Hiking Sticks

Highland Hiking pays special attention to the hiking stick. Once used, it always continues using the stick to help share the load. Experienced hikers will almost always employ a hiking stick because of the reduction of muscle and joint fatigue.

Repeated studies have shown a 30% reduction in weight or stress in the knee joint when a stick or two sticks are used. The sticks act like a third or fourth leg to absorb weight, balance the body, and reduce muscle fatigue throughout the hike.

Highland Hiking recommends strong, light weight hiking sticks that are adjustable to different terrains. It is quite enjoyable to have a wooden hiking stick found in the brush. And those heirloom sticks handed down from the family can really kick up a hike. The Highland hiking has developed the best strength-weight combination stick in the market today to reduce joint and muscle fatigue extending hiking distances and years onto your hiking life.

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Benefits of Hiking Sticks

Studies in the US and Europe have conclusively shown that by using a hiking stick, there is a snip get reduction of weight on the lower body, by 30% in most cases. This would add up to several tons of weight reduction in just one hour of hiking.

Since hiking is the lifetime sports with hundreds of hikes and thousands of miles trekked, it is best to maximize the enjoyment and minimize the pain through the continued use of a hiking stick. As the age increases, body weight gains, and joint and muscle issues arise, a hiking stick will reduce the burden, provide balance and comfort, and extend hiking distances and years.

• Weight reduction is the major factor in helping joint and muscle fatigue. Using two poles maximizing the weight reduction, hundred 50 pound person carrying a 50 pound pack over 1 mile would take around 4000 steps of 18 inches over that distance. That totals to 800,000 pounds of movements over 1 mile alone. Transferring weight through the arms to the sticks to the ground at just 25% would save 200,000 pounds of movement. Adjustments made to the estimates for weight differences, elevation gains or losses, and other factors.
  
  Most hikers with bad knees will say it is the downhill that hurts the melts, or has the most impact. It is called concentric contraction and studies using two sticks have shown repeatedly that it reduces the impact on the weight bearing knees by 30% or more using proper hiking stick techniques.
  
  
• Balance can be as important as weight reduction via the transfer of weight to the third or fourth point on the ground. When sharing a heavy or moderate back pack, our center gravity moves up the body reducing our comfort and sense of balance. To stabilize this extra height in the center of gravity, the additional contact with the ground from one or two sticks, will lower the center gravity add to a sense of balance. The same achievement of balance and lowering the center of gravity is accomplished with or without a backpack. Weight is distributed and the center of gravity lowers.
  
  Balance is needed to when crossing creeks, streams, and rivers. The carbide tips and the sticks can be tricky and slippery on wet rock surfaces. Coin-op or down hills require balance to minimize impact to the torso, spinal system, muscles, in weight bearing joints.
  
  
• Hiking sticks can act as the pole for a tarp or a tent, or propping up the pack, and support for resting during breaks. Measuring water depth and hole sizes can be helpful.
  
  
• Sticks can clear aside brush or spider webs in your path. Rocks can be moved with a leverage of the stick and other fulcrum benefits.
  
  
• Of sticks can provide self-defense from critters, snakes and small animals. The stick hitting the ground produces a vibration that can be sensed by snakes that will move away from the source of the vibration. Rattling the bushes or rocks will skitter most animals. Do not envision lancing a mountain lion or spearing a wild animal. The stick should fend off the attacker and allow retreat.
  
  
• Carrying a load can be done with two sticks and two people. Sometimes it is best to carry someone out of danger or to a rescue point. You latch a hiking stick to each side of the frame of the backpack. In these emergencies, do not over lengthen the stick as the shortest length of the three pieces hiking stick is its strongest position.
  
  
• Signaling is elevated higher with a hiking stick. Attach a flag of different color to the environment to signal overhead sliders--the dark flag in snow and a white flag in the green background.
  
  
• The stick can uses a splint to buttress a broken leg or arm. With one or two sticks wrap the injured arm or leg the sticks as stays to keep the best position.
  

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Materials

The telescoping three piece adjustable poles are the de facto standard for all experience levels of hikers. The difference is in the materials and features that strengthen the product, weighs less, and meet the comfort needs of the hiker.

Hiking sticks can be made of wood, primarily hardwoods that are dense and heavy. The design work on some wooden sticks is very well done looks great in a hallway next to the door. But they are five to 10 times heavier than metal and carbon fiber sticks. They are not collapsible not pack able in luggage or carry on bags.

Most sticks are made from metal, aluminum primarily. The less expensive 6061 aluminum material is strong, light, and durable. The more expensive 7075 aluminum hiking sticks are lighter, stronger, and more durable and more costly than the former. There is also a variety of alloys with titanium, magnesium and other exotic materials that run the Bill quite high wide lower the weight another few grams.

Highland hiking is pleased offer the latest Carbon Fiber technology. The same technology developed by NASA to reduce weight and improve strength and flexibility in the shuttle components. Carbon Fiber is now seen in a multitude of consumer products requiring strength and weight reduction; fishing poles, ski poles, mufflers, racquets, speaker faces, automotive components, etc.

Carbon Fiber appears to have a weave inside the polymer giving additional strength, flex, and a perceived fitness and material. Carbon Fiber weighs half of aluminum hiking stick coming in around half a pound per stick. While Carbon Fiber appears weaker than aluminum because of its weight, it has more flex, strength, and it is less likely to bend or break than aluminum.

The Hand Grip is the next largest consideration in hiking stick selection. There are four types of hand grips including Hard Rubber, Hard Cork, Plastic, Or Foam grip. Hiking sticks are very durable and will last a long time. This is why the grip needs to handle your grasp, sweat and pounding for thousand steps and hours of toil. It is not necessary it right and left handed sticks given are body’s bipolarity.

Plastic and foam are good materials and they have improved over time. Plastic is too hard for hours of gripping and pounding. The advantage is weight and durability of hard plastic. But plastic appears cold, lifeless and slippery. Foam is just not durable enough.

Highland hiking offers two choices in grips and finds benefits with both the Hard Cork and Hard Rubber hand grips.

Hard cork is very light and durable models with 10 years of use look in great condition and remain comfortable in the hands. All grips are molded to fit your hand and will hold shape for the life of the product. Sweat and water will only darken the cork material lightly.

Hard rubber is the most comfortable in the hand but weighs a little more than plastic and cork. Its molded shape will hold well and rubber will last the lifetime of the stick. Rubber grips are little thicker Than Cork but squeeze a little in your grasp.

Hand or wrist straps are attached to the top of the grip to help secure your hold onto the hiking stick. Some prefer not using the straps but as back pack weight and the vertical climb increases, the straps will help transfer the weight from your pack and body to the ground through the stick. Balance and strength are best transferred through the poles secured by the straps.

If you use straps, first insert your hand through the 1 inch nylon webbing. Then grab the grip and find the most comfortable position for your hand. Your grip should be good but not overdone. Hands and fingers will tire if the grip is too tight or if they absorb too much of the weight distribution. The strap will assist in person the weight down through the stick if help properly. Keep in mind that the shoulders, arms, hands in the stick are transfer mechanisms for weight distribution and balance points.

If you do not use the straps, your grip on the handle may be a little tighter and more tiring in the long run. Remember, not too tight but sufficient to transfer the weight.

Your grip can differ as well with your Palm resting atop your stick and a push down with your palm to transfer the weight. This is done with one stick hikers who try to optimize weight transfer to one side to favor one knee or ankle. Balance little more awkward than with two sticks and slips can occur.

Shock absorbers do a great job on reducing the pounding on your hand, arms and shoulders because of the transference of weight to the ground. Because of the significant advantages from shock absorbers in hiking sticks, Highland hiking says this is a mandatory feature in stick evaluation and selection. Springs are integrated into the telescoping shafts that will recoil enough to reduce the hit to your hand, arms and shoulders. The travel of the absorber is less than an inch and usually under eighth of an inch for flat surfaces. Over long hikes, the difference in impact to the skeletal system from using a hiking stick with an absorber is too significant to ignore.

Highland Hiking will provide hiking sticks only with absorbers given their low cost to add the springs and their high impact upon comfort and reducing joint and muscle fatigue. Going downhill where weight distribution is even more important, balance and proper stick placement is most important. The absorber reduces the wear on the torso by lessening body movement's entrenching weight and balance to stick movements.

Baskets are a leftover from skiing days but serve a useful purpose for the hiker, independent of snow. Baskets are there to stop the poles from sticking too deep into the ground or marshy areas. But too large of a basket can catch in low vegetation. Highland hiking sticks have smaller baskets than ski poles so the stick stops in the ground but is less wide to catch on grass or rock fissures. Please watch out for the stick catching in a rock fissure and tripping the hiker. Keep a softer grip if possible.

The tip of the stick is made from carbide and will last for several years. 10 years or rock hiking has produced only a five to 10% wear on the carbide tip with many more usable years remaining. The tip is strong but slippery on wet surfaces. It can be a little noisy when it and rocks repeatedly. It also can penetrate the dirt easily trade and minor drag in the pole, so tread lightly with your stick. There are rubber attachments to sit atop the carbide tip for walk in on streets, is walkways, malls with slippery surfaces, carpets and other even and delicate surfaces. These rubber attachments slip on and off the carbide tip with some twisting. Store and pack your sticks with rubber attachments to protect surfaces and clothes.

Accessories to hiking sticks come in many forms including camera mounts, compasses atop the grip, basket and tip changes, and items to store inside the hiking stick. There are wilderness walking sticks that have first aid kits, fishing gear, knives, lights, etc. There are some 50 small pieces of equipment related to survival in some sticks. The sticks are heavy, non-collapsible, and expensive.

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How to Use a Hiking Stick

The key factor for getting the most from a stick is to have the length of the stick to get the best transfer of weight and balance. Get a grip on the handle, with the stick touching the ground; the arms should be bent at little less than 90º. Putting a loaded pack onto your back will show the relationship of weight transfer balance and kinetic movement by standing there and then just take a few steps.

An easier measurement for the proper length of this hiking stick is the top of the stick should just touch your elbow with you standing up straight without a pack. For hiking with little weight or none, the stick length should be the same.

The proper length is best done by Justine three shafts in each hiking stick. Length can be changed by unlocking a lower vertical shafts I tennis in it counter clockwise--to the left. When the stick is loose, adjust it to the required length and relock the stick into that position by a clockwise turn. There are two shafts that can be adjusted. It is recommended to move each shaft proportionally to maintain the best flex strength in the overall stick.

The minimum length with all three shafts collapsed is 27 inches and his expands to 55 inches. The height range for the minimum and maximum of those blanks would accommodate people from 4'9" to 7 feet tall. These three shafts for each stick can be unassembled easily to fit into a planes 22 inch overhead luggage.

The method of walking is summer to cross country skiing and relay down the stick in time with your opposite foot. This works for one or two stick hikes. The weight forward is the opposite foot and the transfer from your stick and body to the ground; while the same side leg as a stick is in transition with less weight because of the stick contact to the ground. This is where the 30% savings in weight application arises. The arms good workout from both lifting the stick to the next step but also from the transfer of weight to the muscles to the arm to the stick and finally to the ground.

Uphill hiking require shorter steps with more weight added to your sticks and your skeletal system from fighting gravity to propel your weight upwards. Shorter steps mean a shorter length on the stick and more transfer energy and weight to the sticks puts the weight/work on the legs. The shortening the stick from the flat trail position to the uphill position is around one to 2 inches only.

Downhill hiking sees the most benefits from use of the hiking sticks for those with bad knees and other leg and ankle issues. Even more weight is distributed to the stick plus the need for balance is even more critical downhill. Few hikers have been injured going uphill compared to those who have fallen downhill. The hiking stick should lengthen one to 2 inches from the flat position. Watch the stick tip for slippage on rocks going downhill. Serious accidents have happened even with one or two hiking sticks were too much weight is allocated to stick that slips on a rock face.

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