How to Build a Hiking Stick Staff Pole

An easy and cheap way to make a good hiking stick

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• paint roller handle(s)
• chair rubber feet
• bicycle handle grip(s)

1. Go to your local paint store, or Home store, buy a paint roller extension handle poles(s). Pick the length that you like the best, I kind of go after the 48 inch myself, but they come in different lengths. You can buy them in wood, or fiberglass. Go to the Home store, and buy some rubber feet, like you put on the end of a chair' s feet. Then go and get yourself a pair of rubber bicycle hand grips.

2. On the top of the wood, you are good to go; on the fiberglass one, I think I had to remove the existing sleeve grip on the top of it. Either way, you put the rubber bicycle hand grip onto the top of the pole.

3. Put the put your rubber foot on the bottom, screw part. You might want to take the one off of the fiberglass pole, and use a bigger foot, but I haven't gotten there yet, I just put it right on the metal screw part.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are doing the wood one, you can oil it with some transparent stain, linseed oil, or your choice.
• Keep the spare feet and replace it, as needed, it gets a better grip on the trail surface, if you put it on a rock like granite.
• If you use the wood one, it is not as strong, for good strength make it out of the fiberglass one, that way it won't be so apt to break on you. But I have used both, currently I am using a wood one, I left my fiberglass one, stuck in the snow, at the trailhead!

[blugularis]

on 7/7/2009 when I said to remove the bottom of the fiberglass one, I mean to remove the metal screw tip, and then mount a larger foot direct to the fiberglass end. You could also cut/saw the screw off the wood one, for a larger rubber foot base. Happy hiking!