HikeArizona.COM

I need a new pair ... suggestions?

If we went tramping, would that mean we are tramps?

SuperstitionGuy wrote:All so called trekking poles do for ya is make ya a four legged drive hiker !

Oh c'mon kid! In 10 or 20 years when you finally start getting old and the knee joints, ankle joints and back joints start hurtin' after a hike, you will change your mind. All that icing after a hike starts getting expensive. Poles take the jarring out of descents - especially when backpacking. You will also come to appreciate Grunt Candy.

azbackpackr wrote:If we went tramping, would that mean we are tramps?

You will never be a tramp in my estimation LizBeth. You got too much class.

Grunt Candy?????

I'm sure there may be other opinions, but here's what I found.
"Hiking is an outdoor activity of walking in beautiful natural environments on pre-charted paths called hiking trails. There are day hikes and overnight hikes.
Trekking is a long journey be undertaken on foot in areas where there are usually no means of transport available. Trekking is not necessarily mountaineering; it is walking for a number of days, usually on uncharted paths, in challenging environments which are likely to be hilly or mountainous"

The term "trekking" has not been in general usage in the U.S. very long. "Hiking" has always meant walking out in the mountains, with or without a trail. "Trekking" is a term used by ecotour companies in Nepal. We don't live in Nepal. I find the term "trekking" to be kind of ostentatious, used by people who generally don't hike all that much unless they pay an ecotour company to take them to Everest base camp.

I can't remember the first time I went hiking but I was about 3 or 4 years old. I started serious hiking in my teens and backpacking when I was 19 or so. I'm 59 now. I do a lot of off-trail hiking and backpacking. And I certainly am not going to start calling it "trekking." It just seems very silly to me. I'd really feel like I was putting on airs if I started saying, "Ah, dahling, I'll be going trekking next week. So, ta-ta, deah! Don't forget to feed my dahling Fifi and take her to the groomers'! Oh, and do be a deah and tell the maid to have my mink cleaned next week."

"Backpacking" is another term that always needs explaining. When you're in Central America it means traveling around by $2 bus with a very large backpack and staying in $10 a night hostels, buying food at the grocery store. It's low-budget touring, in other words. In the US, of course, "backpacking" means what we all like to do on weekends: taking our sleeping bag (or hammock), and other gear, and heading out for a few nights or even for a few weeks at a time, totally on foot.

Thanks Al for the intro to the word "Grunt Candy". Believe me at 64 I'm a big user of it and hiking poles!

I'm thinking he's talking about Ibuprofen? I sure do use that myself. AND hiking poles!

Also known as Vitamin I!

@azbackpackr
Yes, prescription Motrin which is 800 mg of Ibuprofen. Marines call it Vitamin M.......what I learned when I Googled Grunt Candy. And yes, I refer to it as Vitamin I and I drink Vitamin V.

I just use the over-the-counter ibuprofen, but I do tend to take about 600 mg a couple of times a day, depending upon whatever issues I have that day. Sometimes I don't have aches, other times it's a knee, or my lower back, or my neck, or my wrists. A bad day is if more than two of those things are hurting!

I do like to use two hiking poles (to get back to topic!) because I find it really saves my knees. I used to use them only when backpacking, but over the past few years I have started using them for dayhiking as well.

Recently I lost about 20 pounds, getting myself back to high school weight. Boy, does that ever make a difference on my knees and other issues, because I feel so much lighter on my feet.

i prefer vitamin I-P-A

azbackpackr wrote:If we went tramping, would that mean we are tramps?

A tramp, a broad.

(It's a Mark Twain thing. Ask yer parents, kids.)

Costco has a Pair of Carbon Fiber, Cork Handled Trekking Poles, by a Company called Cascade, for 30.00 They also have 4 Different "Tips" that you can put on them for Different Terrains including Snow... Anybody heard of them or have any Experience with them???

Online or in stores?

@mazatzal
In the Store...At least the one at 44th/Thomas...I almost bought them, but hesitated...just not sure....

Andrew Skurka likes them http://andrewskurka.com/2015/cascade-mo ... es-review/

@w h a
Thanks for finding that...That pretty much made up my Mind...I normally do not use Poles at all, but have been contemplating taking them along for Backpack Trips...A Friend's Poles came in awfully handy on a Trip....

I use Leki poles, lightweight and it's a folding type so it stows easily.

I recently noticed that I had worn clean through the carbide tips on my Black Diamond Trail Flicklock poles (darn, I thought I was getting taller). Fortunately BD sells replacement tips for $10 a pair. The old ones were stuck on pretty good but a few minutes in boiling water and they came right off, and the new ones went right on. Nice!

A few years ago I bought two 4-packs when they were only $9.95/pack and still have a few left so I'm good for a while.

toddak wrote:The old ones were stuck on pretty good but a few minutes in boiling water and they came right off

To remove them I use a crescent wrench, adjust it so it is slightly loose on the pole 5-6 inches above the tip, then give it a quick slap down against the tip and they pop right off.
To install, I slide them on just far enough so they won't fall off, then simply drop the pole straight down on concrete a couple times and they stay on just fine.