What are trekking poles for? The 10 reasons to use them

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What are trekking poles for? There are many who question the usefulness and benefits of these hiking poles. But, I can assure you that whether you are an expert in the world of hiking or a beginner, these sticks and you will end up being inseparable.

If you don’t already know, the trekking world is exciting and the trekking routes of all South America is a must if you are interested in this sector.

When starting out in trekking you should know what clothes are suitable, what is the best way to prepare your backpack, what the trekking poles are for and whether you should change your tips. There are a thousand tips for trekking that you could do with knowing.

So, Trekking poles what are they for?
This utensil or tool will be your best friend in every excursion you make for its multiple benefits.

Once you know the 10 reasons to use these poles you won’t hesitate to take them with you everywhere you go. Just keep reading!

They offer more points of support

The trekking poles provide two additional points of support. Essential for multi-day treks such as the Torres Del Paine W Trek 5-day trek or the Lost City 5-day trek.

This way, you will be able to go up and down by doing upper body strength. That is why the arms and shoulders participate actively in the exercise.

This causes 90% of the muscles to be involved compared to the 60% that is usually used in normal walking, without poles.

Improve your pace

These poles will help you set the pace of walking. With this your speed will be increased. In addition, you will increase your calorie consumption by up to 45%.

You know, using trekking poles is a sure way to stay in shape.

Better traction and balance:

If you love extreme landscapes and terrain with snow, water, mud and loose rock, these poles will be your best friends.

The hiking poles serve to facilitate these types of routes, as they provide you with greater traction and balance against these terrains. So your agility will be increased and with it your pace and speed.

Reduce the load on knees and ankles: prevent injuries

It has been proven that trekking poles relieve the lower extremities to a great extent. This is why they prevent knee and ankle injuries by involving the upper trunk.

The poles reduce up to 25% of the impact on the knees, allowing you to enjoy this wonderful activity more and for longer.

Now you know, if what you want is to continue enjoying this exercise for many years to come, using these poles is a must.

They help to control body posture when trekking

The long poles are best suited to straighten the back and it improves the posture and stability of the spine.

As a curiosity, many speak of its benefits for the cervical. It relaxes and massages the nape of the neck when walking with trekking poles.

Did you already know that?

Move obstacles with them

The walking sticks make it easier for you to walk. In this way, you can move any obstacle in your way easily. For example branches with thorns, spider webs…

They offer resting moments

The poles are two new points of support, so the weight of the back is distributed and you will feel lighter.

Also, if you need a break, you can lean on them without any problem.

Use it as a probe

You could say that trekking poles can act as a probe to examine the terrainand have more information about where you are stepping.

This is a great help on all kinds of routes and trails. Especially when you’re going through the cross country or high alpine.

In these places, if you come across a huge puddle on the trail that needs to be crossed, you’ll need to know how deep it is. And the same with a snow bridge, you need to check its resistance and solidity.

Useful to defend yourself

You never know what you might encounter while hiking in the middle of a mountain, desert, ravine, cliff… It is the natural environment and the home of many animals. You can be lucky enough to come across unique species and you should always respect them and not disturb them.

With the sticks you will be able to defend yourself when you need it. With this tool, you will feel more secure.

Multiple uses

If what you need are stops for shelters, monopods to take your best photos, stakes or splints in case of injury, with a few hiking poles you can get all that.

You don’t have to be MacGyver 😉

And yes, after reading the 10 reasons to use trekking poles , we all want some. But what did you think of the benefits? Did they surprise you?