Hike Like a Girl: Part Five: TREKKIN’ POLES

Spelled how the kuhl kids do it. Pf, whatever, nobody pronounces the “g” anyway. Nobody says “trekking poles”; it’s always “trekkin’ poles”. The apostrophe takes the place of the letter not said. Deal with it.

Oh, hi, didn’t see you there! So this one WAS gonna be called Part Five: Accessories and I WAS gonna ramble about all the bits and bobs I bring or don’t bring hiking. But, honestly, short of the obvious like a stove and water filter, etc, which will get their own parts in the next installment or so, THE MOST CRITICAL EXTRA THING TO BRING HIKING OR BACKPACKING IS A PAIR OF TREKKIN’ POLES. A properly selected pair of trekkin’ poles will save your knees, your ankles, your back, and potentially your life.

I’M NOT FUCKING KIDDING AROUND.

I can’t tell you how many times my trekkin’ poles have saved me from falling and breaking a limb or dying. They’re game changers. They give you four operational legs rather than two, and do you see ANY two-legged creatures besides dumb humans gamboling around the wilderness? NO. Because four legs are absolutely better than two. Well-applied trekkin’ poles will save your ass from getting wet while crossing a stream; they’ll save your ankle from getting twisted while scrambling a particularly rocky trail; and they’ll save your knees from exploding during a steep decline.

You think I’m exaggerating? I’m not. Anyone that has walked in the wilds with additional weight on them (ie a pack of any weight really) will tell you that you want a walking stick or two, and the better option is a pair of trekkin’ poles. Poles are lighter than sticks, better designed in the grip, easier to use, and way more durable.

I love mine so much I did a fucking photoshoot for them. Here they are!

I have the Black Diamond model with the cork ergonomic grips and the carbon fiber lower bits. I got these ages ago from a retailer that doesn’t exist anymore, much like most of my major gear assortment, and honestly Black Diamond probably doesn’t make the exact model anymore just like Osprey doesn’t make my pack model anymore but still makes a 70L womens pack in green. You know. The basics are still there in the catalog: they just changed the names.

The important keywords to remember here are: CORK, ERGONOMIC grips, and CARBON FIBER lower bits. Cork is absorbent, so your hands don’t get all sweaty! YAAAY! “Ergonomic” means that they’re angled a smidge instead of being straight up and down, and HOLY SHIT does that take all the stress of impact off your wrists. It’s amazing. Pay more for it, it’s worth it. Carbon fiber is important because it’s a sturdy material that is lighter weight than steel and will still do the job.

There are a few key points to make regarding the proper fitting and use of trekkin’ poles. When standing still with your pole planted next to you, your elbow should be at a 90 degree angle and your wrist should be straight. Like this:

See that ergonomic angle? See how my hand fits perfectly into it and doesn’t try to bend the pole to accommodate? You want all these things.

You should also note how the handle loop is positioned around my wrist. My partner is a purist and cuts all the tags off his clothing to save weight, so he also took the handle loops off his poles. Whatever, it works for him. I keep the loops on because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and will occasionally, COMPLETELY BY RANDOM, lose all grip in either of my hands. THIS IS BAD if you’re trying to hold on to stuff like trekkin’ poles! The loops have saved my grip multiple times when a snag in a rock or a nerve flare up would otherwise leave that pole behind.

To correctly use the handle loop, insert your hand from below the loop and then grab the handle. This will place the curved end over your wrist with the collected ends that connect to the handle below your wrist (and often, in your palm when you hold the pole.) Take note this is the LEFT pole in my LEFT hand. Your set of trekkin’ poles should have a left and a right pole, for reasons I’m not sure of, but it’s definitely important and you’ll notice once you start walking if the wrong pole is in the wrong hand.

If you have the loop worn correctly, you should be able to let go of the pole and not drop it! WEEE!

So that’s fitting and measuring done. There’s just one more tip on trekkin’ pole use: THESE ARE NOT FOR POLE VAULTING. These are designed for tapping along rocks and roots and such to ensure you remain upright with all of whatever you’ve got in your pack. Aluminum poles CAN break if you try to use them for pole vaulting. Steel poles CAN break if you try to use them for pole vaulting. And then where are you? You’re fucked, that’s where you are.

Fucked.

Do you have a favorite model of trekkin’ poles? Geek out with me in the comments below!