Walking poles

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gilliani

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Hi
just wondering if anyone has had any problems taking collapsed walking poles in their carry on luggage on an international flight?
Cheers

G
 
No.But usually they are packed in checked baggage as they are collapsible.
 
Have always put mine in my checked luggage. Would you even be allowed to have them in carry on given how they could easily be used as a weapon?
 
Hi
just wondering if anyone has had any problems taking collapsed walking poles in their carry on luggage on an international flight?
Cheers

G
Unless they are genuinely needed for mobility, I cannot see them being permitted as carry on luggage.
 
No.But usually they are packed in checked baggage as they are collapsible.
Thanks Drron
I understand they are collapsible and as I only travel with carry on hence my question, thanks for taking the time to respond.
G
 
Unless they are genuinely needed for mobility, I cannot see them being permitted as carry on luggage.
Thanks Dr Ralph, yes that's what I thought. I only travel with carry on so thought I'd ask the question. Thanks for responding.
Cheers
G
 
Have always put mine in my checked luggage. Would you even be allowed to have them in carry on given how they could easily be used as a weapon?
Thanks for responding, I think the knife & fork you get with a meal would be far more of a weapon, but yes I know what you mean.
 
Thinking about the time I did have my poles in the carry on I used them to go through security so not actually in the carry on-but then despite not asking for it we were pre boarded.This was in Japan on JAL.
That probably is the way you should do it.
 
My friend didnt check hers when we were flying from Bolivia to Chile and LAN wouldnt let her board with them, insited they had to go below.

I have carbon fibre trekking poles, they collapse easily to fit in checked luggage (i put them iside my travel pack not tie to outside). I do not imagine they will be allowed on board any airline departing Aus, as when you remove the rubber stopper there is a very sharp point on both of them for digging into ice/snow which would be deemed weapon like - would do much more damage than metail fork.
 
Thanks for responding, I think the knife & fork you get with a meal would be far more of a weapon, but yes I know what you mean.


Doubt it. The hiking poles I use have a thin metal point a couple of inches long at the end. I’m not sure of your skills using airline cutlery in a fight but I’m tipping you wouldnt fare well against a hiking pole used as a spear. Just my opinion though.
 
My 86yo father strolls through security all the time with his Nordic Walking Sticks. As with everything put through the scanners though. Never a problem. They are not collapsible and yes there is a rather nasty point if one takes the rubber grommet off.
 
Slightly off topic but do users have an opinion as to whether they make a difference walking? I can see them helping on long descents but do they actually help with trudge walking? I like to have my hands free walking but if they result in less effort walking or something I'd be interested.
 
I found them invaluable on serious day hikes at Mount Fitzroy in Argentina and Torres Del Paine in Chile, especially when used as an anchor to pull myself up steep muddy incline or to steady myself when descending a muddy incline (as i have dodgy knees). Also good on glacier hike in Puerto Moreno. Help with balance whenl uggung a bit in yourpack.

Wrist straps allow you to use yourhands when not relying on the poles for balance/support. The carbon fibre ones are strong but light, when you dont need them, collapse them and clip onto side of your day pack, then get them out when you need them again.

That said I cant see any benefit for using thrm to walk on paved streets,flat grassy areas, I wouldnt even contemplate taking them unless planning to tackle trails. I didnt need them wandering around machu picchu (but i took the bus didnt do the inca trail), and we walked to the sun gate etc,
 
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Slightly off topic but do users have an opinion as to whether they make a difference walking? I can see them helping on long descents but do they actually help with trudge walking? I like to have my hands free walking but if they result in less effort walking or something I'd be interested.
They can be handy on muddy/slippery track conditions as an extra point of stability (wife found them handy on the Oxfam 100km walk) but we found them to be minimally beneficial in the Canadian Rockies and overall a bit of an inconvenience. We would never take them again. Once you set out on a walk you are stuck with carrying them for the whole time and we felt more confident just using our hands on steep / rocky ascents. On steeper descents you can find yourself bending over forwards a little too much when placing the poles out in front (even if they're fully extended) - we felt more comfortable keeping our balance if we stayed more upright
 
I use a single pole if I am going to be walking a full day on a track. I can't see the benefit of walking with two poles but took a pair to Japan and ended up lending one to someone else in the group who was finding the ups and downs of the track hard going. My father bush walked with a pole and as a kid I just copied him. There is something meditative about swinging and planting the pole...
 
I have a dodgy knee and use them going down just to give me a bit of piece of mind because I'm usually walking by myself. My physio said you should always have two because if you use one you're going to be a bit lopsided and can cause problems.
 
Once you set out on a walk you are stuck with carrying them for the whole time and we felt more confident just using our hands on steep / rocky ascents.

This is why the light weight carbon fibre collapsable are best, if you dont need them, shorthen and attach to your day pack. 2 poles weigh under 500grams.
 
Thanks for the replies, some good feedback. I was thinking that a long descent like down the pass to Milford Sound or into the Grand Canyon the support would be handy to reduce the "jelly knees" you eventually get. Worst I ever experienced with that was descending the steps on Mt Sinai many years ago when I was young enough to handle it.
 
They can be handy on muddy/slippery track conditions as an extra point of stability (wife found them handy on the Oxfam 100km walk) but we found them to be minimally beneficial in the Canadian Rockies and overall a bit of an inconvenience. We would never take them again.


I am quite surprised at your negative experience. I wonder if you are using them correctly?

We are all different of course but properly used my belief that they are especially a boon to older hikers like myself, but still valuable to even young hikers on difficult trails. The mountain goat days of my twenties are long gone, but my lust for hiking remains strong. My trekking poles area vital part of maintaining that enjoyment.

GENERAL INFORMATION (With a few rambles!) FOR THOSE THAT HAVE NOT USED WALKING/TREKKING POLES BEFORE

To use them properly you use them differently uphill, downhill and on the flat. You also need to adjust the length if going uphill or downhill and so hence you want the easily adjustable collapsible ones.

First time my wife and I took them out on a hike we both found them to be awkward and useless almost threw them away! But no I thought too many posts in online hiking/outdoor sites had people swearing by their usefulness and you see them everywhere.

So off to YouTube to watch some videos on how to actually use them properly and after that I have never looked back. The action to use them soon becomes instinctive.

You should also use TWO poles and not just ONE pole. One pole only provides extra balance and steadiness. Two poles vastly improves that, but also importantly lessens the load and impact on the knees.

When one is young it does not matter that much, but when I entered my mid-fifties I was noticing that on extended and in particular multi-day hikes that my knees were getting quite sore. Off to the Doctor, and then the physio who worked out I had mild osteoarthritis (basically wear and tear of the cartilage). The physio soon had me doing some knee exercises that strengthened all my muscles that control the knee that help to lessen the load and impact on the cartilage. This made a difference but in itself was not enough. Plus you want to try and slow down as much as possible any further deterioration.

My wife is only 6 months younger. We met when we were 20 and so she has hiked as much as I. Here knees are not a problem, but in her fifties she started slipping over more when hiking and particularly on looses dry dusty/gravelly trails like you get in the Dandenongs in Victoria and in many parts of Australia. This is in part as her eyesight is not as good as it once was. Once she learnt how to use the poles her regularly slipping over has vanished.

I am 59 now. I have always hiked/bushwalked a lot. ie in my 20's did hikes like 23 days to 5700m in Nepal.

I wanted to keep hiking in my fifties and so read and asked around. Hence walking poles.

I use them on all most of my hikes now and especially if it involves up and down.

I have used them to hike to Annapurna Basecamp at 4200m. On steep and rocky trails near Mont Blanc in France and at numerous other locations.
I have also made the mistake of not taking them with me to Italy when I did the Path of the Gods and know how sore and tire my knees felt the next week!

After my many hikes (and without them) my wife and I are both 100% convinced that if using them in the correct manner that:
- On long walks that you leg muscles and knees are less tired, and the next day you are in much better condition to keep walking (on multi-days hikes this is important. (The reason is that the poles transfer load to your arms and shoulders and so your legs and knees are not working as hard).
- This is moreso on really steep hikes like you get in Nepal where you are basically on a set of uneven rocky steps for long periods. (The use of poles lessens any jarring from you stepping down particularly on long drops as the load is shared by two poles as well as your one knee and you are greatly lessening the load that one knee would otherwise have to take). If I hike all day now on such paths the next day I will struggle to enjoy the hike and will feel miserable. With the poles the 14 day hike to 4200M for ABC at 56 was a pleasure.
- You are much steadier on your feet. My wife in particular has found this a boon as her regular slipping that she was starting to experience has almost vanished. She now walks down quickly gravelly bone dry summer paths that she had started to only move down slowly on fearing that she would slip over at any moment.

They have also been handy when walking when we have encountered aggressive roaming dogs. And on one section when hiking up to Lac Blanc near Chamonix in France where the trail was iced over for 30m they were invaluable in assisting us to cross.

We see many people not using them correctly though. For example you see many people not using the wrist straps and holding the poles in their hands instead. This negates many of the benefits to be gained from using walking poles and often the person is only really using the poles for balance/steadiness. After days walking our hands would also be very tired.

There are many how to use videos on You Tube. I recommend new-users watch a couple. ie

Using the poles is also like many manual skills that are awkward at first when you are thinking about what you are doing and then fluent when it becomes instinctive. ie Remember when you first started to lean how to drive a manual car and how you were with the clutch and gearstick?



Once you set out on a walk you are stuck with carrying them for the whole time

We have telescopic carbon poles. They weight very little and collapse in seconds down to a very short length.

If you want your hands free you can either pop them into your backpack or like us buy packs that have little loops on them that you can quickly put your poles (whether collapsed or still at full extension) into.

We have an Osprey Day Backpack as well as a large Osprey Backpack for long treks (ie carrying tents, stove fuel etc) with these.

See

As an aside both also have water bladder pockets and using water bladders to drink from on long hikes has been another enhancement which has made walks easier and more pleasurable for us both.

and we felt more confident just using our hands on steep / rocky ascents. On steeper descents you can find yourself bending over forwards a little too much when placing the poles out in front (even if they're fully extended) - we felt more comfortable keeping our balance if we stayed more upright

My experience is the opposite. I find them ideal and a boon on steep and rocky ascents and descents. However I do not use the poles like you describe and suspect you maybe reaching too far forward with them.. My torso remains vertical and I do not reach forward. Reaching forward would actually be very dangerous on steep trails if you slipped.

Plus if using my larger backpack I might have 14-20kg on my back and bending forward would make one me very tired.

If it an especially steep section that I have to actually climb, rather than step, then the poles go on the loops for that section.
 
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Hi
just wondering if anyone has had any problems taking collapsed walking poles in their carry on luggage on an international flight?
Cheers

G

Mine have been in my check-in too.

Mr Google says:

Can you take hiking sticks on a plane?

The TSA only allows canes and walking sticks if they are required assistive devices (link). Hiking or trekking poles are not allowed if they are to be used just for hiking. You can bring a folding hiking pole on a plane as long as it can be broken down and fits inside your carry-on luggage.Feb 18, 2019


So my guess is that you need to act/look like you need them for assistance if they are not of the collapsible kind.

Though I suspect if you are at an adventure destination that many would have them on short flights.
 
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