Why Use Hiking Poles? Top 10 Reasons to Use Walking Sticks

If you haven't yet considered using trekking poles for your hiking and backpacking adventures, it's time to reconsider. These useful tools can offer improved efficiency, increased safety, and reduced joint wear and tear, among other benefits. Here are the top 10 reasons why you should consider adding them to your gear list for your next hike:

1. Better Stability: Trekking poles provide two additional points of contact with the ground, offering greater stability and traction, which is especially useful when encountering different terrains.
2. Reduced Impact on Your Body: By distributing some of the burden onto your shoulders and arms, trekking poles can reduce the pounding your lower body takes, especially during long descents, and help reduce compressive force on knees.
3. Increased Balance: Trekking poles help maintain balance in difficult terrain, such as river crossings, slippery bridges, icy walkways, and tree roots on trails, allowing for safer and easier movement.
4. Full-Body Workout: Hiking Poles engage the upper body, including the biceps, triceps, and forearms, making ascents and descents like a day at the gym for your upper body, while flats engage the core.
5. Hike Faster and Further: Trekking poles incorporate your arms and shoulders into the hiking motion, allowing you to use more muscles to propel yourself uphill and control your descent, which results in an increase in speed without increased leg soreness.
6. Cross Rivers, Snowfields, and Tough Terrain: Trekking poles provide balance and act as a third and fourth point of contact, as well as friction in snow or when wedged between rocks for river crossings.
7. Give Yourself a Boost: Trekking poles help establish a consistent rhythm when hiking, which can increase your speed.
8. Support for Shelters: Trekking poles can be used as tent poles, saving up to two pounds of weight and creating a safer shelter since they are stronger and more rigid than traditional tent poles.
9. First Aid Essential: Trekking poles can be used as a splint for broken bones or sprained joints and offer additional support assistance if you roll your ankle or hurt your knee during a hike.
10. Carry More Weight: Trekking poles help distribute weight more evenly throughout your body, making it easier to carry additional pounds comfortably and safely.

If you're convinced and ready to give trekking poles a try, check out lightweight Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles, a customer favorite that weighs only 7.6 ounces per pole and is super convenient to bring along on any hike.