by Joan H. Young

Created on: August 23, 2010   Last Updated: October 15, 2010

Habitual hikers almost always walk with one or two sticks. Hiking sticks improve stability and ease pressure on joints. A stick can be used to clear the way, explore potential footholds, or become an extra tool. It can be a defense against aggressive animals, or even a display rack for emblems of trails you have visited. Your hiking stick can be as simple as a branch you pick up in the woods, or an expensive one from an outfitter, but they all serve these purposes:

Stability
The primary reason for a stick is the most obvious, it improves stability. Most any hiker can tell you of times when having a stick to lean on saved him or her from a nasty fall. But there is more to it than that. An experienced hiker will purposely use the stick as a “third leg.”  Particularly when crossing streams, keep one stick downstream, plant it solidly before taking a step, and never lift more than one foot at a time. This will give you two (or three if you use two poles) points of contact with the surface, and reduce the chances of a dangerous fall.

Joint Health
It has been proven that using two sticks takes pressure off the knees. The Journal of Sports Medicine has reported that trekking poles can reduce the force on a hiker's knees by up to 25%. This stress is transferred to arms, shoulders and back, more evenly distributing the work. Particularly when hiking in hilly terrain, using hiking poles can noticeably reduce the amount of fatigue felt by the knees. When taking a quick break while standing, a great deal of the weight of your pack can be shifted to the poles to give your back a quick rest.

Clearing the Way
A hiking pole makes a good extension of the arm. With a stick you can hold tall wet grasses or ferns out of the way as you pass. You can flick loose sticks or stones out of the trail treadway. You can clear spider webs spun across the path before catching them on your face.  You may be able to press back encroaching poison ivy from your way(but be sure to wash down the stick before touching it).

Exploration
Use a hiking pole to explore the path ahead for solid footing. This is particularly important in wet spots– is that puddle 2 inches deep or 10? Is the next step in the stream 18 inches deep or suddenly a pool that is 5 feet deep? In stony places, rocks can be checked for stability before placing your weight on them. A crevice can be probed for snakes or insects before placing your hand in it.

Extra Pole
Some ultra-light tent systems are designed

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