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[pct-l] Trekking Poles vs. ski poles



A lot has been said about trekking poles these past days and here is a 
little more. Before I started using trekking poles I thought they were for
the techno-geeks and avoided them. But then Blue and I were on our PCT hike
and she was experiencing severe knee pain, almost to the point of having to
quit the hike. A friend of hers lent her his poles and within a few days the
pain was gone and she has used them ever since. The next season I found a
good deal on some Lekkis so thought I would give them a try. Bingo - I was
convinced I could live with being a little of a techno-geek if it meant no
more blisters on my feet. I used to suffer from toe blisters no matter what
shoe I was wearing but know that I use poles I hardly get a blister. Part of
the impact from hiking with a load is transferred to the upper body, giving
the lower body a break.

Ski poles will probably work but not nearly as good as a collapsible
trekking pole. Trekking poles have a carbide tip that really does work to
grab the rock. Also, the ability to adjust the length of the pole allows you
to adapt to the terrain - like when your crossing a stream over a log and
you need your pole to be six feet long to be able to reach the bottom of the
stream.

As for trekking poles causing damage to the trail, well I guess it all
depends on how you look at it. It can be argued that trekking poles are
doing the wilds a service by breaking up the compacted trail and allow for
seeds to find a crevice to take root in. But I guess this would be a problem
if your a trail crew worker trying to maintain the trail.


--
Rusty "MyTie" Johnston
pctresearch@pcthiker.com
http://www.pcthiker.com


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