What Is the Purpose of Hiking Poles?

Hiking poles can be of great benefit no matter how easy or difficult a hike might be. They help keep stress off the knees, which reduces knee pain, as well as helping to maintain balance on hills and rugged terrain. They can also improve traction on soft or snow-covered ground, and may lead to increased endurance by taking strain off the legs. Finally, they can increase hill-climbing power by providing impetus against the forces of gravity.

Reduction of Knee Pain

Climbing up hills and over rough terrain while carrying a backpack can put heavy strain on the legs, especially the knees. The use of hiking poles can transfer much of the weight from the knees, significantly easing the burden. Poles also help when descending a hill since they help the hiker maintain better control of his body, putting less stress on the knees in the process.

Aiding Balance

When navigating particularly rocky hiking trails, such as portions of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, it can be difficult for the hiker to maintain balance, which can result in a dangerous fall. Poles act as an extra pair of legs, which can help the hiker stay upright over treacherous terrain. They also help maintain balance when crossing rivers or streams, and can serve as a way to test terrain before walking on it.

Improved Traction

Hiking poles also help when traveling over snow by aiding in maintaining footing and keeping the hiker from sinking in deep drifts. This is achieved through better weight distribution since body weight is spread over four "limbs" instead of two. They can also help the hiker "jump" over particularly soggy or muddy areas by using them for leverage.

Increased Endurance

There is a school of thought indicating that poles can increase endurance since they take much of the load off the legs, keeping them fresher throughout a hike. The trade-off is that since the poles require more energy expenditure from the shoulders and arms, the overall effect may be that the hiker still experiences a net loss of energy.

Improved Hill Climbing Power

Poles aid the hiker when climbing hills, especially steeper ones. As with some of the earlier reasons poles are used, they take much of the load off the legs and spread the work to the arms and other parts of the body while helping to limit the effects of gravity. The hiker is able to use the poles to "dig in," and get extra traction, much like a four-wheel-drive vehicle gains traction on a muddy incline.