Trekking poles are an essential part of my kit when I go trekking or walking in the countryside, I would tend to take them on any walk that is over three miles in distance or involves some ascents and descents. I have two sets of poles, a set of Craghoppers which I tend to keep in the car so that I always have a pair available to me, one of these has a slight bend in the middle section following a rescue lift that did not go to plan so does not fully retract and my pride and joy a set of Leki poles which are lightweight and I use for major treks and foreign travel, these are currently awaiting a Dooyoo product suggestion for a full review. So why are trekking ...  Read the complete review

I have divided this guide to choosing a trekking pole into 3 sections: 1) Why trekking poles are useful. 2) How to choose between the different styles of trekking pole. 3) How trekking poles should be used. WHY TREKKING POLES ARE USEFUL Particularly if you are a walker who spends a lot of time on steep terrain, trekking poles can be an invaluable aid to balance and support. Going uphill, trekking poles put some of the strain from your hamstring on to your arm muscles, making it less tiring on your legs to do those hill climbs. Going downhill, when there is much strain on the kneecaps to keep you upright, trekking poles ...  Read the complete review

Trekking poles are a really useful piece of kit to have when going on a long walk, we often head up to the Lake District for a weekend of walking in the beautiful countryside and when walking up steep inclines I find a pair of walking sticks to be really useful. They help take some of the pressure and strain off my leg muscles and in particular my knee joints as you are making greater use of your arm muscles to take some of teh strain. In addition I find that I'm less likely to suffer from a bad back when using poles. I tend to use twio at a time however m other half only ever used the one pole as he does not like to have both hands occupied when walking and likes one ..  Read the complete review

Go to any popular mountain nowadays and you will see a peculiar sight. Walkers, climbers, hikers, ramblers; call them what you want but they all seem to click their way along paths with expensive looking sticks flailing in all directions. This is the age of the trekking pole. The latest must have gizmo will cost you around £60 for a decent pair with suspension and shock absorbers. The science behind them is impressive, if you believe the manufacturers claims. By bringing your arms into use you reduce muscle fatigue on the way up and, more importantly, reduce knee damage on the way down. They take quite a bit of getting used to, but when you do they ...  Read the complete review