[pct-l] Trekking poles?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Jan 14, 2010, at 7:09 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> I'm not sure if this was mentioned that most (or at least many)  
> people experience swelling in their hands while hiking if they're  
> down at your sides. Trekking poles alleviate that.
>
> P178

Oh yeah, that's a huge benefit for me.

Also, they are really good for dogs. I cross them in front of me and  
that keeps people's dogs away.

I don't know how I would have managed some of the creeks I  
encountered without them. Being able to poke at a milky glacier  
creek's bottom to see if I'm about to step in a deep hole is quite a  
lifesaver. Granted you can do that with a stick, but it's nice to  
always have a stick or two handy.