Why trekking poles

The margins are mostly pretty small, and you have to weigh them against the intangibles, like having free hands or hearing taunts about forgetting your skis. When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission. Outside does not accept money for editorial gear reviews.

Read more about our policy. Search Search. Twitter Icon. And you may not need to buy them a pint-sized set of trekking poles either. Many great brands are collapsible for easy storage and packing, and these make great tools in your family exploration arsenal because any walking member of the family can use them, from new walkers to even the most experienced.

What has your experience been using trekking poles? Let us know in the comments below! Erin Pennings is a marketer by trade, and a work-at-home mom to an adventurous small boy who believes firmly in hitting the ground running and the walls climbing. She hopes her daughter will be just as wild well, almost. Follow her adventures, fun feats, and tasty treats at SalmonAtSeven.

Read More by Erin. You must be logged in to post a comment. Last weekend we had the opportunity to help organize and co-host a Fall Adventure event for families in the Rockwood […]. Avoid easily scarred rocks, fragile trailside vegetation, and other hikers. Place poles narrowly. Try to confine your pole tips to the established tread surface of the trail.

Keeping these three simple tips in mind will help hikers take advantage of this new hiking tool while limiting negative impacts on the trail. Click here for a printer-friendly PDF Hiking sticks make it easy on the knees. If you do decide to use poles, keep these tips in mind to reduce your impact: 1. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content.

No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more. Here are our top 10 reasons why trekking poles should be a standard part of your hiking kit: Trekking poles incorporate your arms and shoulders into the hiking motion, allowing you to use more muscle to propel yourself uphill and to control your descent.

The net result is an increase in speed, without an increase in leg soreness. Poles reduce the impact on your legs, knees, ankles, and feet, especially when going downhill.