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What is the Purpose of Hiking Poles?
You might have heard of skiing poles and understand their purpose – after all, if you’ve ever been on a pair of skis, you know that you can’t just “shake” your way downhill if you’re still on a flat surface. Sometimes you need poles for extra leverage, and to give your hands access to the ground in order to gain needed support. If it makes so much sense on a ski hill, why not bring poles to the hiking trail when you’re exercising during the summer?
Hiking poles can be just as useful as ski poles, even if you don’t need them to slide across the ice in the summers. Here are a few of the purposes many people find hiking poles serve:
-Easier traveling.
Believe it or not, hiking poles really can have a tangible difference on your overall experience. This doesn’t just mean the short-term experience or the quality of the hike, but the long-term effects of walking up and down hills for a long period of time. Hiking poles will help support your weight, reducing the stress placed on your legs, knees, and ankles.
It’s not simply about making it easy on yourself during the actual hike, but making hiking as a lifelong hobby easier on you. If you’re looking to become a long-term hiker, you might want to look into skiing poles.-Stabilization.
In addition to carrying the load, hiking poles serve another useful purpose: leverage. Like ski poles, hiking poles will give you more adaptability to adverse weather conditions, such as when it starts to sprinkle, or when the previous winter’s snow is still melting. You can’t always rely on your own two feet when you’re out and about on the trail; there might be mud or other difficult terrain that you don’t want to risk slipping in. A hiking pole or two will give you added leverage, making you feel like you have three or four legs instead of just two.
-Flexibility.
In addition to providing leverage, the hiking poles are an instrument that prepares for the worse. What if you’re coming up on a stream in which there are slippery rocks? A hiking pole can be dug into the bottom of the stream, giving you something to use as leverage when there’s nothing else around. It also gives you a greater range because of the reduced pressure on your back, as well as an increased ability to trek uphill.
To many, hiking poles are simply ways of taking the hobby too far – but if you’re like me, you see the value in “going to far” for the sake of a healthy, long-term hobby.
Photo Credits: Rick McCharles
Republished by Old Post Promoter
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How to Hike in the Heat
For many hikers who hate to waste a hot summer Saturday, going hiking can be a thrilling – and exhausting – experience. But with today’s medical technology, we know just how dangerous it can be to become dehydrated and how quickly a slight case of dehydration can turn into heatstroke. But if you don’t have any other time or climate to hike the trail other than when it’s completely hot, how can you avoid the problems of heat? Here are a few tips.
Next, make sure that you wear as much white as you can. White reflects the sun’s light, helping to keep your clothes more cool. White shorts and a white T-shirt will help your cause; wearing dark clothes will absorb more light and more heat, making things more difficult for you.
First, make sure that you’re cleared for hot hiking in the first place. Watch for heat advisories – many times on the radio they will announce these advisories with regularity on the news stations. If your doctor has told you to avoid exercising strenuously, you don’t want to go out in the heat – even simply walking for an extended period of time can be tough on your body.You’ll also want to consider how to exactly replace what you lose when you sweat. Many people drink plenty of water but find that it doesn’t always replenish them in terms of how they feel: that’s because when you sweat, you also lose other electrolytes like salt and potassium. Bring some pretzels and bananas to snack on so that you can help replace these electrolytes. They won’t be able to keep you going forever, but they’ll help you feel satisfied. Don’t overdo it with the salt: remember that salt can have a dehydrating effect. Simply nibble.
Finally, avoiding the heat means trying to get out when the sun is not at its brightest – avoid the lunchtime hours and try to hike in the early morning or late evening if you can. If your hike needs to wait, go in the early evening before the sun starts setting; otherwise, make plans to hike the day before, when you can control how early you wake up.
Heat can be a tough thing to worry about while you’re exercising, but if you’re in good physical shape, it’s not something that can stop you from enjoying your active hobbies.
Photo Credits: Ken Lund
