Should You Bring a Walking Stick on your Hike?

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

We all have the images of walking sticks from classic movies: one movie that comes to mind is Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments,” in which during the iconic parting of the Red Sea, he holds his shepherd’s staff high over the water and the seas part. Because of these images, we often have a cultural reinforcement of the walking staff as something for old men, or even for corny hikers who have too much money to blow on hiking products.

But is that the right attitude to take?

If you’re someone who’s looking to become a serious hiker, you might not realize that the walking stick, though utilitarian and not necessarily pretty, can actually bring you a lot of support and comfort when you’re out there on the hiking trail. Let’s take a look at some possible reasons you might carry one.

Support –

First, the most obvious reason to carry a walking stick is for the extra support it might grant you. To some, having a walking stick is like having a third leg – it gives an extra boost and grounding that you wouldn’t have if you let your arms wave around freely – and you can still use on arm for balance and for grabbing onto things if need be. This is why walking sticks or canes are typically associated with the older crowd – they enjoy and sometimes need the extra support. But you don’t have to need a walking stick in order to try one out.

For looks –

Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s just cool to have a need for a walking stick. While some of us might indulge our nerd fantasies on the hiking trail (think Gandalf from “Lord of the Rings,”) it feels good to carry something we don’t necessarily need, but we know looks interesting. This might be referred to as “novelty,” but you only need to try out a walking stick a few times to know if this novelty will last.

As you ascend the hills with a staff in your hand, you might just feel like Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments. For some people, just “feeling good” is one more reason to get out of the house and onto the hiking trail, and this has tangible benefits.

For fun –

A walking stick isn’t always necessary on a hike – though it does bring the added support mentioned above – but it can be fun. You can tease people with it, tap their opposite shoulders, and even scare off some woodland critters without putting your arms out there. Mainly, having a walking stick is about fun, which gets to the heart of what hiking is all about in the first place.

Is it a little goofy? Sure. Might you enjoy it? Why not? Try out a walking stick to see how it feels.

Photo Credits: schmich

Sprucing Up Your Night Hike

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

For the casual hiker, even the title of this article alone might have raised a few flags. “A night hike? How on Earth would you do something like that?” If you’ve been one of those hikers who looks to make their way back to a car before the sun totally sets, you’re missing out on half of the day. In this article, we’ll take a look at a few ways to spruce up a night hike – and make it a lot less scary.

-Bring someone with you.

Night hiking can be a bit creepy – after all, you’re out there in the wilderness with nothing but silver moonlight and the sound of a million bugs you can’t even see. But if you bring someone with you – such as a family member or a close friend – the entire dynamic changes completely. Instead of looking to avoid the environment, you’ll start asking yourself how you can make it more interesting.

-Bring entertainment.

A way to get your mind off of the, for lack of a better term, “nightness” is simply to bring something that can entertain you along the journey. Yes, you’re traveling, and yes, there’s no light out, so you’ll have to get a little creative. A glow-in-the-dark frisbee, for example, will give you something to do with every step that you take. If you’re out in the night alone, you can use this frisbee as a way to inspire yourself forward: throw your frisbee to one spot on the trail, and work towards getting to that spot. Before you know it, you’ll be home free.

-GPS.

While GPS isn’t exactly fun (unless you’re a true navigation nerd like myself), it will brighten your spirits up to know exactly where you are at any given time. It takes away the worry typically associated with navigating by night, helping to put your mind at ease even when it’s tough to find visual landmarks to navigate yourself back home. A GPS watch can be worn around the wrist, and an LCD display will make it easy to read. You’ll also be able to stay ahead of the weather with an advanced GPS watch, keeping an eye on the barometer to see if rain is going to fall soon. That’s something that you typically can’t get with the naked eye at night.

-Practice.

Night hiking can be a bit creepy the first couple of times you try it, but with experience, it becomes the norm. If you’ve ever done any type of exercise at night, you know what kind of eerie focus the lack of stimulation can give you. It’s simply not the same as the day. But if you’re consistent, you’ll eventually be as comfortable hiking at night – even by yourself – as you are in the daylight.

Photo Credits: grabadonut