need to grip them firmly to prevent slippage. The flange that fits down the side of your palm takes the load that wrist loops and fingers do on traditional poles.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Owen on 20:41:08, 12/04/19
Nordic style you don't grip the pole, you keep the hand open. The pole swings from the strap, dragons are more comfortable but a pain to put on.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: astaman on 21:41:01, 12/04/19
I use at least one walking pole all the time. On long walks, particularly where the going is good and I can keep up a good rhythm, I use two poles. On rougher ground I use one to give me a third point of contact with the ground for stability. Anyway, walking just doesn't seem right without a stick or pole in my hand.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: fernman on 22:50:13, 12/04/19
I quite appreciated the absence of the traditional wrist loops.

You need the loops so you can do lots of things such as look at your map, take a photo, use your hands for a brief bit of scrambling, (ladies look away now) have a leak, etc., without totally letting go of your poles.
I find that when  I do remove my hands from the loops and lean the poles against something like a bush, tree trunk, seat, my torso even, nine times out of ten one or both of them will fall onto the ground so that I have to stoop to pick it/them up.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: ninthace on 23:01:56, 12/04/19
You need the loops so you can do lots of things such as look at your map, take a photo, use your hands for a brief bit of scrambling, (ladies look away now) have a leak, etc., without totally letting go of your poles.
I find that when  I do remove my hands from the loops and lean the poles against something like a bush, tree trunk, seat, my torso even, nine times out of ten one or both of them will fall onto the ground so that I have to stoop to pick it/them up.
My Pacerpoles come have adjustable bungee cords that allow you to do hang your poles from your wrists the same as normal poles. The advantage of the design is that because the wrist loops are not load bearing when walking you don’t get any rubbing on the skin between your finger and thumb or across the back of your wrist. On long days with conventional poles I have ended up close to blisters on these areas in rough country.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: fernman on 11:16:45, 13/04/19
My Pacerpoles come have adjustable bungee cords that allow you to do hang your poles from your wrists the same as normal poles. The advantage of the design is that because the wrist loops are not load bearing when walking you don’t get any rubbing on the skin between your finger and thumb or across the back of your wrist. On long days with conventional poles I have ended up close to blisters on these areas in rough country.
You have my sympathies, because in 20+ years of using poles I have never suffered from anything like that.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Skip on 11:20:20, 13/04/19
There's a huge amount of info about choosing and using walking poles here:
https://medphys.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/gear/poles/poles1.html (https://medphys.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/gear/poles/poles1.html)


Probably the most useful and informative website on the subject of poles.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: phil1960 on 12:05:18, 13/04/19
Leki poles for me when I use them, excellent quality and light with no issues at all with the strap. My other half uses Karrimor carbon poles which we bought a few years ago for £30, superb value and standing the test of time.
There is a local Nordic walking group that use the country park where we walk the dog and I got talking to the group leader about her poles, she was very dismissive about walking poles saying that her Nordic poles were and I quote, “the rolls Royce” of all poles, walking or otherwise”, I politely disagreed and left her to her class on the site of an old colliery.
Title: Re: Poles
Post by: Dread on 18:20:41, 13/04/19
A good wide strap is fairly essential imho. Used properly any downward pressure on the pole is cushioned by the strap under your wrist, easing the pressure on your fingers. Walking this way means no 'death grip' is needed on the handle at all.