If you are a hiker, you must know the importance of walking sticks. These have a list of other names they go by like trekking poles, walking sticks, hiking poles, and more. These poles or sticks can be very beneficial for different situations. They can:
Reduce stress on knees, feet, and back
Increases power and grip when climbing uphill or going downhill
Help in maintaining your balance while walking an uneven path
Reduce chances of falling
Improve the walker’s body poster and breathing
Burn calories by making the body parts to workout
Improve blood circulation in the body
Build muscles in arms, shoulders and neck
Add a level of stability
What to Look for in Walking sticks
You might find it important to choose the walking sticks that gives you what you need for the kind of trekking you need to do. To help you choose what set of walking sticks are best for you here is a list of things to consider.
Length
Although many walking poles are adjustable in size, you still need to make sure you grab one that suits your height best. So if you are taller than 6 feet, then your walking pole should be around 160 cm. However, if you are shorter than 6 feet, you should consider going for ones around 100 to 120 cm.
Shaft Material
Aluminum and carbon fiber are the basic materials used in walking poles. Out of the two, carbon fiber is lighter while aluminum is more durable. The material used in making determines the overall weight and performance of the walking pole. So it is very important to consider the build material before investing.
Handle Material
The most preferred handle materials for walking poles are cork, foam, and rubber. Cork and foam maintain a good grip and can resist sweat. Rubber is a good choice to be used in cold regions.
Compressibility
When you’re out on a walk, you might not need the walking sticks constantly. That’s when this feature of trekking poles comes handy. It offers the option to reduce your trekking poles into a size suitable to fit into your backpack or luggage. So they ought to be no longer than 26 or 27 inches in length in their minimized state.
Basket Size
You need different basket sizes for different purposes. Larger baskets are good for mountaineering or snowboarding while smaller ones are good for dry terrains.
Locking Mechanism
The locking mechanism of trekking poles keeps the length in place when being used and enables you to collapse them when not in use. They are usually of four types. You must get the ones that suit your use case best.
You’ll surely get your hands on the right walking sticks if you consider these things. However, to make this even easier for you, we have a list of the five best walking sticks.
Fitlife offers exceptionally strong and durable walking poles. These poles have a high-quality aluminum body along with the anti-shock system. This feature enables the trekking poles to protect your shoulders and arms from any shock to provide you with a painless and memorable journey.
You can use these versatile walking poles in all types of terrains. These poles are a good choice to use for steep terrains. They offer exceptional comfort, footing and stability, moving up long mountains or down a steep hill.
One good feature of these walking poles is that you don’t have to worry about the length, you can easily adjust it as per your need. They can be extended to 135 cm, suitable for hikers who stand at a height of 6 feet. However, for someone shorter, it can be shortened to 65 cm. This makes it ideal even for children.
These walking poles are very comfortable and can absorb sweat. This feature keeps your hands dry and your grip firm. FitLife offers these walking poles at quite a low price, going easy on your wallet too.
Trek-Z trekking poles are nicely built with the ability to break down in sections, making it easier to pack and store. These trekking poles can come down to 39 cm due to their three-fold build. It can easily fit into backpacks and duffle bags for a trouble-free journey. You can use these outdoor travel buddies for various activities and trips.
You can choose sizes between 100 – 120 cm if you are 5’8” or shorter, but if you are taller than 5’9” then 115-135 cm should be suitable for you. You can further adjust your pole by upto 20 cm if needed. The pole’s external locking system enables you to keep its length according to your preference. It also has a metal stopper that acts as the locking system and ensures that the adjustment made to the length remains secure and does not change when on the move.
Trek-Z has designed these walking poles with a weight of 270 grams each so you can carry them around without any trouble. You can use them for mountaineering, ski trails, or when crossing a stream. These walking poles are crafted with great-quality aluminium which is also used in the making of pipes and bars and is highly resistant to corrosion.
These walking poles are quite effective and comfortable and you can have them at a very affordable price, given the materials used and all the amazing features it has to offer.
If you want your journey to be light, then these trekking poles should be a nice choice. Glymnis trekking poles are made up of high-quality aluminum and each of them weigh 9.5 ounces. You can fold the poles into 3 sections, collapsing to 37 cm, which can fit easily in your backpack or luggage case. The poles also provide stability throughout.
The handles of the poles are padded with EVA foam, which makes them sweat-absorbent, allowing them to keep your hands dry always and to provide a smooth and firm grip.
The Glymnis trekking poles are suitable for people of all heights as they can be adjusted between 110 cm to 130 cm easily thanks to its flip-lock design, which helps you adjust the height of the poles easily without having to take off your gloves.
These trekking poles are suitable to use in all four seasons as well as over different terrains. They come with four types of tips, including rubber tips, boot tips, mud baskets, and snow baskets. So, you can take them anytime and anywhere.
These trekking poles are designed especially for women. They are made up of 6061 aluminum alloy which makes them super light in weight as they weigh only up 258 g per pole. This makes the poles extra sturdy and ultra-light for most amateur hikers.
They come with incredibly comfortable handles padded with EVA foam that absorbs sweat and keeps your hands dry. The wide wrist straps are adjustable and enable you to obtain greater support for those tricky climbs.
These trekking poles can withstand stress and impact, proving to be far more advanced than carbon fibre poles. You can easily carry these strong yet lightweight trekking poles on distant journeys for an enjoyable walking experience.
Trekrite offers an anti-shock feature in these walking poles. You can control the feature by turning it on or off. This facility is useful when descending a steep hill to save elbow strain.
Its quick-lock mechanism along with the three-section telescopic extension lets the user alter the length of the on-foot pole from 26″ to 53″ quickly and easily, making it suitable to be used by different age groups and physique. You can keep these in your baggage when not using them. They fold up into a small stick effortlessly.
You can benefit from these trekking poles from hiking ice mountains to a clean city walk. These poles come with heavy-duty 4 season accessories. This includes a removable snow basket to prevent the pole from sinking into the snow. The tungsten carbide tip is suitable for mountaineering and the removable rubber ferrules for normal grounds.
If you are searching for a pair of the most affordable and durable walking poles, this should probably be your stop. These telescopic walking poles are made with super-light aluminum which makes each pole weigh 245g. You can quickly turn these poles into a shorter length to carry in your backpack when not in use.
It has a three-section collapsible extension, which can easily be adjusted between 65cm to 135cm, making it suitable for all heights and builds. The anti-shock feature of these walking poles is highly reliable and is quite convenient to turn on or off according to the terrain you are walking.
These walking poles are known to be very comfortable, especially because of its handles padded with EVA foam, which is responsible for providing the soft and comfy grip of the walking poles. They are sweat-resistant and do not make your hands wet even when you hold them for long.
The poles do not come alone. They are bundled with removable ferrules, mud baskets, and a storage bag. Trekrite also offers an active telephone and email customer service. So you can contact them at any time.
In our review we have picked these as our favourite as we have been using these for over a year now and haven’t had any issues apart from one of the rubber feet coming off but no big deal as they have been well used. So for us right now they really are the best walking sticks and at a great price too!
A pair of walking poles can be your most reliable trail partners. There are many options to choose from to all of which can go a long way to adding comfort and ease to your trekking experience with all the amazing features they have to offer. So be sure to choose the ones that match your requirements the best.
We really hope our review of the Top 5 Walking Poles will help you make your decision. If you or your friend has recently purchased one from this list, please do share your experience with us.
If you think we have missed a must-have set of walking poles, please do get in touch we would love to hear from you and love your suggestions, it could be something that we haven’t yet tried, that everyone needs to know about.
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