A Hiker’s Debate: Do Trekking Poles Help You Hike?

Do Trekking Poles Help You Hike?

If you have ever been hiking before I am sure you have seen at least a hiker or two with trekking poles, but do they really help? I personally do not own trekking poles, but I have wondered if I should invest in some or not. So, lets find out, should you buy the trekking poles or just stick to the basics.

Here are the pros & cons to trekking poles:

Pros

• Trekking poles give your arms something to do.

Most of the time while hiking you are focused on your legs and feet but with the trekking poles your arms will be busy in motion as well!

• Trekking poles can help you maintain balance.

Having the trekking poles is like having an extra set of legs! It helps to even out the weight and gives you an extra surface to connect to the ground with. This can become even more helpful when you are going up hill.

• Trekking poles help take stress off your joints.

Like previously mentioned, having the extra support and extra set of ‘legs’ will allow you to even out the weight and have less stress on your knees.

Cons

• Trekking poles are expensive.

If you are going to get a good reliable pair of trekking poles you are most likely going to be spending around $60-$200 which is kind of a lot of something that is not a necessary piece of hiking equipment.

• Trekking poles make you use more energy.

If you’re planning a long hike, then wasting energy is not something you want to do and using your arms a lot more with the poles will make you use more energy.

Overall, I really think it is different for every hiker and something you need to decide based on your own preference. I would try out a friends par or walk around at the store with them to see how it feels before making a decision.