Well the rain finally slowed enough this weekend (the flood waters have finally receded) for me to be able to get out on the trail a bit. I'd been feeling ansy to get out so it was nice.

I decided to try some trekking poles. Thought others who were considering them might be interested in my initial thoughts.

I'd heard a lot about trekking poles but never used them. I read a lot of trailjournals from people who love their Leki's. But I couldn't see forking out $100 for something I might not like. Then I ran into a trailjournal of a guy who used Swiss Gear poles (from Wenger, the makers of the swiss army knife) purchased at Walmart. They aren't the highest quality so on his thru-hike he went through 3 pair. But he pointed out that still costs less than one pair of Leki's. I went to Walmart and sure enough, $15.00 got me a pair. For that price if I don't like them or if I do like them and they break I won't feel too bad. (There are similarly inexpensive poles at Sports Authority under the Coleman brand and other places too.)

So here's my experience. I found that whether I liked the poles depended on how steep the grade was. On fairly flat sections of the trail or where the ups and downs are mild they just felt like extra baggage. So I hopped off-trail for a bit and attacked some really steep hillsides. That's where the poles really shine. I found I could move pretty fast both uphill and downhill. On steep, rocky surfaces that were covered with leaf litter the poles really kept me from a tumble or two.

The other use for poles that I was curious about was for pitching shelters. I set up my 8x10 tarp using the poles on a night when the wind was gusting pretty strong. I had used the tarp before in high winds but always using trees (of which there are plenty in Missouri). I had 6 guy lines to stakes and then one line on each pole that went from tarp to pole to stake. I had seen this setup online but it didn't look that sturdy to me. I must say I was impressed. Even when the wind really picked up the tarp held up like a champ.

So I ended up feeling pretty positive about my poles. If there is any downside from buying cheap poles it hasn't hit me yet (but one weekend isn't much of a test). I like using them however I don't think they are right for every trip, at least not for me. I'll take them on trails where I expect very steep grades and uneven terrain but not for flat or gently rolling trails. If I'm going somewhere without trees then I might also consider them for tarp pitching but only if I would also use them for hiking. In flatter areas with few trees I would just bring a bivy.