An essential accessory for a mountain hiking, trekking poles, long overlooked, have many advantages. Whether carbon, aluminium, telescopic, or foldable, the hiking poles listed on Glisshop come from top brands known for the quality of their products. Durability and performance are the key words that guide our expertise to make all your hikes memorable experiences.
Walking Poles: Benefits and Performance
Hiking poles are a valuable tool for enhancing your performance and comfort during your outdoor outings. They offer a range of benefits, from reducing fatigue and joint pain to improving balance, speed, and posture. For hikers of all levels, poles can transform a good hike into an exceptional experience. Don't hesitate to invest in a quality pair of poles and discover for yourself the many advantages they offer.
Better Body Posture
When used correctly, poles can help improve your posture while walking. By maintaining a more upright position, you avoid back pain and muscle tension often caused by a hunched posture. Good posture also allows for better breathing and optimal blood circulation, contributing to overall better performance.
Walk Longer
By using trekking poles, you can increase your walking speed and endurance. Acting as an extension of your arm, they engage the upper body muscles and allow for better propulsion, which can reduce the overall feeling of fatigue and enable you to walk longer without getting exhausted.
Reduced Weight on Your Joints
One of the main advantages of walking poles is that they help reduce muscle fatigue and the load on your joints. By distributing the weight and using your arms to move forward, you relieve pressure on your knees and hips, which is particularly beneficial during descents or on rough terrain.
Meilleure stabilité en descente
Les bâtons de randonnée offrent un soutien supplémentaire, améliorant ainsi votre équilibre et votre stabilité. Cela est utile sur les sentiers glissants, rocailleux ou inégaux, ainsi que dans les descentes, lorsque le poids du sac à dos vous alourdit. Les bâtons peuvent également vous aider à traverser des cours d'eau ou à naviguer sur des pentes escarpées en vous offrant des points d'appui supplémentaires et un meilleur équilibre sur terrain technique afin d'anticiper et de prévenir tout risque de chute.
Better Power when Climbing
Using your arms when climbing helps relieve your legs, making you more efficient. A study claims that using poles can improve the performance of athletes who incorporate them into their gear by 30%.
Versatility and Multiple Applications
Hiking poles are not only useful for walking. They can be used to test the depth of streams, push away branches or bushes on the path, and even serve in an emergency to pitch a tent or support a makeshift shelter. Their versatility makes them essential for hikers.
Other Benefits of Trekking Poles
Using hiking poles when you haven't before can sometimes be seen as a hassle. It's a new accessory to carry, it's bulky when not in use, and it adds extra weight. So why bring them along?
Besides the advantages listed above, it's important to remember that hiking poles are extremely lightweight; their weight is negligible when attached to your backpack. They will be even lighter if you opt for carbon poles. To give you an idea, a pair of carbon poles weighs approximately 400 grams, about the weight of a large paperback book or a chocolate bar. It's up to you to decide which of the two you'll replace with your poles.
As for the bulkiness, it just requires good organisation. Firstly, most hiking packs sold today allow you to easily and quickly attach your poles to your pack so they don't get in your way. But for those of you who are still hesitant, there are also telescopic poles or foldable poles that save even more space!
How to Use Your Hiking Poles Properly
Everyone has their own way of using poles, whether using both arms simultaneously or not, on climbs, descents, or flat terrain. But in any scenario, they are the perfect allies to help you tackle your hike as smoothly as possible. However, transitioning from not using poles to using them extensively can be counterproductive or even dangerous. Therefore, it is recommended to do a short hike to familiarise yourself with these accessories the first time.
Choose Poles Suited to Your Activity
Choosing hiking poles suited to your activity involves considering several factors such as the type of hike, materials, locking system, grips, straps, and tips. By selecting the specifications that best meet your personal needs, you can significantly improve your hiking experience and fully enjoy your outdoor adventures.
Choose the Right Tip for the Conditions
Tungsten or steel tips are durable and offer good grip on technical and varied terrains. Conversely, rubber tips are useful for hard surfaces. They extend the lifespan of the tips and reduce noise, which can be significant on asphalt, for example. Choose the one that suits you best based on your training habits, although you can also have both types and switch according to your needs!
Adjust the Straps Properly
Straps play a crucial role in the effective use of trekking poles. Here’s how to use them correctly:
- Pass your hand through the bottom of the strap.
- Grab the pole handle while keeping the strap between your hand and the grip.
- Adjust the strap tension so it is snug but comfortable.
The straps should be comfortable and adjustable to prevent chafing and provide good support. Some straps are padded for extra comfort during long hikes.
Length Adjustment: An Essential Element
Discover All Our Telescopic Poles
- Flat Terrain
For flat terrain, adjust your poles so that your elbows form a 90-degree angle when you hold the grips and the poles are in a vertical position. This will allow you to walk comfortably without overworking your arms.
Another simple method is to set the pole height to about 70% of your height. For example, for a person measuring 1.70 m, the recommended height is 1.19 m (170 cm x 0.70).
- Climbs
For climbs, slightly shorten your poles to maintain an ergonomic and balanced posture. This will help you achieve better push and reduce fatigue.
- Descents
On slopes, increase the length of your poles to better support your weight and improve stability. This reduces pressure on your knees and improves your balance on steep slopes.
Setting the height of your trekking poles
Explore the World of Hiking at Glisshop
Glisshop is your ideal destination for all hiking gear. With a wide range of waling poles, footwear, technical clothing, backpacks, and accessories, you are sure to find everything you need for your outdoor outings. Explore the world of hiking at Glisshop and get ready for unforgettable adventures in nature.
