If you are thinking of going camping, enjoying a weekend trek across the Lake District or simply taking a stroll over the local hills, trust Mud Huggers to deliver great quality camping and trekking clothing and equipment at competitive prices.
About Walking Poles
Advantages of Walking Poles
Many may have seen walking poles in magazines or seen other people using them but not decided whether they should use poles.
So what are they?
Walking poles are used to assist and claim to aid the efficiency of the walker. You can use one pole in a similar way to a traditional walking stick, so as to steady yourself in rough terrain. Walking with two poles in a similar style to that of cross country skiing is often referred to as Nordic Walking. http://www.britishnordicwalking.org.uk/
Poles are very similar to ski poles, with Calk or Rubberised handle and strap, and a hardened tip to deal with many terrains. There is a basket that attaches to the end so as to deal with mud or snow. They are usually fully height adjustable, some include built in shock absorbers to reduce the impact on the wrist and arm. Others are made of carbon fibre which is lightweight and gives some natural sock absorption.
Advantages
There are many arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of using walking poles. Some see it as much more of a total body workout than normal walking; others use poles as it gives support to knees, particularly if going up or down hills. Sometimes when the terrain is slippery or icy one or two poles can be used to help steady you.
Disadvantages
Those who argue against the poles claim that you are likely to get tired a lot more quickly if using poles that just using your legs.
It may be a case of striking a natural balance. If you want the support on the hills but dont want to use them for your entire walk then you can just put them away in or on your rucksack.
So what do I get?
If you chose to use poles make sure they are of good quality, not too heavy, and they have a comfortable handle, and have a good strap, make sure the adjustment mechanism works well and doesn't allow the adjustment to slip.
If you have any comments or you would like to know more about our poles please drop us an email us on info@mudhuggers.co.uk or call us on 05602 850123
Created: November 8, 2010