A LOVE LETTER TO TREKKING POLES
Your third and fourth legs (and how they can save your life!)
If you’ve ever watched someone glide confidently down a rocky descent while you white-knuckled your way through it like a baby giraffe on an ice rink, there’s a good chance they were using trekking poles. And there’s an even better chance they will never hike without them again.
I am one of those people. And I am here to convert you.
Trekking poles are, in my humble but practiced opinion, one of the most underrated and underutilized pieces of gear in the hiking world. They are also one of the most misunderstood. People assume they’re for older hikers, injured hikers, or people who need extra help. In reality, they are for anyone who wants to hike smarter, safer, and with significantly less wear and tear on their body. I carry them on every overnight hike, and I consider them as non-negotiable as my boots.
I didn’t start out that way. Roll the tapes back… I don’t know, 20 years maybe? I thought those newfangled high-tech sticks were totally unnecessary and my heavy, hand-carved wooden stick did a fine job helping me stay upright. And it did, for the most part. (I still use a hand-carved walking stick for my daily walks today, albeit a much smaller one.) But it was clunky, it was heavy, and it was only one. As it turns out, four legs are better than two, or even three. Let me tell you why.
WHAT TREKKING POLES ACTUALLY DO FOR YOU
The benefits go far beyond “something to lean on,” and the science backs this up in ways that might surprise you.
They protect your joints. Every step you take going downhill sends compressive forces through your knees that are three to four times higher than walking on level ground. Trekking poles redistribute a portion of that load from your legs to your arms, shoulders, and core, effectively sharing the burden across your entire body. Research has shown that proper pole use can reduce the impact force on your knees by 12 to 25 percent on descents. That may not sound dramatic until you consider how many thousands of steps you take on a single hike. Over the course of a multi-day trek, that reduction adds up to an extraordinary amount of pressure spared from your joints.
They improve your balance. This is the big one. Trekking poles turn your two-legged stance into a four-point contact system, significantly improving your stability on uneven ground. Studies have shown that poles reduce postural sway, especially on rough or slippery terrain. In plain language… you are far less likely to end up on the ground.
They turn hiking into a full-body experience. When you consciously engage your poles with each step, your lats, shoulders, and core are all working alongside your legs. This distributes the effort more evenly, reduces fatigue in your lower body, and allows you to cover more ground with less strain. It’s no longer just a leg workout… it’s a full-body movement.
They are incredibly useful in stream crossings. A creek crossing with a pack on and no poles is an exercise in anxiety. A creek crossing with poles planted firmly in the streambed is a completely different experience. (I will even call it fun!) They give you stability where your feet alone cannot be trusted, and they allow you to test the depth and footing before committing your weight with a step.
They improve your rhythm and pacing. This one is subtle but powerful. Poles naturally encourage a rhythmic, steady pace. When you fall into a comfortable pole-step-pole-step cadence, you tend to slow down to a sustainable pace rather than charging ahead and burning out. For anyone practicing mindful walking, this rhythmic quality becomes part of the meditation itself.
They have a few unexpected uses. Trekking poles can probe questionable terrain ahead of you, push aside overgrown vegetation (Here’s looking at you, poison ivy!), and even set up some ultralight shelters and tarps that use poles instead of tent poles to save weight. And of course, they can make you appear larger during a wildlife encounter by extending your profile, or help you make noise when you clackety-clack them together, which is useful when you need to encourage a curious black bear to move along.
HOW TO SIZE YOUR POLES
Getting the length right matters more than most people realize… Stand on flat ground, grip the handle, and adjust the pole until your elbow is at a 90-degree angle. Your forearm should be parallel to the ground. Having them too long or too short can affect your posture significantly, throwing your weight off balance in ways you may not notice until your body starts complaining.
For uphill sections, shortening your poles by a few inches keeps them from feeling awkwardly tall as the ground rises to meet you. For descents, lengthening them slightly compensates for the downhill angle and gives you more reach to plant ahead of your feet.
Many quality poles also feature an extended grip… a rubberized, foam, or cork section that runs several inches below the main handle. This is not decorative. On steep ascents, you can lower your grip without having to stop and readjust the pole length, saving time and maintaining your rhythm. It’s a small feature that you will appreciate enormously once you start using it.
HOW TO ACTUALLY USE THEM
Keep them close to your body. Your poles should plant near your feet, not way out in front of you or off to the sides like some lanky spider reaching out in all directions. Keeping them close to your center of gravity gives you the most stability and the most efficient energy transfer. That said, extending them out to the side for balance on uneven or exposed terrain is perfectly fine when the situation calls for it. Think of them as extensions of your arms, not as separate tools operating independently from your body.
Plant with intention. Each pole placement should be deliberate, not random stabbing at the ground. On flat terrain, use an alternating pattern… right pole with left foot, left pole with right foot, like a natural walking rhythm. On steep ascents, you may plant both poles simultaneously and push off. On descents, plant them slightly ahead of you to absorb the impact before your feet arrive. Generally, by keeping one pole planted closer to your center of gravity rather than reaching way out ahead, you will have much greater stability.
Know when to stow them. There are times when poles need to go away. On scrambling sections where you need both hands free to grab rock, your poles become a liability rather than an asset. Collapse them, strap them to your pack, and use your hands. Same goes for extremely narrow, technical sections where poles can get wedged between rocks or catch on things at precisely the wrong moment. Knowing when to put them away is just as important as knowing how to use them.
THE STRAP QUESTION (AND MY HONEST ANSWER)
This topic generates more debate in the hiking world than you might expect, (and I have strong opinions). Early in my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I was climbing a steep, technical section of trail when my pole got firmly stuck between two rocks. I kept going up. The pole did not. And because my hand was strapped firmly to the pole, my finger dislocated before I could free myself. It was not a great moment. (I had to get rescued TWICE in the first 100 miles on trail. I’m pretty sure people were questioning if I was actually going to make it out of the south.)
After that experience, I stopped using the wrist straps. I have hiked thousands of miles without them and have never once wished I had them on.
Now, I want to be fair here, because plenty of experienced hikers love their straps and use them effectively. When used properly, straps transfer the force of each pole plant from your grip to your wrist, reducing hand fatigue and allowing a more relaxed hold. For long days on moderate terrain, that’s a real benefit. The proper technique is to slide your hand UP through the strap from below, then grip the handle so the strap wraps around the back of your wrist. This way, when you push down, the force goes through the strap rather than through your grip.
However, there is plenty of research that supports what I learned the hard way. Many upper body injuries during falls… dislocated shoulders, broken wrists, jammed fingers… occur when hikers remain attached to their poles via straps. When a pole catches on something or you go down unexpectedly, the strap keeps you connected to an object that your body very much wants to separate from.
If you choose to use straps, remove your hands from them on steep descents, during stream crossings, on scrambling sections, and anywhere the terrain is loose, wet, or unpredictable. The convenience of keeping your poles close by is not worth the risk when things go awry. And if you choose not to use straps at all? Welcome to the club. We do just fine.
TELESCOPING VERSUS FOLDING POLES
There are two main types… telescoping poles are the traditional style, with sections that slide inside each other and lock into place. They offer a wide range of height adjustment and tend to be structurally stronger. For general trail hiking and backpacking, they are the more versatile choice. Folding poles (also called Z-poles) collapse into compact, shorter segments (around 15 – 16”), which makes them popular with travelers, trail runners, and anyone who values packability above all else. The trade-off is that most folding poles traditionally have limited or no height adjustability, and the additional joints create more potential points of failure over time.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR (WITHOUT NAMING NAMES)
I don’t want to discuss specific brands here, but I will say this plainly. Invest in quality poles. This is not the place to save money! You are putting your full body weight on these when hopping over a blowdown, picking your way through a rocky creek crossing, or catching yourself on a stumble. Cheap knockoff poles are heavier, bulkier, use cheaper parts, and have a troubling tendency to collapse, bend, or break at precisely the moment you need them most. That is not a great time to discover you should have spent the extra money. A few things to look for…
Cork handles are naturally antimicrobial and conform to your grip over time. Foam handles wick moisture well and are comfortable in warm weather. Both are significantly better than rubber, which gets slippery when wet and doesn’t breathe at all. Many poles offer a combination of cork or foam at the top with an extended foam grip running several inches below.
Flick-lock or lever-lock mechanisms are generally more reliable and easier to adjust on the fly than twist-lock systems, which can slip under load or seize up in cold weather. If you’ve ever been on a steep descent frantically trying to twist a frozen lock mechanism while your knees scream at you, you understand this recommendation on a personal level.
Carbide or tungsten tips provide excellent grip on rock and hard-packed soil. Rubber tip protectors (which slip over the metal tips) are worth using on hard surfaces like pavement and also to prevent soil erosion on soft trails… a Leave No Trace consideration that matters more than most hikers realize. Bare carbide tips can damage fragile alpine environments and leave visible marks on rock. Some areas prohibit the use of carbide tips on trail. Be mindful of where and when you use them.
What about shock-absorbing poles? Some poles feature a built-in shock absorption system, usually a spring mechanism inside the upper section that compresses slightly on impact. The idea is to reduce the jarring force transmitted to your hands and arms. Some hikers love them, particularly on long descents. Others find the added bounce distracting and prefer a more direct connection to the ground. If you have joint sensitivity in your wrists or elbows, they may be worth trying. Otherwise, standard poles with good technique will serve you well.
Are carbon fiber poles better than aluminum? Carbon is lighter and absorbs vibration beautifully, which is wonderful for long days and anyone with joint sensitivity. However, carbon is also brittle. When it fails, it doesn’t bend… it shatters, often leaving you with no usable pole at all. Aluminum is slightly heavier but far more forgiving. When stressed beyond its limits, it bends rather than snapping, which means you can often still use it in an emergency, even if it looks a little sad.
I have personally seen this play out in a way I will never forget. I was on a multi-week hike with one of my very first clients, who was in his mid-70s, steady and strong, on trail. We were on a very narrow section along a steep mountainside with a river far below when he slipped on a large wet rock and went over the edge. He landed in the cascade below, slipped again, and continued sliding toward the river. I was already planning my rescue mission in my head… a 20-mile hike out of remote backcountry to get help. But his aluminum trekking pole caught on the rocks and stopped his fall! It held just long enough for us to get him back up to the trail. He walked out of there under his own power with some nasty bumps and bruises, shaken but okay. His pole was especially sad… bent badly, and barely recognizable… but still mostly usable. He attributed being alive and walking to that pole. The point of this story? Had it been carbon, it would have shattered on impact, and this would be a very different story.
TAKING CARE OF YOUR POLES
A good set of trekking poles, well cared for, will last thousands of miles. Here’s how to make that happen…
After every trip, take all the sections apart. Separate every segment so the insides can dry completely. Moisture trapped inside the shaft promotes corrosion and rust, and leaving the poles compressed keeps constant pressure on the locking mechanisms, which wears them out faster. Lay the sections out and let them air dry before storing them.
Disinfect the handles. After a trip, your handles have accumulated a remarkable amount of dirt, sweat, and bacteria from your filthy hiker hands. (I say this with love and solidarity.) I use a simple homemade cleaning solution… vinegar, water, and a small amount of gentle, unscented biodegradable soap. (Use unscented to avoid adding an interesting “smell” to something potentially stored in or around your tent that could attract wildlife.) Wipe them down and let them dry.
Wipe down the shafts. This is especially important if you’ve hiked through areas with poisonous plants such as poison ivy, which is quite common in many popular hiking areas. The oils from these plants (called urushiol, for those who enjoy knowing the name of things that cause deep suffering) can transfer to your pole shafts and then to your hands and skin long after the hike is over. A quick wipe-down eliminates that risk entirely.
Check your tips and baskets regularly. Carbide tips do wear down over time, especially if you hike frequently on rock. Most quality poles offer replacement tips that are inexpensive and easy to swap. Mud baskets (the small discs near the tip) can crack or loosen over time, and snow baskets should be added for winter conditions to prevent your poles from plunging into deep snow up to the handle.
Inspect your locking mechanisms (and tighten, if needed). Give them a check periodically for wear, slippage, or debris. A locking mechanism that fails on a steep descent is not an experience you want to have. Clean them, tighten them, and replace them if they start to feel unreliable. Prevention is always cheaper than a trip to the emergency room.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
I have hiked thousands of miles with trekking poles and thousands without. The difference is not subtle. My knees are happier, my balance is better, my pace is steadier, and my confidence on technical terrain is immeasurably greater.
If you’ve been on the fence about trying them, get off the fence. Preferably with good balance and a pole in each hand.While the learning curve may be a little awkward at first, your knees will thank you. Your ankles will thank you. And somewhere around mile three, when you’re clicking along in a beautiful rhythm with the trail stretching out ahead of you, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.
