[pct-l] trekking poles

[m_factor@hotmail.com (Mara Factor)]

Hi all,

A couple of points...

You're probably not getting as much utility out of your poles as you could
if you're not putting significant weight on them with most steps.  While
they can certainly help prevent falls just by the fact that you have them i=
n
your hands, if you're not using them with each step, you're losing their
ability to take weight off your feet, knees, and ankles with each step.  By
sharing that weight with your arms, shoulders, and upper body, you're
putting much less wear and tear on your legs and therefore, your legs will
be able to travel further.

As for elbow pain, I'm not really sure what might cause that.  I suspect
body mechanics of some sort.  You might want to check the length of your
poles.  In general, with your elbows hanging at your sides, the length of
your poles should be dictated by the fact that you want your forearms to be
parallel with the ground.  Ideally, this means teh poles should be shorter
going up hills, and longer coming down.

Long distance hikers soon tire of changing poles lengths all day and usuall=
y
find some happy medium that seems to work.  You might want to experiment
with changing poles lengths to see what might work better for you.

Also, make sure you are using the straps effectively.  Many pole users who
don't, find themselves having to grip the poles much harder than if you do
use your strap well.  This can prove tiring and might have an affect on you=
r
elbows as well.

As for the antishock, I like that particular feature precisely because it
takes the wear and tear of the jarring off my upper body.  While climbing,
the shocks aren't as necessary.  While descending, the springs can help
soften the blow of each step.  You might want to experiment with the tensio=
n
to see if one setting allows for enough stiffness while ascending but
softens the blow while coming down hills.

I've added some infformation on poles to my web site at
http://friends.backcountry.net/m_factor/poles.html .  From there, you'll
also see a pointer to Pete's Poles Page  at
http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm which contains some
great information on the use of your poles and pictures to help understand
some of what I've written.

I hope some of this helps,

Mara


>From: John Mertes <jmertes@verizon.net>
>To: Christy Andrews <stormygirlie@hotmail.com>
>Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2002 21:47:29 -0700
>
...
>
>When using them, I generally just swing each forward and then lightly touc=
h
>the
>ground with it without putting noticeable weight on it. The poles help me
>move
>faster (confidence, mental). And I have caught myself early in several
>stumbles
>that could/would have resulted in a sore ankle for a while or a sprain
>.
>IMO, the anti-shock is just a gimmick. I think that usually one should NOT
>be
>planting the poles with enough force to even engage it.
>
>
>Christy Andrews wrote:
>
> > [ Converted text/html to text/plain ]
> >
> > I am a big fan of trekking poles - they provide overall stability, save
>my
> > knees on descents, let me use upper body strength on the ascents, and
>help me
> > keep a fast stride on the straight-aways. But after several hours, I
>find my
> > elbows aching. I've heard others complain of the same problem, so I'm
> > wondering whether anybody has solutions or suggestions.
...

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