Need trekking pole recommendation

[kbstock]

thinking about this from a different angle.....I'm a cyclist and after riding15-20 miles, my thumbs would get all tingly and eventually go numb...tried all the different padded cycling gloves (which I hated)...eventually I said something about it outloud and one of my more experienced riding friends said it was a simple solution...just need to make certain I change positions of my hands every so often and actually shake them out, move them around, as if I'm playing an imaginary piano. Did the trick.
Doing this might help your situation, don't know...but its certainly worth giving a little bandwidth to. The trick is to remember to do so every five minutes or so.....now its just second nature.

[Venchka]

Nope, not going to work with the tent. Looks like a good solution otherwise.

Joe sells weightless folding carbon poles for your tent. I camped with a WhiteBlaze member in Wyoming who doesn't use trekking poles and the the accessory poles work perfectly.
Wayne


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[Chris_Cates]

thinking about this from a different angle.....I'm a cyclist and after riding15-20 miles, my thumbs would get all tingly and eventually go numb...tried all the different padded cycling gloves (which I hated)...eventually I said something about it outloud and one of my more experienced riding friends said it was a simple solution...just need to make certain I change positions of my hands every so often and actually shake them out, move them around, as if I'm playing an imaginary piano. Did the trick.
Doing this might help your situation, don't know...but its certainly worth giving a little bandwidth to. The trick is to remember to do so every five minutes or so.....now its just second nature.

I'm already constantly switching up position on the poles since I'm usually the first one out on my favorite trail so I take down a large percentage of the spiderwebs crossing the trail with the poles, almost as many as I take down with my face. Shaking out my hands may do the trick though if I can get in the habit.

Joe sells weightless folding carbon poles for your tent. I camped with a WhiteBlaze member in Wyoming who doesn't use trekking poles and the the accessory poles work perfectly.
Wayne


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I looked at those online yesterday. Komperdell lists Zpacks as a distributor and there's a few more little things I'm going to eventually order from them anyway but it turns out REI has them in the garage sale. My next opportunity to hike is Tuesday so I'll try the hand-shaking then.

[Venchka]

I went out to the garage at Zero Dark:30 this morning. Refreshed my memory on strap use.
Straps are loose.
Hold pole horizontal. Strap hanging vertical.
Slide hand through strap loop.
Lower pole to vertical and grasp pole grip.
Strap remains loose and only touches wrist.
Last resort: See your Doctor.
Mobic or Meloxicam (generic form of Mobic). 7.5 mg twice a day. Works for my 71+ year old joints.
Good luck!
Wayne


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[Puddlefish]

Have you checked out Cascade Mountain Tech's Carbon Fiber Poles. They're cheap, light, and have a somewhat padded strap.
I bought a pair because they were really cheap so I thought I'd give them a try.
They are a little flimsier than comparable poles, but at a third of the price they definitely do the job.
Also, they sell parts if something breaks. I broke the middle section of one of the poles. I ordered that specific part and it was at my house in a week. And shipping on parts is FREE!!!
Check them out. Well worth the price point.
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Loved these while they lasted. I wore the tips out around mile 500, ordered replacement lower sections (they don't just sell tips) at a reasonable price. Due to leaving the trail the replacements never made it to me. (I suspect the hotel I shipped them to, just tossed them in the trash instead of forwarding the package as I requested.)

I bought a set of Lekis locally next, as I was in too much of a rush to wait for shipping. I flat out hate the straps on the Lekis, they're too thin and cut off the circulation on my wrists. I'll grab some thicker, wider material and sew it on by hand, which should solve that problem.

[tawa]

Leki--Leki-Leki ! ! Lifetime guarantee and customer service is golden!

[poolskaterx]

Hard to beat the shape of the Leki grips; I think maybe you make some "padding sleeves" that attach over the Leki straps.

[Venchka]

But first...
Grab the grips with the straps flat between your palm and grip. Or flopping loosely over the backs of your hands. Find out if the straps are causing circulation problems or cramping your grip.
I'm convinced that I developed the dreaded Trigger Finger on the middle finger of my right hand last year in Colorado. A change in strap placement and a round of oral steroids cured it. Injections and surgery not required.
Wayne


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[Chris_Cates]

Loved these while they lasted. I wore the tips out around mile 500, ordered replacement lower sections (they don't just sell tips) at a reasonable price. Due to leaving the trail the replacements never made it to me. (I suspect the hotel I shipped them to, just tossed them in the trash instead of forwarding the package as I requested.)

I bought a set of Lekis locally next, as I was in too much of a rush to wait for shipping. I flat out hate the straps on the Lekis, they're too thin and cut off the circulation on my wrists. I'll grab some thicker, wider material and sew it on by hand, which should solve that problem.

Hard to beat the shape of the Leki grips; I think maybe you make some "padding sleeves" that attach over the Leki straps.

Yep, that's where I'm at. I love the shape but the straps suck. I had the idea to make a padded sleeve to go over the straps a couple of nights ago but too much work to do that right now. I've got a project due the end of the week and I'm still going to try to get a hike or two in so won't be spending any time sewing yet.

But first...
Grab the grips with the straps flat between your palm and grip. Or flopping loosely over the backs of your hands. Find out if the straps are causing circulation problems or cramping your grip.
I'm convinced that I developed the dreaded Trigger Finger on the middle finger of my right hand last year in Colorado. A change in strap placement and a round of oral steroids cured it. Injections and surgery not required.
Wayne


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It can't be too tight a grip, I'm barely gripping at all. Mostly I just steer the poles with my finger tips and only grip down when I'm going up a steep hill. The arthritis diagnosis was made via imagery so I'm not doubting it.

If all goes well I'll be hiking tomorrow morning and I'll try shaking my hands out as much as I can remember.

[ScareBear]

So, your arthritis. Since it was confirmed by imaging, am I to assume it is osteoarthritis instead of RA and/or PA?

I suffer from RA/PA and it has eaten away my flexor tendon in my left thumb. It is now a useless appendage.

That said, I NEVER use my pole straps. NEVER. I ski, ski tour and hike. I consider falling with straps on to be a serious safety hazard, both downhill skiing and hiking in terrain. I don't use poles outside of fairly serious terrain.

I know I lack an empathy gene, or two. So, when I say that if I, without a functioning left thumb and arthritis in both hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc...can carry my poles and NEVER use straps, I am pretty sure you can too.

There are options. Wrist braces, with and without rigid supports. Thumb braces. Pre-curved gloves. Custom orthotic gloves.

Finally, do like I had to do when I still tried to be competitive at golf...get oversized orthotic grips. Well, since they don't make them for hiking poles, you will have to try it yourself. Closed-cell foam for insulating water pipes and cloth tape would be a good place to start experimenting....you will need a sharp razor knife or box cutter...

Good luck. There is an old thread on this board that is many pages long on proper strap technique v. no straps.

YMMV. HYOH.

[Venchka]

I wasn't talking about your fingers gripping the poles. I'm talking about the straps contacting your hands.
If you have confirmation of arthritis, what will you do about it?
Wayne


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[Venchka]

Sounds like ScareBear is on to something.
Wayne


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[Chris_Cates]

So, your arthritis. Since it was confirmed by imaging, am I to assume it is osteoarthritis instead of RA and/or PA?

I suffer from RA/PA and it has eaten away my flexor tendon in my left thumb. It is now a useless appendage.

That said, I NEVER use my pole straps. NEVER. I ski, ski tour and hike. I consider falling with straps on to be a serious safety hazard, both downhill skiing and hiking in terrain. I don't use poles outside of fairly serious terrain.

I know I lack an empathy gene, or two. So, when I say that if I, without a functioning left thumb and arthritis in both hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc...can carry my poles and NEVER use straps, I am pretty sure you can too.

There are options. Wrist braces, with and without rigid supports. Thumb braces. Pre-curved gloves. Custom orthotic gloves.

Finally, do like I had to do when I still tried to be competitive at golf...get oversized orthotic grips. Well, since they don't make them for hiking poles, you will have to try it yourself. Closed-cell foam for insulating water pipes and cloth tape would be a good place to start experimenting....you will need a sharp razor knife or box cutter...

Good luck. There is an old thread on this board that is many pages long on proper strap technique v. no straps.

YMMV. HYOH.

Yep, osteoarthritis of the joint at the base of the thumb and little finger of each hand. The thing is that I like, correction, LOVE using the straps on my trekking poles. It's the greatest thing since something else really great. If I weren't going to use the straps I'd probably just go back to wearing knee braces and skip the poles all together.

I wasn't talking about your fingers gripping the poles. I'm talking about the straps contacting your hands.
If you have confirmation of arthritis, what will you do about it?
Wayne


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There isn't anything I can do about my arthritis. There's no joint replacement for fingers so that's out. There are injections I could get in my wrist but from what I've been able to discover about it it's not that effective and needs to be repeated often. My doctor prescribed an NSAID but I've found otc Aleve works better. NSAIDS will eventually take out my liver so I try not to take it too much. Heat soothes the pain, and best of all, exercise helps the pain a great deal. That's why my complaint is about numbness instead of pain, the hiking itself seems to be a pain reliever.

As for the numbness, I've seen improvement from the padded straps on the B/D poles, so adding more padding will probably suffice. Since I prefer the Leki handles and I've been unable to find similar handles with padded straps adding padding to the Leki straps seems to be my best bet.

[ScareBear]

Just remember, you aren't cross-country skiing or ski touring. You use hiking poles for balance, not as a propulsion aid. Especially if you are using the straps as a propulsion aid. You can gain all the traction your poles need through your hands. Your straps should be to keep you from losing your poles, not to help you pull yourself uphill.

If your poles have shock absorbers, you can tell if you are using them incorrectly if you keep hitting the bump-stops. Remember, if you put too much weight on a hiking pole, it is gonna bend(if metal) of break(if fibre) and you are likely gonna fall on the bitter end, since your weight is leaning into the pole it's where you are going after the pole breaks. Good luck with that....

[lesliedgray]

Yep, osteoarthritis of the joint at the base of the thumb and little finger of each hand. The thing is that I like, correction, LOVE using the straps on my trekking poles. It's the greatest thing since something else really great. If I weren't going to use the straps I'd probably just go back to wearing knee braces and skip the poles all together.



There isn't anything I can do about my arthritis. There's no joint replacement for fingers so that's out. There are injections I could get in my wrist but from what I've been able to discover about it it's not that effective and needs to be repeated often. My doctor prescribed an NSAID but I've found otc Aleve works better. NSAIDS will eventually take out my liver so I try not to take it too much. Heat soothes the pain, and best of all, exercise helps the pain a great deal. That's why my complaint is about numbness instead of pain, the hiking itself seems to be a pain reliever.

As for the numbness, I've seen improvement from the padded straps on the B/D poles, so adding more padding will probably suffice. Since I prefer the Leki handles and I've been unable to find similar handles with padded straps adding padding to the Leki straps seems to be my best bet.

OTC Aleve IS an NSAID... of which Naproxin Sodium is an ingredient, which is where your relief comes in. It can be hard on your liver AND your stomach if taken regularly.. i agree with Venchaka that you speak to your doctor about a prescribed med that you can take on a regular basis and leave the Aleve for break-through pain.


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[Odd Man Out]

I started with BD Alpine Ergo Corks. Luxurious straps. All the bells and whistles. But very heavy. Then went to Fizen Compact. Minimalist, but lightweight. I decided I like the light weight. Originally planned to ditch the straps as I had read that going no-strap had advantages (I think it was a blog post by Anderw Skurka). So I hiked one day without the straps and the next day with the straps and on the third day, I decided I liked using the straps much better. I don't have arthritis, but do have problems with hands swelling. Poles really help with this as they keep the hands elevated, moving, and gripping (the pole).

[Chris_Cates]

OTC Aleve IS an NSAID... of which Naproxin Sodium is an ingredient, which is where your relief comes in. It can be hard on your liver AND your stomach if taken regularly.. i agree with Venchaka that you speak to your doctor about a prescribed med that you can take on a regular basis and leave the Aleve for break-through pain.


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Yep, I know Aleve is an NSAID. I didn't say it well but I meant that Aleve worked better than the prescription NSAID I got from my doctor. And I don't really want to add another prescription med to my list of meds, I'm working hard to reduce that list. I don't want to deal with steroids, I don't want to have lube injections, I just want to make reasonable accommodations to make myself more comfortable. Thus the search for more comfortable trekking poles.

I started with BD Alpine Ergo Corks. Luxurious straps. All the bells and whistles. But very heavy. Then went to Fizen Compact. Minimalist, but lightweight. I decided I like the light weight. Originally planned to ditch the straps as I had read that going no-strap had advantages (I think it was a blog post by Anderw Skurka). So I hiked one day without the straps and the next day with the straps and on the third day, I decided I liked using the straps much better. I don't have arthritis, but do have problems with hands swelling. Poles really help with this as they keep the hands elevated, moving, and gripping (the pole).

I'm with you, I've tried it without the straps and much prefer it with the straps. And the straps on the ergo corks look like the same straps I have on the trail shock pros. I think a little more cushion would be better, but they're already much better than the very thin straps on the Lekis.

It's all probably moot now anyway. I think I've carried this far enough to know that I'm not going to find that optimum (for me) mix of Leki style grip with padded straps so I'm not even looking any more. I didn't get a shot at my favorite trail yesterday so I did a short 4 mile hike on a closer trail. It's almost entirely flat so not that great a hike but I found out two things: consciously flexing my fingers while I hike does keep my hands from going numb, and I spend far more time gripping my poles than I thought I did.

[lesliedgray]

There are rub on creams that may help.. one that i can think of is called Real Time Pain Relief... this works pretty good.. there are other, similar ones also.


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[Chris_Cates]

There are rub on creams that may help.. one that i can think of is called Real Time Pain Relief... this works pretty good.. there are other, similar ones also.


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I appreciate that you're trying to help but I'm good on the pain.

[scrabbler]

Have you talked with a physical therapist about this issue?