[pct-l] Trekking poles?

[Deep Desert Expeditions]

I've walked a couple thousand miles thru the Utah desert and Grand Canyon--all with my super makalus.  You can look around without fear of falling, your arms get a work out as you're on your feet for so many hours everyday. On the up and downs they rock, across flats you simply hold the middle in a balanced position and walk on.
If your hands and thumb get tired, I'd ask if you're holding the poles in the most efficient way: take your hands and put them thru the strap from the bottom, reaching down across the base of the strap as you grip the pole (so it's below/between your thumb and forefinger--just like a ski pole); you can push off, you can drop the pole without losing it--and you never really need to "grip" the thing.
I don't consider them "optional"; they're required gear (you can always cast them away at a stop if you hate them).

If the world treats me well, I'll be using my sticks on a thru hike on the PCT this  year  :-)


Moab Mike



-----Original Message-----
>From: Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com <diane at santabarbarahikes.com>
>Sent: Jan 14, 2010 8:24 PM
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trekking poles?
>
>
>On Jan 14, 2010, at 7:09 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>> I'm not sure if this was mentioned that most (or at least many)  
>> people experience swelling in their hands while hiking if they're  
>> down at your sides. Trekking poles alleviate that.
>>
>> P178
>
>Oh yeah, that's a huge benefit for me.
>
>Also, they are really good for dogs. I cross them in front of me and  
>that keeps people's dogs away.
>
>I don't know how I would have managed some of the creeks I  
>encountered without them. Being able to poke at a milky glacier  
>creek's bottom to see if I'm about to step in a deep hole is quite a  
>lifesaver. Granted you can do that with a stick, but it's nice to  
>always have a stick or two handy.
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