First hike with trekking poles at age 54...

[kepPNW]

They are the only thing needed for the pole to become a third section of your arm. just as tendons and ligaments connect the other two arm segments, the straps fill this role perfectly. Your hands and the handles should operate like elbow or knee joints, loose and freely moving.

I don't think that works physically for the way I use poles going downhill - imagine jumping down the height of 1-3 curbs and landing with your knees already bent at 90º - you would literally just fall over.

Can't begin to imagine that. I just step that distance.

I'll bet you probably try to use your poles going down talus slopes... <needle needle>

Sure, for balance.

Then you're absolutely not using the straps properly. Or just not practiced enough with them.

I never use the straps.

Heh, definitely a different style. But you're young!

I rarely use the straps. Most of the time when I use them it's because I'm on dicey terrain and I'm afraid that I'll lose them of I don't strap up (like the forum avatar I'm using, a shot taken by Karl of me crossing a stream). I like the option of instantly throwing the poles aside if necessary, I guess? I know, it makes no sense to some.

Have you ever needed to throw your poles? Really? Just letting go of the handles is the most I've ever needed to do, despite whatever I was falling down over. And, yep, I still had them afterwards!

Also, the only time I leave my poles behind is on the local rails-to-trails. Poles are great for hills, but also for balance on creek crossings, especially for tricky rock hopping.

Ditto that! Klickitat and Deschutes are the only two I've left 'em in the car for, so far this year.

[Steve20050]

.... God it's terrible getting old I generally still pack them or carry them on the downhill where I find they are more of a hindrance than a help, that might just be because my aged knees haven't given out yet ...

I recall having the "getting old discussion with my dad", a couple years back. I was complaining about my eye sight going bad and my hearing going, etc. His response, " What? Do you think it's going to get better ?" It was like preaching to the choir.

I started using the poles last year. I really thought they helped with both uphill, (shorter poles). Getting a power boost from my arms. As well as heading downhill, (longer poles) with a more measured step, if you will. Calorie counting has never been my forte. I weigh about 15 pounds more at 62 years than I did when I got out of high school at 18

It does seem that I saw some info on the issue of proper use with the straps using them to help your hands from being over worked, but for the life of me I can't find the info. I can say I use them and haven't lost a pole yet.

[Peder]

One day I will need trekking poles...

[windmtnpete]

Alright, I will take the risk in posting to this subject, even though I've moved to Canada now (not to create another fire storm). This has been my experience, your experience will certainly vary.

I've gone through a major transformation in my hiking experience. Never used poles until about 10 years ago just because I had them for backcountry skiing. At first it was just on super steep trails for balance and control. Not much help. As I became more aggressive in my strides, I became more efficient in my use of the poles. I also enjoyed the upper body workout as my arms became synchronized with my legs.... ahhhh, it all began to work together in perfect harmony. Then I began going faster and faster. Not only was it easier to go uphill, it was incredibly simple to fly downhill as well and at a very fast full throttle pace.... feels similar to teleskiing.

What made this work so well for me was the placement of my hands in the straps. Here is where the balance changed and revolutionized my pole technique (sorry, I can't post pictures). I use the lower grips with the straps tight. The weight is evenly distributed between hands and wrists. This helps to take the load away from the hands and gives a much more secure balance with the wrists.

All I can say is try it..... then give it some time. Lighter weight poles certainly help too. At age 57, poles have truly transformed my hiking experience!

[alpinista55]

I'm 68, and do at least one big back country trip each year, often off-trail. I use my poles on every trip, and find they help increase my pace on the flats, help on the climbs, easy the shock-loading of my crappy knees on the descents, add a lot of stability on creek crossings and rock hopping, and serve as poles for my pyramid tarp. I vary my technique and pole length to match the terrain, longer for descents, shorter for climbs, or one short and one long for sidehill traversing (flip-lock adjustments make this easier than twist-locks). Sometimes, as when strolling up a mellow ridge, I'll even strap one to my pack and use the other shortened to ice ax length, with my palm on top of the handle, and use it cane-style.

Except for the ice ax cane technique, I alway use the wrist loops, and wear a pair of leather fingerless gloves to reduce chafing from the loops. The gloves allow you to get more power out of the poles without hammering your wrists.

This summer we are hiking into the Evolution Basin in SEKI via Haeckel Col to circumnavigate the Mt. Darwin massif. In the first two days, that's around +4400' / -2500', with three miles of big talus rock hopping and scree descents. You can bet my poles will be in constant use.

[Crusak]

I rarely use the straps. Most of the time when I use them it's because I'm on dicey terrain and I'm afraid that I'll lose them of I don't strap up (like the forum avatar I'm using, a shot taken by Karl of me crossing a stream). I like the option of instantly throwing the poles aside if necessary, I guess? I know, it makes no sense to some.

Have you ever needed to throw your poles? Really? Just letting go of the handles is the most I've ever needed to do, despite whatever I was falling down over. And, yep, I still had them afterwards!

LOL! Excellent question. Well, I tend to fall down more than most. And (a couple of times) when I've fallen down with my hands through the pole straps the poles have become lodged in the ground and sent me careening to one side or the other and not very gracefully. Imagine a pole vaulter in action... I'm afraid that I'll end up over the edge of a precipice or something... I know, it's possible but not very probable.

[kepPNW]

I rarely use the straps. Most of the time when I use them it's because I'm on dicey terrain and I'm afraid that I'll lose them of I don't strap up (like the forum avatar I'm using, a shot taken by Karl of me crossing a stream). I like the option of instantly throwing the poles aside if necessary, I guess? I know, it makes no sense to some.

Have you ever needed to throw your poles? Really? Just letting go of the handles is the most I've ever needed to do, despite whatever I was falling down over. And, yep, I still had them afterwards!

LOL! Excellent question. Well, I tend to fall down more than most. And (a couple of times) when I've fallen down with my hands through the pole straps the poles have become lodged in the ground and sent me careening to one side or the other and not very gracefully. Imagine a pole vaulter in action... I'm afraid that I'll end up over the edge of a precipice or something... I know, it's possible but not very probable.

Heheheheh... Oh man, the mental picture...

I guess I'm just more skilled at falling? Lots of practice!

[windmtnpete]

I guess I'm just more skilled at falling? Lots of practice!

"Autopilot" setting helps. I was flying down the Dog Mtn. trail a couple years ago, taking a hairpin corner at the steepest section of trail near the summit, when my foot got stuck under a root. I did a "superman flight", head first, almost crashing into a tree. I landed on the poles which is the only reason I didn't have any injuries..... not even a scratch. Added some frequent flyer mile points to my score card that day.