How to install trekking poles

Mountaineering is a kind of sport in daily life. It is a relatively leisure sport. It allows people to enjoy the scenery along the way and exercise their bodies. However, some elderly people cannot go mountaineering because their physical fitness is particularly weak. They need to use some auxiliary tools, and trekking poles are one of them. Do you know how to install trekking poles? Then let’s take a look together!

Adjust the length of your trekking poles. Generally, two sections of a three-section trekking pole can be adjusted. Start by loosening all the trekking poles. Extend the support pole near the bottom to the maximum length limit. There are scales on the trekking pole for reference. Stand on a flat surface holding the trekking pole and adjust its length. Let your arm hang naturally and use your elbow as a fulcrum to raise your forearm until it is 90 degrees with your upper arm. Then adjust the tip of the trekking pole downward until it touches the ground. Alternatively, place the head of the trekking pole 5 to 8 centimeters under your armpit, then adjust the tip of the pole downward until it touches the ground and lock all the poles. Just adjust the other trekking pole that has not been adjusted to the same length as the trekking pole with locked length. When adjusting the trekking pole, you should not exceed the maximum adjustment length displayed on the trekking pole. When purchasing a trekking pole, you can first adjust the length to determine whether you have purchased a trekking pole of appropriate length.

①Flat ground and gentle uphill slope. Just follow the same rhythm as normal walking, with the right arm bringing the trekking pole forward as the left foot moves forward, but the tip of the pole should not exceed the front of the body, then push back against the ground, alternating between the left and right hands to do the same action.

②A steep slope. The movements are the same as normal walking, but the arms should be moved forward and the trekking poles should be placed in front of the body. Use the trekking poles to support the body upward to reduce the pressure on the legs. If necessary, you can use two trekking poles at the same time to climb. When pushing the body upward, the palms can be placed on the top of the trekking poles to increase the pushing force.

③Downhill. Since the impact of going downhill is relatively large, you need to use trekking poles to reduce the load on your legs. Therefore, the trekking poles must be placed in front of the body and must touch the ground earlier than the front foot to achieve the effect of sharing the force. Therefore, the body will definitely lean forward. This movement is not a natural movement for us when going downhill, so it requires frequent practice. At the same time, you must feel how far the trekking poles should be placed to achieve the effect of reducing leg pressure without slowing down the original speed and rhythm. If necessary, you can lengthen the trekking pole and make adjustments based entirely on your personal feeling.

Use of wrist strap

Most people hold the handles of trekking poles tightly when using them, thinking that the wrist strap is only to prevent the pole from leaving their wrists. If you think so, you are wrong. The importance of the wrist strap is no less than the strength of the trekking pole itself. When we use trekking poles to go downhill, the impact force of the trekking poles should be transmitted to our arms through the wrist straps. When going uphill, the thrust of the arm is transmitted to the trekking pole through the wrist strap to generate an assist for going uphill. Therefore, when our wrist passes through the wrist strap, we should not directly reach in from the top of the wrist strap to grab the handle. Instead, we should pick up the wrist strap, pass it from the bottom of the wrist strap, press the strap into our palm, and then gently grab the handle. Use the wrist strap to support the trekking pole instead of holding the handle tightly to apply force. If there is a buckle, make slight adjustments, remembering not to affect the operation of the trekking pole.

So how should you hold it correctly?

First, adjust the wristband to the appropriate length and insert your hand through the wristband loop.

Then press the wristband into our palm

Then just hold the handle lightly, allowing the weight to pass through the wrist strap to support the trekking pole, rather than holding the handle tightly and applying force. If the wristband is not the right length, adjust it.

The above is the installation method of trekking poles. In the process of using trekking poles, the first thing to do is to install them. If the installation is not appropriate, we will not be able to use the trekking poles. Only if the installation is correct can we make better use of it. Trekking poles, as an auxiliary tool, play a decisive role in our mountaineering.