[pct-l] Trekking poles

[AsABat]

Having said what I did, I sure don't care how anyone would use or not use a
pole. However, I'm thankful that we aren't paid for hiking or OSHA would
dictate exactly how we had to use them and probably require annual ergonomic
trekking pole training and perhaps MRIs to ensure we aren't harmed by the
pole. Oh, and the do have sharp points so we'd have to wear safety glasses
as well.

Sorry, w*rks getting to me.

AsABat

On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 8:56 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:

> Good morning, all,
>
>
> The “proper” use and adjustment of pole wrist straps is debatable, and
> entirely a matter of personal preference.  One camp inserts the hand down
> through the loop to grasp the pole grip.  The center of the loop is then
> under the wrist.  This method uses a relatively short loop length.
>
>
> The other camp – of which I’m a member -- inserts the hand up through the
> loop to grasp both the pole grip and the two sides of the strap at the same
> time.  In this usage the center of the loop is over the top of the wrist,
> and the hand is supported by the two sides of the loop along the sides of
> the hand.  This method uses a somewhat longer loop length.  You can
> recognize these hikers because they will have a white, non-suntanned, stripe
> across the tops of their wrists.
>
>
> If I use straps, this is the method I use.  I find them easier to put on
> my wrists and I prefer the supportive feel, but I find another distinct
> advantage:  If I want to quickly let go of the pole to use my hand for
> something else, all I have to do is open my grip and the pole will instantly
> drop and hang by the strap below my wrist to make my entire hand immediately
> available.  If I had been using the other method, when opening my hand the
> pole straps would still be between my thumb and index finger and the pole
> grip would be hanging at my palm to obstruct use of the hand.  It is then
> necessary to shake the pole grip to out of the hand – an aggravating extra
> step if the hand is needed quickly.
>
>
> Currently I don’t use the straps, and have removed them entirely.  Instead
> I have a very light pair of tethers which will keep the pole from being lost
> after a tumble on a snowpack side-hill or while fording.  I list them with
> the “maybe” Sierra gear.
>
>
> I have never experienced wrist pain from not using the straps, but that may
> be just me -- the result of a life-time of using tools and lifting weights.
>
>
> Enjoy your planning,
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
>
>
> <http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 8:01 AM, Thomas Jamrog <balrog at midcoast.com>wrote:
>
>> This is correct, and the strap loop also should be adjusted to fit the
>> person's hands to take full advantage of the poles' design features.
>> Uncle Tom
>>
>>
>> On Jan 15, 2010, at 10:51 AM, AsABat wrote:
>>
>> > There's also a hazard in NOT using straps, being sprains and repetitive
>> > stress wrist problems. The proper use of a strap is to have the wrist
>> bone
>> > resting on the bottom of the strap loop, so that your hands don't have
>> to
>> > hold the grip much at all, putting weight on your arm bones rather than
>> > having your wrist take all the weight and stress.
>> >
>> > AsABat
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