Why Use a Hiking Staff and Certain Points to Consider When Buying One
Well you dont actually have to rely on a hiking staff throughout your hiking tour but you can see the value of one when you need it most.
Hiking staffs were not meant to be actually used like those of the walking staffs. You probably have seen hikers holding long, sturdy sticks on their hands. While at first sight you might observe that they were quite uncomfortable with the staffs since they are more like burdens than help, you will see that the hiking staffs help a lot to ease the leg work.
Hiking staffs, in the long run, would help save you a great deal of energy. This is because a staff acts like another leg that will share your weight.
If you haven’t placed your confidence on hiking staffs yet, it would be best to remember that even ancient people and other notable recent personalities were known to using sticks for support. Even the late President Roosevelt himself noted for us to carry a big stick. Walking sticks, as you might think, assist people with certain walking handicaps. This might not be your exact picture of how to use a hiking staff but just the same, it helps a lot when you want some sturdy additional support.
Apart from supporting your balance, a hiking staff is also helpful in giving you an advanced feel of the surrounding. For example, you can use your hiking staff to measure the depth of the stream without actually getting your feet or arms soaked in it. You can also push vegetation aside when you dont want to remove them by hands.
Using a hiking staff or two has a lot of benefits for you. It might even save your life from an unwanted creature in the forest or from a fall. You’ll never know what awaits you during the hike, even expert hikers know this very well. Thus, it is but crucial that you bring something with you that is so versatile that it can even save you from life-threatening circumstances.
If you are considering of buying a hiking staff, it is best that you know some important things. Well, you can always rely on the good supply from the trail but you will never know what you might be getting. Thus it is best that you bring your own hiking staff. This would not only equip you with one readily but would also help you save a lot of time searching for a good stick.
There are numerous stores from where you could buy a hiking staff. From online vendors to fancy stores, merchants are ready to sell you what stock they have and even allow you to order what they do not have.
The choice of hiking staff is really up to you. There are virtually hundreds of options that you might look into.
The general rule of thumb in choosing one is to get the right height and weight of the stick. Always buy a hiking staff that is 6″ higher than your elbow. This will give you enough length to use in quite a lot of purposes. It will also provide you with studier hold on the staff and a firmer grounding on a downhill trek. The weight however must be the most comfortable for you. The manufacturers normally produce hiking staffs that are just perfect for every type of hiker.