I finally got a replacement iPod last week, and have been catching up on my much-neglected library of podcasts.
Steve Sergeant’s WildeBeat had a fantastic two-part podcast about the science behind trekking poles, and whether or not they provided anyone with any sort of benefit.
There’s some great information in there - and, speaking as one of the “young, (relatively) fit 20-somethings” I can say that trekking poles do have a great impact on my hiking. When I’m using them, I generally find that I’m more stable, move faster on level ground, and ascend with less strain on my legs.
Then again, I also took the time to figure out the best way to use them in different situations. I’ve seen some people on the trail with these things who are literally dragging them alongside them while they walk.
Steve will get you on the right path. And while you’re there, go ahead and poke around some of his older podcasts. They’re good stuff.
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I remember hiking the Subway at Zion and thinking how much of a hindrance poles would be on that hike. Yet I saw hundreds of tale-tale round holes in the soft sand.
I’m just not a big fan of poles. I can’t imagine scrambling with them, jumping rock to rock.
Call me a minimalist.
I’ve got some nice straps on my day pack that fit the collapsed poles very nicely if I’m going to be doing some heavy-duty scramblin’ … but I can definitely see how they’d just be one more thing to worry about when you’re crawling up a rock wall.
Oh, also - you’re a minimalist.
I’ve found them very useful for scrambling down steep rock/boulder trails when there is really nothing around to grab on to for balance.
Like Casey, I strap them to my backpack when not needed.