Trekking Poles And Hiking Staffs

Are walking sticks longer than trekking poles? What about hiking staffs and hiking sticks? Whatever you call them, and whatever their differences, they are supposed to help your knees more than anything. This they do very well, at least when you're going downhill.

What else are they good for? They help you keep your balance. You can use them as defense against wild animals as well. I use a walking stick to rest my head on from time to time, and I also use it as a monopod for steadying the camera.

Do You Need Trekking Poles?

What if you don't have knee problems, and you are hiking on level ground? Then maybe there is no point to using trekking poles. They can be just more things to carry.

Do they save energy? They take weight off your joints, but logic says you'll expend more energy by carrying them. I use a walking stick at times, when my knees insist, and it's fun to poke at things, but it's not a necessity. For what it's worth, Ray Jardine, the "father" of ultralight backpacking, doesn't recommend trekking poles.

If you decide to use them, consider the incredible Bozeman Mountain Works Stix Xls Trekking Poles. They're made of a high-strength carbon fiber and weigh 2.7 ounces each! That's is half the weight of the nearest competition.

Walking Sticks and Other Options

I often cut dead sticks and use them until I lose them. I always lose my walking stick - a good reason not to buy the expensive ones. If I do still have it at the end of the trail, I leave it for the next hiker. Hand-cut walking sticks are heavier than high-tech trekking poles, but you can just leave them behind when you get tired of them.

You can use bamboo to make good light hiking staffs. It's stronger than it looks, so use a piece that's only about 3/4" thick. I bought cheap decorative bamboo at Pier One Imports, and cut it to size. You can glue some soft scrap leather on for a comfortable handgrip.

Finally, ski poles work as trekking poles. It's best if you remove the baskets, especially if you're hiking in wooded areas where they may catch on something.

Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com

Backpacking Food - What To Pack

Weight is always a concern with backpacking food you'll be carrying everything on your back. Some will tell you to find your weight savings in other areas, and argue for the necessity of healthy, meaning heavy, food. My experience, however, tells me that we can enjoy lighter loads and worry less about healthy food on short trips.

In the Sierra Nevada I ate more than 60 granola bars in five days with no ill effects. No stove meant a lighter pack, and it was very convenient to not cook. Of course, I usually supplement my backpacking diet with berries and other wild foods, so it probably wasn't all that unhealthy.

Different Foods For Different Backpackers

Each of us is unique. I don't suffer when I have no cooked meals, but you may. There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to the backpacking food question. You have to balance the weight/health/taste/cost issues in your own way. Consider the following points, though, in making your choices.

The lightest food is that which has the most calories per ounce. Pure fat wins the contest (oils), followed by high-fat foods (nuts), low moisture carbohydrates (granola bars), proteins (beef jerky), and then bread, fruit, veggies, etc. Nuts, for example, because of their fat content, have 50% more calories per pound than pure sugar.

Look at the lables. Choose foods you like, but choose the ones that are higher in calories for their weight. In that way, you get what you want, what your body needs for energy, and you keep it light. I usually plan for about 3000 calories a day. This isn't quite enough (I'm 6'3", 160 pounds), so I'll lose a pound or two on a weekend trip.

Bringing high-calorie foods like mixed nuts (2700/pound) and tortilla chips (2100/pound), I can get by with about 20 ounces of food per day. For a four day trip I'll carry around 5 pounds. Eat a big meal before you go, and you can carry less food (although you'll carry it inside you anyhow). You can cut weight if you know which berries to eat along the trail. I've eaten an entire meal of rasberries during one break while hiking in Colorado.

Healthy Backpacking Food

For a healthier trip, try this: Eat a large salad right before you leave, and right after you get back. If you also eat berries and herbs along the way, you can concentrate on bringing only light backpacking food, and your health won't suffer.

A more obvious alternative is to spend some money. Enough money, and you can feast on nutrition-packed, calorie-rich foods the whole time you are hiking. Try bee pollen, spirolina, raw nuts and seeds, molasses, dried papaya - I could go on, but you get the idea.

Finally, don't forget the freeze-dried meals and other traditional backpacking foods. They are not necessasrily healthy, and can be very expensive, but they sure are convenient and tasty. You can always pack ramen noodles if you want cheap food.

Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of lightweight backpacking. His advice and stories, and a backpacking food calorie counter, can be found at http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com