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The Outdoorsy "Sofa".

I find that they slow me down, but that I'm far less tired/hurty, so I can go on for longer - so it kind of evens it out.

I still can't decide if, on rocky/mountainous terrain, they are a God send or a bloody menace. Probably both....
 
kebabking said:
I find that they slow me down, but that I'm far less tired/hurty, so I can go on for longer - so it kind of evens it out.

I still can't decide if, on rocky/mountainous terrain, they are a God send or a bloody menace. Probably both....
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Thank you - I did look online, but as always, contradictory info.

Glad that it's not just me! It didn't FEEL at the time it was taking me longer, but it clearly was. Yes, you're absolutely right - in the long run, it means I'll be able to hike (hopefully) into my later years, and not ruin my own body with something that gives me so much pleasure.

I did keep banging them into various rocks though, and it's a matter of time before I trip myself up with them!
 
I use poles when I've got a full pack, but not on a day walk. Not sure if I'm slower because with a full pack I tend to take a steady, plodding approach.

They do use more energy to use, but I also find they get me to engage my core more, and consequently I get less back pain. Also it's advantageous to be transformed into a four legged creature when carrying stuff over mixed ground, up and down.

The most important thing with poles is to stop when you want to fiddle about. Walking while rummaging with poles dangling is a sure for when to end up flat on the floor.
 
sojourner said:
Does anyone use trekking poles?

I bought some because I've been suffering hip pain after hiking, but having used them over the weekend, they definitely slowed my pace. It was noticeable on downhill sections, which is kinda the point I suppose cos I do tend to plod down with a heavy step, but even though I thought I was walking at a normal pace the rest of the time, it took me about 40 mins longer than usual for a hike I do semi-regularly.

Great that I have no hip pain today, just foot pain in one foot, but not great if it's going to add extra time to each hike.
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I don't find they slow me down, although I only tend to use them if it's going to be really steep. They're really lite thought which I think makes a difference.
 
I don't use poles if it's rocky or the path is narrow enough that they get tangled up in vegetation.

Had a few close calls in those situations

Light foldable ones are the biz as you can put them away when you don't need them & they don't get in your way

I don't think they make me faster but my legs are less tired.
 
UnderOpenSky said:
I don't find they slow me down, although I only tend to use them if it's going to be really steep. They're really lite thought which I think makes a difference.
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Okay cheers. Going uphill did seem faster, yes, but like I say, I didn't think I was going any slower than usual, but I clearly was! Mine too are very light, so it's not that they are heavy.
 
Idaho said:
I use poles when I've got a full pack, but not on a day walk. Not sure if I'm slower because with a full pack I tend to take a steady, plodding approach.

They do use more energy to use, but I also find they get me to engage my core more, and consequently I get less back pain. Also it's advantageous to be transformed into a four legged creature when carrying stuff over mixed ground, up and down.

The most important thing with poles is to stop when you want to fiddle about. Walking while rummaging with poles dangling is a sure for when to end up flat on the floor.
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My core is super strong anyway. Just my hips were giving me serious pain after going up and down hills last weekend.

Haha, yes, I did feel a little like a giant ant off that old film Them :D

And aye, being a clumsy fucker, I had already realised that!
 
baldrick said:
I don't use poles if it's rocky or the path is narrow enough that they get tangled up in vegetation.

Had a few close calls in those situations

Light foldable ones are the biz as you can put them away when you don't need them & they don't get in your way

I don't think they make me faster but my legs are less tired.
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I used them in both conditions :oops::D Was determined to get the hang of them, cos my brain didn't want to accept the asymmetrical approach, kept wanting to match legs to poles.

Yeh these are well decent for the price, Overmont, cork handles, lightweight, foldable.
 
I use poles when carrying big pack and it seems to help spread the weight a bit. Don't think it makes much of a difference to my pace, but I've never checked :hmm:

It's a bit of a pain, but it's worth stopping to adjust the height of them if you're going up or down hill for any length of time (a bit shorter going up and longer going down).
 
neonwilderness said:
I use poles when carrying big pack and it seems to help spread the weight a bit. Don't think it makes much of a difference to my pace, but I've never checked :hmm:

It's a bit of a pain, but it's worth stopping to adjust the height of them if you're going up or down hill for any length of time (a bit shorter going up and longer going down).
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Yeh, did the faffy height adjustment thing for going up and down, figured it's worth it. They are brilliant for getting uphill fast, have to say, and stopped me bending forward like I usually do.
 
Silly question but are you putting most of your weight in the leashes on your wrists, rather then by holding on to the poll?
 
Trying to plan a long weekend in Norfolk with the canoe. Wish I knew more people who liked canoeing and had boats, it would be a lot easier with two cars!
 
Booked a few camping trips. Now torn between which coolbox to get. I'd like a Yeti, but they are silly money. Open to other suggestions.

Igloo Latitude Marine Ultra 70 - £111

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Coleman Extreme 70Q - £105

 
Idaho said:
Cool boxes only really work if you can buy a bag of ice every couple of days, imo.
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Yeah, in an ideal word, everything would be surrounded by ice, with few air gaps, topped up every few days. It's just never happens, as ice isn't always that easy to buy in the UK and can be quite expensive. I normally use frozen 2L pop bottles which seemed to hold their cold better than those frozen packs. We've already got one smaller coolbox, but I'd like another one which can hold more 2L bottles and hopefully allow me to enjoy cold beer for longer.
 
klang said:
Seems quite an effort just for cold beers....
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I'm sorry, that really doesn't compute. Why would you not want cold beer? It's one of life's absolute treasures, sitting in a beautiful outside spot, sipping on a cold beer whilst you bbq meat is the perfect finish for a day.

But you can eat supernoodles and sip warm larger I guess.
 
UnderOpenSky said:
I'm sorry, that really doesn't compute. Why would you not want cold beer? It's one of life's absolute treasures, sitting in a beautiful outside spot, sipping on a cold beer whilst you bbq meat is the perfect finish for a day.

But you can eat supernoodles and sip warm larger I guess.
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I've always opted for wine or spirits when out and about...
 
MBV said:
What about a 12v fridge UnderOpenSky ?
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Thought about it, as my colleague was going on about the virtues of them, but we rarely stay anywhere with power. It would have the advantage that I could keep it plugged in on the way over, but after that it would just be short local journeys and would probably then have to sit in a hot car for the day. But the main reason is it's a lot more money for a similar sized box.

Maybe an additional option another year as a replacement to the current small one.
 
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klang said:
I've always opted for wine or spirits when out and about...
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If I'm hiking or biking, then I just use plastic pots. Yoghurt lasts 48 hours even in hot weather. If you get the right kind of cheese, it lasts several days no problem. If we are car camping, then we bring the cool box.

I think those 12v ones are shit. Barely worth the bother.
 
After selling all our camping stuff about 8 years ago when I damaged my back, we've just bought a tent on Ebay. We've been holding out because we want a van but it's not going to realistically happen anytime soon and I just feel like we're wasting our lives. Slightly dramatic but y'know. :rolleyes:
My husband doing all the Wainwright's at the moment and going to the Lake District and camping makes more sense. Plus I can indulge in some swimming.

I'm so excited but it's raining here, so we can't put the tent up in the garden to check it. Typical!
 
Saffy said:
After selling all our camping stuff about 8 years ago when I damaged my back, we've just bought a tent on Ebay. We've been holding out because we want a van but it's not going to realistically happen anytime soon and I just feel like we're wasting our lives. Slightly dramatic but y'know. :rolleyes:
My husband doing all the Wainwright's at the moment and going to the Lake District and camping makes more sense. Plus I can indulge in some swimming.

I'm so excited but it's raining here, so we can't put the tent up in the garden to check it. Typical!
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We bought a bigger one last summer and then didn't use it for months because of weather!
 
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