Who actually uses trekking pole wrist straps???

[rocketsocks]

Silly puddy and WD-40

...post toasties were first going to be a new type nylon I think.

[cmoulder]

Good discussion HERE, with good info and observations in the comments/answers.

Not because I am a Skurka fanboy (although I am), but because I happen to concur with his conclusions after independently arriving at the same ones.

And I started making my own poles because I couldn't find any on the market that met my specific wants, which were 2-section CF with flicklocks.

[saltysack]

Good discussion HERE, with good info and observations in the comments/answers.

Not because I am a Skurka fanboy (although I am), but because I happen to concur with his conclusions after independently arriving at the same ones.

And I started making my own poles because I couldn't find any on the market that met my specific wants, which were 2-section CF with flicklocks.

Agree the BD ACC have been great and very durable...I'm about 215lbs and have put my full weight on them and still haven't broke one....can't say the same for the z pole...broke first trip....no pun intended! I've prob got about 1,000 miles on them and still on original tips....


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[Wise Old Owl]

nope remove them and replace with zip ties to hang off the back of your pack... (UL)

[poolskaterx]

I use straps; I really liked them on my Leki poles however the straps are not quite as usable on my LT4's. I sometimes hold on to the top of my poles and the attachment screw that holds the straps on the LT4's just is not very comfortable

Sure like the weight savings though

[LazyLightning]

I saw how most people use their poles but that wasn't as comfortable for me. I heard of people "palming" their poles so I tried that and I loved it. I don't know if their is a correct way to palm them or if that's considered wrong all together but I just slip my hands up threw the straps so their loose, I like the straps cause I wont accidently let go and their loose enough where they don't seem to be an injury hazard. I extend them to about my hip bone and that seems to be a good height for palming up or down hill. I do realize that this is probably not "the right way" but it's what's most comfortable and what I found to work best for me... does anyone else use them in a similar way?

[devoidapop]

I saw how most people use their poles but that wasn't as comfortable for me. I heard of people "palming" their poles so I tried that and I loved it. I don't know if their is a correct way to palm them or if that's considered wrong all together but I just slip my hands up threw the straps so their loose, I like the straps cause I wont accidently let go and their loose enough where they don't seem to be an injury hazard. I extend them to about my hip bone and that seems to be a good height for palming up or down hill. I do realize that this is probably not "the right way" but it's what's most comfortable and what I found to work best for me... does anyone else use them in a similar way?

I do the same thing on steep downhills

[Desertdave]

I saw how most people use their poles but that wasn't as comfortable for me. I heard of people "palming" their poles so I tried that and I loved it. I don't know if their is a correct way to palm them or if that's considered wrong all together but I just slip my hands up threw the straps so their loose, I like the straps cause I wont accidently let go and their loose enough where they don't seem to be an injury hazard. I extend them to about my hip bone and that seems to be a good height for palming up or down hill. I do realize that this is probably not "the right way" but it's what's most comfortable and what I found to work best for me... does anyone else use them in a similar way?

Yep, palm em....

[mallthus]

The video you claim as the "right" way is the one of the methods that results in people to spraining or dislocating their thumbs when they fall. I'd never recommend it.

Actually, having used poles for both trekking and skiing over the last 30 years, I can tell you that I've never had a thumb injury using them as described in the second video. I've actually used that second technique since seriously spraining my thumb using the 1st technique and only learned of the 2nd from the doctor who treated my thumb injury. In fact, my ski poles have a glove integration (with breakaway) that mimics the free thumb grip.

So, your experience may be different from mine, but I'm going to stick to keeping my thumb out of the loop.


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[Smithereens]

im ibedextrose

?? That some sort of GMO sugar??

[rocketsocks]

?? That some sort of GMO sugar??

Extractly...

[MtDoraDave]

After learning the "correct way" to use the straps, and putting hundreds of miles on poles this way, I can't imagine not using the straps.

99.9 percent of the time, I don't need the straps, but when I do eventually trip on a hidden root or rock, or when an ankle roll happens, having/using the straps allows me to plant the pole(s) with all of my suddenly shifting weight and not be limited by sweaty hand grip strength to keep me from actually going down.

The two different types of poles I've used haven't caused any chafing issues; the walmart poles with a simple web strap and the Cascade mountain tech with the wider softer surface. I have noticed that wearing gloves was more comfortable that not wearing gloves, so the chances are that if I start the day wearing gloves (cold weather) I'll probably keep them on all day, or at least until the lunch break if the day warms up considerably.

Perhaps I've been lucky or perhaps my reflexes are quick enough (or a combination of both), but when a pole has "hung up" or gotten snagged between roots or rocks, I've always been able to reverse the direction of the pole and free it without having to break stride... but this may just as much into the baskets vs no baskets discussion as it is the straps vs no straps discussion.

[QiWiz]

I particularly find straps helpful when I am taking lots of pictures (poles can dangle from wrists while I'm holding phone or camera for the shot) or when needing hands to scramble on rocky steep trails (poles can dangle from wrists while I'm scrambling). This mostly means I use poles with straps on longer trips out west. For local weekend trips I usually use GG poles with no straps and no problems.

[tflaris]

My left hand uses the strap correctly while my right hand protest conformity and does t use the strap at all.

It's been a strange 260 miles so far on our AT Section Hike.

I hope the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.


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