Trekking poles

[raydercha]

Yes, no, maybe?

 

[dougfitz]

Yes, no, maybe what?
Yes, take them, but learn to use them properly.
No, don't leave them behind, don't leave them in your backpack all day, and don't forget to use the rubber tips.
Maybe you think you can walk without poles, and you would be right. But walking with poles has many more advantages than walking without them.

Regards

 

[rector]

I walked until Santa Catalina with a walking pole (alloy) at Santa Catalina I bought a wooden pole and I would find it difficult to say which was best but I really would suggest that at least 1 pole is a great asset

 

[Magwood]

Yes

 

[wayfarer]

My brother convinced (bullied) me to bring walking poles on our Camino which I did reluctantly but after the first day over the Pyrenees I was hooked, they make walking uphill and downhill so easy and safe. When I got to Santiago and put my kit in the hotel I didn't know what to do with my hands for several hours.
Yes, bring them.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

yes

 

[indyinmaine]

You'll wish you had them if you don't bring them!

 

[AnnieH61]

Definitely yes.
Annie

 

[clearskiescamino]

On my three previous times on the camino, I have used a wooden stick bought prior to starting.
They were a great help to me, so I woild say "yes"

 

[Left Coaster]

Hola Dougfitz;
I have read a few comments about using trekking poles correctly but don't quite understand what is meant. I have been training with them and have adopted a style where on flat or uphill the pole is planted approximately in line with the heel of the opposite foot. Downhill the pole is planted more forward to assist with a braking action. Would appreciate your comment. As mentioned by others here I definitely recommend using poles. The conventional wisdom is that they can reduce stress on your knees by up to 25%. Overall they make walking easier as they get your upper body into the work as well and I think they help maintain pace.

 

[RobertS26]

Poles? Yes. How to use them? Here is a simple video on Youtube that explains it pretty well:

 

[Bear]

I didn't use them on my last Camino but am tempted to give them a try this year, solely due to the number of articles I have read claiming they can take upwards of 20% of the stress from your knees etc.

I'm told my walking style is more like a roman centurions march and I walk quickly, around 7 kms per hour, so I do have reservations that I can adapt to using the walking poles although I will give them a try for a week or so.

 

[Larry from Sydney]

In teasing for a walk I was tempted but to use walking pokes but was soon taught the error of my ways - they are worth their weight as a way to reduce dress on your legs - but remember you can always by them on the walk though it's normally to late when your knees are already sore- it's your walk so enjoy it your way - to pole or not to pole that is the question wether it is easier on the knees or if in leaving them easier on the weight ( oh that is terrible take on Shakespeare )


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[Kanga]

Hola Dougfitz;
I have read a few comments about using trekking poles correctly but don't quite understand what is meant. I have been training with them and have adopted a style where on flat or uphill the pole is planted approximately in line with the heel of the opposite foot. Downhill the pole is planted more forward to assist with a braking action. Would appreciate your comment. As mentioned by others here I definitely recommend using poles. The conventional wisdom is that they can reduce stress on your knees by up to 25%. Overall they make walking easier as they get your upper body into the work as well and I think they help maintain pace.

The video shows the right action - it sounds like you are planting them right, ie approximately in line with the opposite foot. Just as important is getting your hands through the straps the right way (as shown on the video) - she does not mention that the strap length should be adjusted so that it is sitting nicely on the back of your hand, not too tight, not too loose. And I've come across people who have used poles for weeks and still haven't discovered that the handle strap is adjustable! One of the reasons Pacer Poles are so popular is that the grip automatically ensures your hands are in the right place and poles at the right angle.

I get tremendous forward propulsion with my poles.

On steep downhill sections I think of myself as a quadruped, hold the poles quite close to my body and plant the poles where a four legged animal would. If that makes sense. I don't know if that is correct, but it works for me.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

I'm not a big fan of Roberts video, I have to say. To me, it looks like she is trying to show how to do Nordic walking with a pair of trekking poles. (She doesn't quite do that when she walks, though) And they are too long for her. Just my opinion.
I googled and found this video which I thought shows the difference between trekking poles and Nordic walking poles pretty well.

 

[marjm007]

Thank you for that wayfarer.

 

[Leaningforward]

In my humble opinion, one of the quickest routes to injury on the camino is to alter the mechanics of one's normal gait or stride -- ask me; I lengthened my stride and pace up a long hill and had to walk the last 120 kilometers to Santiago using a pair of forearm crutches.

My point is this: walking sticks should relieve some strain on your body (mostly your legs and feet) without changing your normal walking mechanics. Don't try to mimic a YouTube video if the motion doesn't feel natural.

Everyone's walking mechanics are unique, which is why intelligence agencies are trying to use walking mechanics to "fingerprint" suspects. An easy way to see these differences is to watch an upside down reflection of people walking, which tends to exaggerate the perceived motion.

For me -- and it may be different for you -- I used a pair of sticks (ordinary ones I found in a shop between SJPdP and Valcarlos) to help lift me up inclines, to help propel me on flats, and to resist gravity on descents. The motion was different for each, as was my hand position on the sticks -- with and without using the hands straps.

Walk 10 or 20 kilometers with sticks, on varied terrain. and see what feels natural to you.

Walking sticks should make walking easier -- not make walking an unnatural exercise that one needs to think about. Imagine how enjoyable eating new foods would be if you had your mind on proper chewing mechanics depicted on a YouTube video.

 

[Kanga]

I am never more comfortable than striding along with my poles pushing me forward. I learnt my technique years before anyone had heard of Nordic walking, and it was by watching someone who had walked from the Hook of Holland to Spain.
The only time I've come to grief is when I've planted a pole in front of me (as in the second video) and tripped over it!
Of course I use my poles for balance and also to test the ground height (I'm virtually blind in one eye with no depth perception) but to relieve stress on hips and knees I need to be using the poles in a mechanically efficient way.
Pole dancing does not appeal to me.

 

[dougfitz]

Hola Dougfitz;
I have read a few comments about using trekking poles correctly but don't quite understand what is meant. I have been training with them and have adopted a style where on flat or uphill the pole is planted approximately in line with the heel of the opposite foot. Downhill the pole is planted more forward to assist with a braking action. Would appreciate your comment. As mentioned by others here I definitely recommend using poles. The conventional wisdom is that they can reduce stress on your knees by up to 25%. Overall they make walking easier as they get your upper body into the work as well and I think they help maintain pace.

Some points:

• From what I can interpret you are doing, I would continue to do that.
• I would be sceptical about claims as high as 25% reduction in stress loads for continuous use. Full compression of one brand of sprung poles I own occurs at about 14kg equivalent, and I know that I achieve that infrequently during any walk, mainly going downhill. That's well short of 25%.
• Both videos posted early give absolutely appalling demonstrations of using poles for trekking. They both suggest the pole is placed well forward of the leading foot when it strikes the ground. I would only ever do that going downhill to provide additional stability. Otherwise, what you describe is a much better approach.
• That said, both videos do demonstrate the correct way of using the grip and strap.
  
• In the second video, the gait adopted in the demonstration of using poles for trekking seems quite unusual, more like a four-beat gait generally used with a single pole or staff. I use a two beat pattern, where I plant a pole at each step, ie the right pole is planted every two steps, and the left on the alternative steps. It sounds to me that you have already adopted that pattern.
• The balance between lift (taking weight off one's lower joints) and push (adding speed) largely depends on the length of the pole. The longer the pole, the greater the angle at which it strikes the ground, and the more it will push you forward, rather than lift the load off your knees, etc. I tend to adjust my poles so that my forearms are level or sloping down from the elbow. This generates more lift than push.

Regards,

 

[Phillypilgrim]

Hi raydercha. I went with "maybe" last fall. I could not decide, and I did not train with poles. I began in Roncesvalles, and waited until Pamplona where I bought one lone pole for about 9 Euros. I loved it! (See photo!)

 

[Bajaracer]

Yes, no, maybe?

Do you have a history of bad knees? If so, bring them.

 

[CanPete]

I am never more comfortable than striding along with my poles pushing me forward. I learnt my technique years before anyone had heard of Nordic walking, and it was by watching someone who had walked from the Hook of Holland to Spain.
The only time I've come to grief is when I've planted a pole in front of me (as in the second video) and tripped over it!
Of course I use my poles for balance and also to test the ground height (I'm virtually blind in one eye with no depth perception) but to relieve stress on hips and knees I need to be using the poles in a mechanically efficient way.
Pole dancing does not appeal to me.

'Hook' actually is 'hoek' in Dutch, which means 'corner' . . . :0)

 

[Kanga]

My apologies Pete.

 

[CanPete]

Some points:

• From what I can interpret you are doing, I would continue to do that.
• I would be sceptical about claims as high as 25% reduction in stress loads for continuous use. Full compression of one brand of sprung poles I own occurs at about 14kg equivalent, and I know that I achieve that infrequently during any walk, mainly going downhill. That's well short of 25%.
• Both videos posted early give absolutely appalling demonstrations of using poles for trekking. They both suggest the pole is placed well forward of the leading foot when it strikes the ground. I would only ever do that going downhill to provide additional stability. Otherwise, what you describe is a much better approach.
• That said, both videos do demonstrate the correct way of using the grip and strap.
  
• In the second video, the gait adopted in the demonstration of using poles for trekking seems quite unusual, more like a four-beat gait generally used with a single pole or staff. I use a two beat pattern, where I plant a pole at each step, ie the right pole is planted every two steps, and the left on the alternative steps. It sounds to me that you have already adopted that pattern.
• The balance between lift (taking weight off one's lower joints) and push (adding speed) largely depends on the length of the pole. The longer the pole, the greater the angle at which it strikes the ground, and the more it will push you forward, rather than lift the load off your knees, etc. I tend to adjust my poles so that my forearms are level or sloping down from the elbow. This generates more lift than push.

Regards,

I don't think that using poles reaps physical rewards due to decreasing the amount of weight bearing that one puts through the lower extremities ; In my view, by using poles you assist you body in further assisting the legs in maintaining propulsion. Because of the repetitive 'strain' of using your musculo-skeletal system to keep moving (i.e. a long walk), a certain percentual decrease in load on the legs, by using your arms (via the poles), will allow for a relative overall decrease in load, compared to walking without poles.

 

[Thomas1962]

To answer the initial question in this topic and to balance a little all the answers: maybe... For many people poles are really helpful in many ways, but poles are not for everyone. It depends e.g. on your body. I tried them, it doesn't work for me and I also don't feel any need. Who knows, it does change later, but this is the way it is now.
I never counted, but I would say that at least half of the people walk without.
So just see if it fits you.

 

[Laliibeans]

I'm just weighing up whether I'm going to get too frustrated dropping them every five minutes to take a photo or not. My hands swell when I walk, so I want them to avoid that and help my balance as I have arthritis in my feet. Compromise it is!

 

[Kanga]

I'm just weighing up whether I'm going to get too frustrated dropping them every five minutes to take a photo or not. My hands swell when I walk, so I want them to avoid that and help my balance as I have arthritis in my feet. Compromise it is!

They do eliminate the hand swelling problem.
Digital cameras make it very easy to be constantly stopping and snapping but really, isn't it better to just take a few carefully composed pictures? And to enjoy the experience without constant camera interruptions?

 

[Laliibeans]

I come from a family of photographers, documenting our travels and even just our gatherings and revisiting them at family get-togethers has always been one of our most beloved activities, along with telling all the stories that went with the experience we recorded. I don't really understand the thought that taking photos means you aren't really living the experience, it's quite the opposite of how we've always approached life and travel.

 

[dougfitz]

I'm just weighing up whether I'm going to get too frustrated dropping them every five minutes to take a photo or not. My hands swell when I walk, so I want them to avoid that and help my balance as I have arthritis in my feet. Compromise it is!

If you are using the straps correctly, the poles will fall free of your hands, and you don't have to remove the poles to take photographs, blow your nose or the like.

 

[Larry from Sydney]

Doug is correct the straps can be looped over your wrists so that you can free your hands as you move - the poles are held lightly and when you want to take a picture just slip the straps to your wrists and free your hands - after a while it becomes second nature - happy walking


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[Laliibeans]

Thanks, I've only taken them out on a practice hike so far but they really did help prevent my hands swelling so I'd like to use them. Hopefully it won't take much to become fully accustomed to using them with the straps on. I've watched a few of those videos and they were quite informative.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

to become fully accustomed to using them with the straps on

Most of your weight should be on the straps, not the grips. To use poles properly the wrist straps are essential. When you stop for a photo, just let the poles dangle.

To see poles improperly used, watch Joost on The Way. Whatever he does, do the opposite!!

 

[Maggie97520]

Hahaha, joost and trekking pole. I tried his "method" several times and just couldn't get the hang of it.

 

[MKalcolm M]

I found a bamboo pole at the alberg when I first started walking and it worked really well for me, I tried using my companions trekking poles and they never felt right, so each to their own. The bamboo pole got slowly shorter as I walked so I finally gave it to a fellow walker, and cut another one from some fallen bamboo, which walked all the way to Santiago and onto Muxia with me.

 

[Suzanne Edminster]

Just wanted to say that I've been training with mine. This thread contains contains the best discussions and videos I have found. There's a surprising amount of unclarity and confusion about them. These videos make it a lot clearer. Thanks to Doug Fitz for the advice on the length of the poles and the push/lift equation, and also on the straps/camera use idea. I will practice on my next hike with them. To the people who say they don't feel right...of course they don't feel right at first. It is like voluntarily disabling yourself at first when you're learning. Now I really feel the benefit. Plus, they make keeping a steady temp easier, really help on up and downhill segments. If you are learning, try to walk on soft or non-asphalt ground where you will feel their benefit in balance more immediately.
Both my husband and I have had knee ligament ACL operations and poles are extending our hiking lives by decades. Don't give up too soon if you feel called to use poles. Thanks to all who participated. At their best, you feel like a little four-legged animal... the poles are the first leg to hit the ground in front.