Should I carry a hiking pole even if I don't use it regularly?
The greatest benefit of hiking poles is how they
reduce discomfort while you travel. Whether you are carrying heavy bags,
trekking across long distances, or simply need extra assistance to go up and
down hills, these poles give you the support you need to make the journey
easier and more enjoyable. The less you need to worry about the state of
your knees, the more fun your hike will be.
Still, there will be days that you find you do not
necessarily need the pole. Perhaps you are feeling particularly energetic,
or you would like to have both hands free in order to maneuver across the
terrain of the area you are hiking. If you do not plan on using the poles,
the question arises – should you take these poles with you anyway, even
though they are not in use?
Reasons You May Need the Poles
·
In Case of Injury – If injury should
occur on your travel, the poles may become extremely necessary in order to
help make your way down the mountain. One of the reasons that people like
their hands free is because they expect to be climbing, jumping, and moving
over terrain in which the poles may end up being an inconvenience. But when
you are performing these actions, you also increase your injury risk, and
should you injure your ankle, leg or knee on the trip, you will need the
pole to help you get back home safely.
·
Moving Away Objects – A similar need
for these poles will be if you happen upon something that needs to be moved
to the side, where it would be more dangerous (or more disgusting) if you
used your hands. For example, if there are spider webs in your path, or if
you need to move away a thorny bush. Both of these can be moved with the
stick so that you do not have to use your hands or pick up a stray and
possibly dangerous stick on the trail.
·
Steep Angles – As great as it would be
to be able to get anywhere easily with free hands, there may be times that
you need to climb down a particularly steep angle, and when this occurs it
is much safer to have additional support. The hiking pole can be used to
provide you with increased resistance so that you will not find yourself
slipping down the steep cliff.
If you have the room in your bag or a way of
carrying these poles with you, you should always have them around. They are
particularly useful if you injure yourself, and you may find that you have
other needs for them on your journey. As long as you have a bag to keep them
in or a method of carrying them that does not involve your hands, you should
still try to keep your hiking poles with you in case you have a need to use
them sometime on your trip.
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