Trekking poles reduce impact on your lower body and help you stabilize, and move, a heavy pack. Trekking poles also create an extra third or fourth balance point for potentially unstable situations like crossing moving water or descending a steep slope. You can even use your trekking poles as probes to tell how deep water, mud or snow is. But there are some no-nos associated with trekking poles. Learning how to use your trekking poles correctly keeps you from being dubbed a hazard on the trail.
Step 1
Twist the top and bottom halves of telescoping poles to release the locking mechanism, then adjust them so you can comfortably grip the handle with your elbow bent at a right angle, forearm held horizontal. Twist the poles in the opposite direction to lock them at that length. This is the appropriate configuration for traveling on flat ground.
Step 2
Grasp the pole handles firmly, but don’t force a tight grip. The poles should swing slightly in your grip. Whether or not you use the wrist straps is a personal choice; they reduce the chance of accidentally dropping your poles but make releasing the poles in case of a sudden fall nearly impossible.
Step 3
Swing your arms naturally as you walk. Some hikers plant trekking poles on every step; others plant the poles every few steps. Start by swinging your right arm and pole forward, planting it as you step with your left leg, then swing your left arm and right leg together.
Step 4
Lean on the poles for additional support as necessary; you may find them particularly useful when crossing streams or carrying heavy loads. But always keep your weight centered over your feet, not the poles.
Step 5
Twist the pole halves to telescope them down to their smallest size for storage when you need your hands free. Most backpacks have one or two ice ax loops that can double as trekking pole carriers. Poke the point of each trekking pole through the loop, then fasten the pole shafts against your pack with the compression straps. If your pack has specially made trekking pole fasteners, slide the pole handles up through the fastening loops, first, then insert the pole points into the carrier loops near the base of the pack.
Tips and Warnings
- Pause briefly to lengthen your poles before descending a slope, or to shorten them before climbing a slope; this will let you use them for balance without having to stoop or lift your arms up high. Don’t carry your extended poles tucked underneath your arm; it’s very easy to accidentally poke a hiker behind you with the points, or to get them caught in brush.
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