[pct-l] walking poles

[cvano at tmail.com]

I like mine 'most' of the time.  There are times though when they are a 
problem, like when you have to use your hands for scrambling or 
something like a snack or a look at the map, or you just get tired of 
them.  I stick them through a shoulder strap like a sword.  To get the 
ice axe, I have to take off the pack anyway, so I strap them on then and 
just use the ice axe.  Unless you have 3 or 4 hands.....  I use them 
with my Tarptent or to stake out other parts of other tents as needed.  
Personally, I'd rather have them than not.  C

On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 7:41 pm, Steve Fosdick wrote:
> I can see that opinions on water caches are as wide as an ocean. Thanks 
> for all the comments.
>
> Now, my next big dilemma is whether or not to carry walking poles. In a 
> lot of photos in journals, I see many hikers using them. I rarely use a 
> walking stick of any kind. Here in Oregon, if I really feel the urge to 
> use one, there are always plenty of tree limbs lying around that will 
> do the job just fine. However, I find that I soon tire of carrying it, 
> so I toss it far off the side of the trail as though it had just blown 
> down like all the other tree limbs lying around. I'm sure there won't 
> be a lot of poles lying around on the So. California stretches of the 
> PCT, so if I want them, I'll need to bring my own along.
>
> Will I be the only hiker on the trail without walking poles? Other than 
> using them to flick off a rattle snake, hold up a tarp-tent (my tent 
> has its own poles) or defending myself from a charging bear (yeah, 
> right!), will I wish that had some on my thru-hike? I'll have an ice ax 
> for the parts of the trail that have snow. When hikers get out their 
> ice ax, do they put their walking poles away?
>
> I understand that ski poles are not the same as hiking poles. And Keen 
> Fit Poles are NOT hiking poles, according the Keen Fit website! (That 
> was really funny. I followed the link "Hiking Poles" to the Keen 
> Fit site, and one of the first things on their video was "These are NOT 
> hiking poles!")
>
> I hope this topic is not as controversial as water caches! But I would 
> like to hear some advice from experts out there.
>
> Hikin_steve
>
> --------------------
>
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It's not the Mountain that we conquer,
but Ourselves.  Anon.

Ol' Three Toes aka Chris
S/V Drifter ~~~_/)~~~
Anacortes, WA.