How to Use Hiking Poles

Video Transcript

"Alright, now I'm going to talk to you today about using your poles. Poles are a very important part of your hiking. They can help you save some energy, they're really nice to have going downhill, but, you gotta know how to use them first. So, first you gotta extend your pole to the correct height. So, I've got one here set to the correct setting, it's good, I like about the height. It's really a personal preference but you can set it at any height you like. So, I'll extend this pole to my preferred height, that feels about good. Now, I've got my poles all set up but how do I use them? What you want to do is, each time you take a step, you just flick your pole out and put it down with your foot. What this does is it allows you to be more stable when you're walking over rocks and it also will save energy going downhill. Now, if I'm going downhill, I want to switch my hand position. Instead of my hands being like this, I want them to be on top, like that, so when I'm going downhill I can use them to push myself back so I'm not banging down on my knees. So, when you're going downhill, same thing, step, step, step, remember to keep taking that smooth line so it'll make all the difference. Make sure when you're using your poles try not to put them on too much soft vegetation like this moss here or any part of the trail that you don't want to destroy. Try to put them on a rock like that or on the hard packed dirt. It keeps the trail from getting torn up and can help prevent erosion. So, as long as you use your poles correctly you'll save a lot of energy and you'll be a lot more comfortable on your day out in the woods."