You’ve probably been walking for so many years now that you don’t really think about what you’re doing, but walking is really just a series of balancing acts on one leg. As we swing one leg forward to take a step, all of our weight — and the weight we are carrying — is balanced on a single foot. That’s not so secure. When an animal takes a step, there are at least two other feet on the ground. Hiking poles give that same security to humans.
This is the primary advantage of hiking with hiking poles. They definitely provide extra stability and better balance. It helps to have an extra “leg” or two on uneven ground or when crossing streams or slippery areas.
Hiking poles also help bear some of the weight and decrease the impact to your joints. (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise) Going downhill, you can place the poles on the trail ahead of you to slow your descent and decrease joint stress. Planting the poles ahead of yourself on an uphill allows you to pull yourself up with your arms while you push with your legs, helping to reduce leg fatigue.
Hiking with poles involves the arms and establishes a good rhythm. As your arms swing, your legs naturally keep time and cover ground at an even pace. The use of poles turns hiking into a whole-body workout and avoids the unbalanced T. rex syndrome where the legs get strong while the arms stay weak.
Hiking poles offer even more advantages on the trail and in camp. Use them to knock spiderwebs off the trail before you walk face-first into them. Push back overhanging vegetation, as well, especially in the morning when everything is wet with dew. Probe boggy spots and stream bottoms to find the most secure foot placement.
Every backpacker carries duct tape for emergency repairs, and a pole is a great place to wrap a few strips for easy access. Hiking poles are even being used as shelter supports by backpackers who use a tarp rather than a tent, thus saving the weight of tent poles.
There are many advantages to using hiking poles on a backpacking trip. Most backpackers, once they’ve used hiking poles for any length of time, find that they won’t hike without them. While they may not make as much difference on just an average stroll, the poles can have quite an impact on a longer backpacking trip.
Sources:
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
www.rei.com