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My poles have rubber tips so they do not make too much noise.... but please don't use them when they're not needed. They're really noisy and other people may want a bit of peace. Walking with 5 people ahead on flat smooth paths, all clanking away, is a bit annoying.
You are right. I forgot about the swelling as I use them all the time at home. After just a few hours my fingers look like sausages. Just as I'm about to leave them I'm reminded that I need them.I use poles regardless of elevation. My hands tend to swell uncomfortably if left dangling by my sides and the poles give my arms a bit of exercise as well.
As a sexagenarian I also know this is true. Back to leaning towards taking my poles. Thanks for the reminder that maybe I'm not as spry as I like to think.I always carry a pole (or two) - as a septuagenarian a pole provides reassurance, aids balance and, crucially, invaluable when faced with a loose dog! As a walking aid rarely a problem to take on flights with cabin baggage.
he solution to the clacking problem isn't for people not to use poles, but for people to buy decent rubber tips and USE THEM
Yes, I don't want my arms just dangling there, using poles helps to keep them toned.I use poles regardless of elevation. My hands tend to swell uncomfortably if left dangling by my sides and the poles give my arms a bit of exercise as well.
As one who has face planted in Barcelona and NYC on sidewalks I have decided to take my poles. We found a decades old carry-on size suitcase to check our poles and liquids and it does not matter if it makes it back with us. Also carrying extra rubber tips.I had never used poles before my recent Camino. Now, I would never consider hiking without them. They helped with balance, rhythm, and load balancing - especially on the up hills where I could transfer more weight to my upper body. They saved me from face planting on numerous occasions, even on flat roads. That being said, one pet peeve that I was never able to get past, was the pilgrims who didn't use rubber tips. The sound of metal tips clacking against sidewalks and roads in town, or worse, being dragged on the streets or trails, drove me crazy. It seemed like the poles were more of a fashion accessory than a tool. Why don't they post etiquette guides in albergues?
@witsendwv The solution to the clacking problem isn't for people not to use poles, but for people to buy decent rubber tips and USE THEM. Far too many either don't have tips on or have worn through them so the metal tip is poking through and keeps clacking. Decent ones, like Leki spares, have a metal ring inside the rubber stopping the tip from coming through.
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