Walking Poles

[woodbloke]

With the downturn in weather conditions over the last few days, I've given up using the cycle and have walked in to work. When the snow's been bad on the pavements I've used my walking poles, which have been great but the locking mech one of them is starting to slip. They're only cheapies from M&S but I wondered what others use? Leki's are supposed to be the best but there seems to be a lot of different sorts when you start to look round - Rob

 

[Waka]

You could make your own from broom handles :lol: :lol:

 

[The Weegie]

With the downturn in weather conditions over the last few days, I've given up using the cycle and have walked in to work. When the snow's been bad on the pavements I've used my walking poles, which have been great but the locking mech one of them is starting to slip. They're only cheapies from M&S but I wondered what others use? Leki's are supposed to be the best but there seems to be a lot of different sorts when you start to look round - Rob

I use Leki (makalu) for walking on the hills (when I get a chance). They are fantastic. Very sturdy and you can get parts for them in loads of shops.

 

[Paul Chapman]

When the snow's been bad on the pavements I've used my walking poles

Wot, do they carry you on their back :? :shock: I'd heard that they'd all gone back to Poland since the economy took a dive.....

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

When the snow's been bad on the pavements I've used my walking poles

Wot, do they carry you on their back :? :shock: I'd heard that they'd all gone back to Poland since the economy took a dive.....

Cheers :wink:

Paul

:lol: :lol:

Waka - nothing so mundane as broom handles. Methinks I'll contact you-know-you and get some PhillyPoles made in African Blackwood :lol: - Rob

 

[duncanh]

I've used Lekis for hill walking for years. The original one I got in '92 is still going strong despite loosing all it's paint. In Scotland one year I slipped and it bent under my weight (saved me from a huge fall though). When i got back they replaced the bent part for free
One of them developed a problem with the locking mechanism but I was able to get a replacement plastic lock from a walking shop.
I prefer the ones with a traditional walking stick(ish) shaped handle to the ski handle type.

When on a winter holiday in Italy a few year back the walking group used something called spikies - basically bits of rubber with embedded spikes that you fit over your shoes. They worked well of frozen snow and ice and even on frozen lakes. I didn't try them but my partner at the time said they were great.
I just googled and found ...
http://www.facewest.co.uk/Petzl-Spikey-Plus.html
http://www.yaktrax.co.uk/shop/categories.php?cat=7

 

[dickm]

Komperdell seem pretty good, too. But definitely prefer the straight type - the "walking stick" ones seem to put much more load on the wrist.

 

[duncanh]

But definitely prefer the straight type - the "walking stick" ones seem to put much more load on the wrist.

I use the vertical part of the handle for most situations but find the horizontal part particularly helpful when going down steeper slopes, crossing boulder fields and crossing streams/rivers - situations where I use the stick to take more weight than it normally would when used just for walking

 

[RogerS]

Zimmer frame?

 

[dickm]

Zimmer frame?

Yeah - walking up hill through the snow this morning, I did begin to wonder...