For Sale/Wanted walking sticks

[Mycroft]

I am not going to take my walking poles with me, but hope to buy some that are not expensive when I arrive in Porto. Anyone know of an inexpensive place to buy walking sticks in Porto or nearby? Or maybe I don't need any on the Coastal route?? Any opinions??

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Check out any "Chinese Bazaars" - you can buy simple poles for around 8 Euros.
The coastal route is VERY flat [and some might say "boring" after a few days all the same]. There are no difficult hills to cross, and walking poles might well be superfluous. Check out my photo's at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xo8f7ZfgMAbU2macA
Whatever you decide, bom caminho!

 

[scruffy1]

I am not going to take my walking poles with me, but hope to buy some that are not expensive when I arrive in Porto. Anyone know of an inexpensive place to buy walking sticks in Porto or nearby? Or maybe I don't need any on the Coastal route?? Any opinions??

Stephen Nichols got it right, the Coastal Route is flat and there is no real need for walking sticks- will keep your hands out of mischief but basically just something to lose or forget somewhere. Moving north around Viana do Castelo or Caminha (a lovely place) you might just get bored and decide to pass over to the inland route - Ponte de Lima is also lovely - the bridge between Valença and Tui is impressive and there the sticks will be helpful but again, not really essential. Buen Camino

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I am not going to take my walking poles with me, but hope to buy some that are not expensive when I arrive in Porto. Anyone know of an inexpensive place to buy walking sticks in Porto or nearby? Or maybe I don't need any on the Coastal route?? Any opinions??

If you are flying into Porto you can step off of the bus on the way to the city and buy them in the Decathlon store but as others have said not strictly necessary for the walk. They do have other uses though: washing line, epee, golf club, drum major's mace . . .

 

[dougfitz]

I am not going to take my walking poles with me, but hope to buy some that are not expensive when I arrive in Porto. Anyone know of an inexpensive place to buy walking sticks in Porto or nearby? Or maybe I don't need any on the Coastal route?? Any opinions??

If you are already using poles and getting benefits from that, then I would recommend that you get a reasonable set on arrival. The nature of the terrain is generally irrelevant - there might be some additional benefits in difficult terrain, but I have rarely seen anything so difficult that poles were 'essential'. Rather it is the ability of poles to reduce the load on lower joints, improve one's balance with a pack, etc. These will be there just as much on the flat as elsewhere.

On the matter of where to buy them, my experience with really cheap poles is not good. I bought one pair that lasted all of two days before they collapsed. I bought a mid-range (~30 euro) pair in Melide that lasted well after my return home before one of the closures failed. All poles will eventually fail in one way or another - the trick is to avoid something that won't last the distance.

 

[TatiLie]

There's a Decathlon in the shopping adjacent to the temporary Bolhão market in central Porto. Poles are right at the door, turquoise colour, you can't miss it! The price was €4.99 each, if I remember well. (I'm just back home from the Camino Portugues Variante Espiritual and I definitely recommend the poles. The elevation was much greater than I expected.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

All the latest information on how to buy walking poles in Porto is here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/buying-poles-in-porto.62524/#post-750561

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you are in SdC before heading to Porto you should be able to find a free pair left behind.

 

[Mycroft]

If you are already using poles and getting benefits from that, then I would recommend that you get a reasonable set on arrival. The nature of the terrain is generally irrelevant - there might be some additional benefits in difficult terrain, but I have rarely seen anything so difficult that poles were 'essential'. Rather it is the ability of poles to reduce the load on lower joints, improve one's balance with a pack, etc. These will be there just as much on the flat as elsewhere.

On the matter of where to buy them, my experience with really cheap poles is not good. I bought one pair that lasted all of two days before they collapsed. I bought a mid-range (~30 euro) pair in Melide that lasted well after my return home before one of the closures failed. All poles will eventually fail in one way or another - the trick is to avoid something that won't last the distance.

Thanks, DougFitz. Totally agree. No, I am not training with poles now.
When I wrote 'cheap,' I meant used ones, some place that sells poles accidentally left behind, etc.

 

[Mycroft]

Check out any "Chinese Bazaars" - you can buy simple poles for around 8 Euros.
The coastal route is VERY flat [and some might say "boring" after a few days all the same]. There are no difficult hills to cross, and walking poles might well be superfluous. Check out my photo's at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xo8f7ZfgMAbU2macA
Whatever you decide, bom caminho!

Thanks, SN. It sure does look flat. Did you go on the Variante Espiritual where it is steep? I can go up just about anything, but the descent is getting hard on my knees!

 

[TatiLie]

From Combarro to Caroi is steep, the last 500m is a descent on a sandy trail which I found pretty bad on my knees and ankle. From Caroi to Vilanova de Aroisa the first 5km is descent beside a little river, absolutely gorgeous but again, pretty bad on my knees and ankle

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Thanks, SN. It sure does look flat. Did you go on the Variante Espiritual where it is steep? I can go up just about anything, but the descent is getting hard on my knees!

No - I gave up when I got to the Spanish border, due to severe blistering of my feet. I had walked the final bit before anyway.
You sometimes find "free" poles available at the SdC Camino pilgrim office, where pilgrims who are going home by air are unable to take them. But that doesn't help most pilgrims who aren't starting out from Santiago!!!

 

[Latecomer]

Did you go on the Variante Espiritual where it is steep? I can go up just about anything, but the descent is getting hard on my knees!

There were some ups and downs on the Variante Espiritual and I was happy to have my poles

.


¡Buen Camino!

 

[Canche]

I am not going to take my walking poles with me, but hope to buy some that are not expensive when I arrive in Porto. Anyone know of an inexpensive place to buy walking sticks in Porto or nearby? Or maybe I don't need any on the Coastal route?? Any opinions??

Decathlon has stores all over, good gear and cheap. I bought poles there I believe in Bilbao, for about 10 Euros

 

[Mycroft]

Decathlon has stores all over, good gear and cheap. I bought poles there I believe in Bilbao, for about 10 Euros

Thanks!