Walking stick
A walking stick ( walking stick ) is used to support walking when hiking , mountaineering , trekking or Nordic walking . Originally only one stick was used. The sticks used in pairs today are known as trekking sticks or Nordic walking sticks and, if they are adjustable in length, also as telescopic sticks . Hiking sticks are slightly more than waist-high, offer support in unsafe terrain and ensure a more balanced load on the arms and legs when walking. Walking sticks are also used for probing on snow and glacier areas and in swamp areas.
history
Originally, a suitably shaped branch served as a walking stick, see Stenz . These traditional sticks are part of the tradition of traveling craftsmen and some students, such as the goat grocer . Hiking sticks made later were mostly made of hazelnut or soft stone wood and provided with a metal tip, sometimes also decorated with decorative elements, for example with stag horn handles or stick nails . Hiking sticks were preferably carved from young trunks, as the root wood at the base of the trunk was used as a knob. For others, the handle was shaped into a round hook, similar to a walking stick .
In 1974 the manufacturer Leki brought out the first telescopic poles for mountaineers. In the 1990s, the wooden poles were then replaced by these length-adjustable metal poles , which had been developed on the basis of ski poles . Such telescopic poles also had hand straps corresponding to the ski poles.
Structure of today's sticks
Today's sticks basically correspond in shape to the sticks of the 1990s and are mostly made of aluminum or carbon fiber reinforced plastic (KFK). The focus of development was and still is on making the use of the stick as comfortable and safe as possible. In the meantime, the telescopic poles have gone through a multitude of technical innovations in terms of tube, handles and locking systems for length adjustment. Today we have reached a very high level in terms of functionality, material and technology and the pole is equipped with additional features that should above all be practical (for example damping systems or the so-called tungsten carbide tip). Lately there are even special sticks for women with smaller handles and a smaller pack size , which are shorter and lighter. The manufacturers of mountain and hiking rucksacks have also reacted to the widespread use of such sticks and now offer special attachment loops for sticks on the rucksack as standard.
Handle
The handles are usually ergonomically pre-shaped and slightly inclined. They are made of either plastic, cork or closed-cell EVA foam. Some models have an extended grip sleeve underneath the handle in order to enable a quick deeper grip when climbing. Some models have unscrewable handles or handles. The thread is usually 1/4 " Whitworth and thus corresponds to the" small photo thread ". The stick can be used as a monopod for a camera, a film camera or binoculars.
floor
Today aluminum is mostly used, less often it is stiffer, but sometimes (depending on the design) more sensitive carbon fiber reinforced plastic . An average pair of sticks now weighs 500 grams. Sometimes elliptical tubes are used, which are more rigid in one direction .
Plate and top
The main element of the tip is made of flexible plastic to prevent breakage when jerked, for example when it is stuck in cracks. The plate is attached to the upper part of the tip. Today's sticks have interchangeable plates, round rubber sleeves just above the tip that prevent them from sliding too deep into cracks, earth or snow. A distinction is made between trekking and larger, perforated snow plates. The edge of trekking plates has teeth to prevent the stick from turning. The actual tip is inserted in a holding element made of a tungsten alloy. The tip itself is made of hard metal . The shapes here are the traditional and more durable ring bit shape and the drill bit shape (see picture with point on the right).
Cushioning system
Some sticks are equipped with a damping system that can be switched on and off. The damping system mostly works with springs that are incorporated between the handle and the pole and has been designed for a shock-absorbing and arm-friendly descent.
Length adjustment with telescopic poles
The poles used for hiking, mountaineering or trekking are almost always length-adjustable telescopic poles. These usually consist of three segments that can be slid into one another and are often locked in place with an expansion plug . By turning the sticks, a cone is pushed into a split cylinder , which expands and is pressed against the surrounding tube. Some models have an external clamping lock to facilitate adjustment and to ensure a more secure locking. When pushed together, telescopic poles are between 64 and 71 cm long and can be extended to a length of approximately 140 cm. Length scales are printed on the segments to aid in setting the desired length. Some models have a grip sleeve as an extension of the grip downwards, so that the length adjustment, which takes a little time, is superfluous for a shorter length required for a short time, and the stick can simply be held deeper without having to grasp the "bare" stick.
Advantages and disadvantages of using sticks
It is relatively undisputed that the use of sticks when hiking , trekking or mountaineering has advantages, especially as it relieves the knee joints when descending. In summary, sticks offer the following advantages:
- Less strain on the knees, relief on the descent by around 10 percent
- for many also relief on gentle to medium inclines → speed as possible on the flat
- More even load on arms and legs when walking uphill (so-called 4 × 4 principle)
- Support of surefootedness and balance while traversing (by a lower grip of the mountain side Stocks, see illustration)
- Helpful when crossing streams, as support is also possible at points below the water surface
- When crossing hard-frozen firn fields , sticks can provide additional support
- Freer and calmer breathing through a more upright posture and uniform use of the poles
- Another indirect consequence is an increase in endurance
This is offset by the following disadvantages:
- The hands are no longer free. This is particularly a hindrance in secured passages, where the sticks have to be stowed.
- If you fall in a rough block, tilting the cane and the hand straps can break the wrist. If you do not use the hand straps in such terrain, you can avoid this danger.
- Constant use of sticks is the surefootedness detrimental. By leaving out the sticks from time to time you can counteract this in order to maintain the sense of balance when walking “normally” on uneven terrain.
Well-known manufacturers
Well-known manufacturers in the Central European market include:
- Black Diamond
- Camp
- Edelrid , a Vaude brand
- Excel
- Exped
- Fizan
- fork
- Gastrock sticks
- Michael Geyer stick manufacture
- Gibron
- Kohla
- Komperdell
- LEKI Lenhart ( Kirchheim )
- Ossi Gramlich (mountain sticks)
- Petzl
- TSL
- Vaude
Mountain stick
A special case among the hiking sticks is the "Bergstock" or "Alpenstange", which is usually over the body length. It is mainly used in mountainous terrain and in wilderness areas. Ash , mountain ash , hazel , blackthorn or bamboo are mostly used as material . Industrially produced round wood is also used for production. The length corresponds approximately to the body length, the diameter is usually 30-35 mm. At one end there is a steel tip that can be covered with a rubber buffer. Another rubber buffer is often attached to the other end of the stick. The tips of the sticks are then used depending on the nature of the ground and the terrain. Mountain sticks can be made from one piece or can be split with threaded sleeves. The undivided stick is more stable, but divisible sticks are easier to take with you when traveling. The mountain stick must be made so stable that the user can support himself with his full body weight and luggage even when the stick is at an angle. The application and use of the mountain stick differs fundamentally from the hiking sticks used in pairs. It is used with both hands as a support when ascending and descending, when crossing bodies of water or when jumping over small bodies of water. Due to its design, the Bergstock is much more stable and resilient than the shorter and lighter telescopic poles.
The hunter uses the mountain stick as a "shooting stick", as an aid to "painting" - that is, to support or lean on - the weapon. The hunted prey such as deer or chamois can be carried over the shoulders with a mountain stick or between two people. In order to turn the stick into a spear or a boar pen or a spear to catch defensive or shot game, suitable blades can be “planted” on some mountain sticks.
literature
- Pepi Stückl, Georg Sojer, Mountaineering: Textbook for all types of mountaineering , Bruckmann, Munich 1996, ISBN
- Christian Schneeweiß: Well supported is half the battle. In: Mountaineers. The touring magazine , October 2004. ISSN 1435-8905
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Magazin Bergsteiger 10/2004, p. 72, see literature.
- ↑ www.tagesanzeiger.ch: Tödliche Ge (h) hilfe, accessed on November 30, 2014