Hiking stick

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I am wondering if other hikers think hiking sticks are useful in helping to take some of the shock off their knees while hiking downhill. Thanks for your responses.

-- Jerry Dean (jdean@arizonahiker.com), February 22, 2000

Answers

I think that a hiking/walking stick is an excellent idea, not only to help the knees while hiking downhill, but also to help with balance and to keep from falling in situations where footing is less than sure. I still have one that I made from an old agave stem about 40 years ago. It was real dry and almost as light as balsa wood, but really tough, too. I scraped off all the branches, sanded, and then coated it with shellac. It still works great! A stick is also useful to keep four-legged varmants at a safe distance, assuming that they aren't so big that other measures are necessary!

Best... Eric

-- Eric Lash (nazflash@northlink.com), February 22, 2000.


Two spring-loaded, carbide-tipped walking sticks are great for not only absorbing the shocks of downhill and greater speed uphill, but have a nice side effect of building up the muscles in the upper body. Two also provide a balance for the skeleton in the workout. You can get a nice pair of Leki's at a sporting goods store for about $85. Or try web shopping for less.

-- Dana Carlson (danacarlson@qwest.net), August 22, 2001.

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