Twanging trekking poles

[Joodle]

I took my trekking poles out for the first time for a long hike today. It feels quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel me forward. My concern for my mental health, is every time I plant my pole, it makes a twanging sort of sound. I know it will drive me crazy!! (my sister tells me to "chillax" ) My poles are Komperdell with the anti shock. I just put nice round multi directional lug balls on the end, because I don't like constant tapping sounds. Is this sound from the anti shock system? Is there anyway to stop it or take the anti shock parts out?? I know it will distract me from the peace I am hoping to find. I can listen to music, but that can keep you from quiet reflection. The nice thing that happened today as I was walking in the dirt path along the paved trail (to not listen to constant tapping) is that I found a nice cell phone. As I was trying to figure out how to find out whose it was, I saw a young women walking down the trail towards me and looking along the other side of the trail. I yelled out and asked her if she was looking for a phone and she screamed with excitement and in tears, told me how all the pictures of their newborn baby were on the phone. The Camino provides even when you're not on the Camino. I would not have found it if I wasn't training with the "twanging poles"

 

[julia-t]

I have some cheap poles with shock absorbers. They did 'twang' when I first walked with them, but now after a few hundred km of use they are much quieter, and I was thinking the other day I hardly noticed them 'twanging'.

I put a lot of weight on them as I walk, and appreciate the anti-shock mechanism. I can feel the spring and bounce each time I plant them, and it is much less jarring on my upper body.

You could always carry your poles on your pack when you need peace and quiet, and use them on the inclines and uneven ground. I think you'll get used to the sound of them pretty quickly, it will be the rhythm of your walking.

Lovely story about the phone.

Buen Camino.

 

[dougfitz]

I never had a 'twanging' sound with my old Komperdell anti-shock poles, so I am not sure what might be happening here. On mine, the spring itself is not accessible, even if you take the segments apart, so it isn't something you can easily examine to see if there is a problem. And don't be tempted to oil the mechanism. That runs the risk of the oil getting onto the interior surface of the shaft, and you won't be able to lock the pole at all!

I would suggest that if you are in a position to return them to the retailer, do that, explain your concerns are ask for them to be repaired or replaced.

 

[Deleted member 34316]

I took my trekking poles out for the first time for a long hike today. It feels quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel me forward. My concern for my mental health, is every time I plant my pole, it makes a twanging sort of sound.

Last September I walked from SJPP to Burgos and somewhere on the Napoleon Route up from SJPP I teamed up with an extremely nice middle aged pilgrim, who presented quite an unusual feature: he ...farted repeatedly, like every 10 or 15 minutes, all the way. Let me quote the original post: "It felt for him quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel him forward". He apologized every time and every time I told him to "chillax" and not pay attention to it, because it must have been caused by the sudden change of diet from Canadian to European one. We walked several stages together having great time and great conversations, because both of us had very similar pace and both liked to walk 30km stages (his "propelling" had never stopped). Unfortunately I had to take a rest day in Viana, because I got sick from the sun, and we parted. So: no matter what kind of sounds and devices propel you towards Santiago, embrace them, as long as they help you move in the right direction.
Buen Camino a todos!

 

[Mark Lee]

clackety-clack, clackety-clack, clackety-clack.......

 

[Larazet]

Tok tok, tok tok...

 

[Joodle]

Last September I walked from SJPP to Burgos and somewhere on the Napoleon Route up from SJPP I teamed up with an extremely nice middle aged man, who presented quite an unusual feature: he ...farted repeatedly, like every 10 or 15 minutes, all the way (and it is not an April fool's joke). Let me quote the original post: "It felt for him quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel him forward". He apologized every time and every time I told him to "chillax" and not pay attention to it, because it must have been caused by the sudden change of diet from Canadian to European one. We walked several stages together having great time and great conversations, because both of us had very similar pace and both liked to walk 30km stages (his "propelling" had never stopped). Unfortunately I had to take a rest day in Viana, because I got sick from the sun, and we parted. So: no matter what kind of sounds and devices propel you to Santiago, embrace them, as long as they help you to move in the right direction.
Buen Camino a todos!

Ha ha this made my day!!

 

[Joodle]

clackety-clack, clackety-clack, clackety-clack.......

You're a wicked monkey!!

 

[Mark Lee]

You're a wicked monkey!!

Ha ha....
Wait till you get on the Camino. A lot of pilgrims aren't as sound conscious as you are and walk with no rubber tips on their trekking poles. Pure metal to concrete sound. Last year, I heard one pilgrim from over 100 yards away. She kept getting closer and when I finally saw her she had this look of total focus on her face, staring straight ahead and digging in those metal tips into the concrete with each step. I swear I saw sparks from the metal tips hitting the concrete. It would be illegal for her to have walked in some national forests in the US during the dry season due to fire hazard.

 

[Joodle]

Ha ha....
Wait till you get on the Camino. A lot of pilgrims aren't as sound conscious as you are and walk with no rubber tips on their trekking poles. Pure metal to concrete sound. Last year, I heard one pilgrim from over 100 yards away. She kept getting closer and when I finally saw her she had this look of total focus on her face, staring straight ahead and digging in those metal tips into the concrete with each step. I swear I saw sparks from the metal tips hitting the concrete. It would be illegal for her to have walked in some national forests in the US during the dry season due to fire hazard.

Oh my!! I'm not obsessive about noise,but I just like to fix any repetitive noise if I can. I will "chillax" and get used to it. I'm a nice person and wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings over noises, except I would offer some Simethicone to the guy who was being propelled forward by his own internal rockets!

 

[Urban Trekker]

I took my trekking poles out for the first time for a long hike today. It feels quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel me forward. My concern for my mental health, is every time I plant my pole, it makes a twanging sort of sound. I know it will drive me crazy!! (my sister tells me to "chillax" ) My poles are Komperdell with the anti shock. I just put nice round multi directional lug balls on the end, because I don't like constant tapping sounds. Is this sound from the anti shock system? Is there anyway to stop it or take the anti shock parts out?? I know it will distract me from the peace I am hoping to find. I can listen to music, but that can keep you from quiet reflection. The nice thing that happened today as I was walking in the dirt path along the paved trail (to not listen to constant tapping) is that I found a nice cell phone. As I was trying to figure out how to find out whose it was, I saw a young women walking down the trail towards me and looking along the other side of the trail. I yelled out and asked her if she was looking for a phone and she screamed with excitement and in tears, told me how all the pictures of their newborn baby were on the phone. The Camino provides even when you're not on the Camino. I would not have found it if I wasn't training with the "twanging poles"

You could return the poles and replace them with Ridge poles. Like you I didn't care for the anti-shock poles. Love my black diamonds. Buen Camino

 

[christy wharton]

Ha ha....
Wait till you get on the Camino. A lot of pilgrims aren't as sound conscious as you are and walk with no rubber tips on their trekking poles. Pure metal to concrete sound. Last year, I heard one pilgrim from over 100 yards away. She kept getting closer and when I finally saw her she had this look of total focus on her face, staring straight ahead and digging in those metal tips into the concrete with each step. I swear I saw sparks from the metal tips hitting the concrete. It would be illegal for her to have walked in some national forests in the US during the dry season due to fire hazard.

Now that's what I call really annoying. Rubber tips are essential if you use them.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I like the click of the metal tips of trekking poles!! The hollow clunk of wooden staves, particularly those with metal tips, is much more annoying.

 

[West Coaster]

I took my trekking poles out for the first time for a long hike today. It feels quite natural and I did notice how it seemed to propel me forward. My concern for my mental health, is every time I plant my pole, it makes a twanging sort of sound. I know it will drive me crazy!! (my sister tells me to "chillax" ) My poles are Komperdell with the anti shock. I just put nice round multi directional lug balls on the end, because I don't like constant tapping sounds. Is this sound from the anti shock system? Is there anyway to stop it or take the anti shock parts out?? I know it will distract me from the peace I am hoping to find. I can listen to music, but that can keep you from quiet reflection. The nice thing that happened today as I was walking in the dirt path along the paved trail (to not listen to constant tapping) is that I found a nice cell phone. As I was trying to figure out how to find out whose it was, I saw a young women walking down the trail towards me and looking along the other side of the trail. I yelled out and asked her if she was looking for a phone and she screamed with excitement and in tears, told me how all the pictures of their newborn baby were on the phone. The Camino provides even when you're not on the Camino. I would not have found it if I wasn't training with the "twanging poles"

Try these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006HMDN6S/?tag=casaivar02-20
There's nothing better for multi surfaces. They take up the shock and provide a good grip.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

clackety-clack, clackety-clack, clackety-clack.......

Jeepers Mark, you walk too fast . . . mine go clack . . . clack . . . clack

 

[Joodle]

I never had a 'twanging' sound with my old Komperdell anti-shock poles, so I am not sure what might be happening here. On mine, the spring itself is not accessible, even if you take the segments apart, so it isn't something you can easily examine to see if there is a problem. And don't be tempted to oil the mechanism. That runs the risk of the oil getting onto the interior surface of the shaft, and you won't be able to lock the pole at all!

I would suggest that if you are in a position to return them to the retailer, do that, explain your concerns are ask for them to be repaired or replaced.

The poles are new. Komperdell isn't a cheap set. I just need to get used to the sound of them, I guess. Are you the one who always takes his leather, waterproof hiking boots with him? Everything I try just doesn't seem to work. It keeps coming back to my Keen dry, leather mid height boots. dang!! I so wanted to love a lighter hiking shoe or trail runner, but my feet keep saying "no" back to your keens. Have you ever regretted taking your boots? I do have a nice Teva hiking sandal to let my feet rest at times.

 

[Mark Lee]

Jeepers Mark, you walk too fast . . . mine go clack . . . clack . . . clack

I don't use the dang things myself. On my second Camino I decided to try them, and bought a set in Pamplona. I quickly grew tired of them, and they hung on my pack uselessly until I sold them off to another pilgrim at half price.

 

[journeycakes]

I bought a new pair of my favourite wedge-shaped rubber pole tips before my second Camino. My existing tips, though worn down, still had a bit of life left in them so I brought the new tips with, and one day on the Camino I put them on my poles but I put the old ones (that still had some rubber and were useable despite their wedge-shape not being as crisp as the new ones) in an outer pocket of my backpack with hopes of giving them away. A few days later I heard the loud scratching sound of metal-tipped poles on pavement coming up behind me, propelling a young woman from Sweden. She was very conscious of the sound her poles made on the pavement since her rubber tips had worn all the way through. We were both pleased with the freebie transaction - me with my opportunity to give away a still useable item, and she for the silencing effect of the tips whose shape seemed novel. She walked with me for a little while, and then being a faster walker, she strode away quietly.

 

[dougfitz]

The poles are new. Komperdell isn't a cheap set. I just need to get used to the sound of them, I guess. Are you the one who always takes his leather, waterproof hiking boots with him? Everything I try just doesn't seem to work. It keeps coming back to my Keen dry, leather mid height boots. dang!! I so wanted to love a lighter hiking shoe or trail runner, but my feet keep saying "no" back to your keens. Have you ever regretted taking your boots? I do have a nice Teva hiking sandal to let me feet rest at times.

So, @Joodle, I don't think new poles should be making odd sounds. Certainly I don't recall any odd sounds from the last pair of Komperdell poles that I bought, and I would be concerned that there is something amiss. On that basis, I think you should at least return to the retailer and talk to them about it.

I have walked all my pilgrimage walks thus far in leather hiking boots, and never regretted that. I would have regretted taking the other boot that I was breaking in at the time of my first camino because it started to crease over my toes, and was starting to put pressure in the wrong place. This year I have bought a pair of Keen Targhee II boots and have been using them for bush walks locally, as well as some urban walks. I have a pair of Salomon Techamphibian shoes for use in the evening. I am still procrastinating over which boot to take for normal day wear.

 

[Telelama]

Now that's what I call really annoying. Rubber tips are essential if you use them.

Not necessarily essential, but for some/others its nice. I've used rubber tips, but found them lacking. A trekking pole will often act as a third or fourth point to help keep balance or maintain a deliberate speed on the downhill. I've experienced rubber tips slipping when I need them to be a solid, but temporary, anchor points. No rubber points for me, but I do tend to carry my poles through towns to keep the "clack clack clack" noise down and limit damage to the old cobblestones.

 

[dougfitz]

Not necessarily essential, but for some/others its nice. I've used rubber tips, but found them lacking. A trekking pole will often act as a third or fourth point to help keep balance or maintain a deliberate speed on the downhill. I've experienced rubber tips slipping when I need them to be a solid, but temporary, anchor points. No rubber points for me, but I do tend to carry my poles through towns to keep the "clack clack clack" noise down and limit damage to the old cobblestones.

I try for the best of both worlds. On pavement and other hard surfaces, I will keep the rubber tips on. On surfaces where the rubber tip will slip, I take them off and put them in my pocket. It is easy enough to do.

 

[Telelama]

I try for the best of both worlds. On pavement and other hard surfaces, I will keep the rubber tips on. On surfaces where the rubber tip will slip, I take them off and put them in my pocket. It is easy enough to do.

I tried that and did not find it to be easy. To keep the rubber tips from falling off while in use I had to give the pole a good slam on the ground to set the rubber tip. If I didn't, they would always come off. However, once I "set" the rubber tips, it was darn hard to get them off again. It could be done, but it was my experience that it was not easy nor convenient.

 

[dougfitz]

I tried that and did not find it to be easy. To keep the rubber tips from falling off while in use I had to give the pole a good slam on the ground to set the rubber tip. If I didn't, they would always come off. However, once I "set" the rubber tips, it was darn hard to get them off again. It could be done, but it was my experience that it was not easy nor convenient.

I have never had any great difficulty, although there is occasionally some variability in the internal diameter of the part of the rubber tip that goes over the pole itself.

 

[Joodle]

So, @Joodle, I don't think new poles should be making odd sounds. Certainly I don't recall any odd sounds from the last pair of Komperdell poles that I bought, and I would be concerned that there is something amiss. On that basis, I think you should at least return to the retailer and talk to them about it.

I have walked all my pilgrimage walks thus far in leather hiking boots, and never regretted that. I would have regretted taking the other boot that I was breaking in at the time of my first camino because it started to crease over my toes, and was starting to put pressure in the wrong place. This year I have bought a pair of Keen Targhee II boots and have been using them for bush walks locally, as well as some urban walks. I have a pair of Salomon Techamphibian shoes for use in the evening. I am still procrastinating over which boot to take for normal day wear.

I guess if you have a hard time deciding between which shoes or boots to take, It's OK for me too. My feet love my Keens, they are just a bit heavy and big for fitting into my pack when I want to wear my walking sandals. Thanks.

 

[Maxie]

I get a much better feel from my poles without tips on. Never use them in towns, no real need.

 

[dougfitz]

Never use them in towns, no real need.

That is just one view, and clearly advice that can be safely ignored. Those of us who understand that there are benefits from pole use anytime you are walking. Of course, if you are doing the towns by bus, that is another matter.

And of course there a plenty of surfaces outside of towns where using the rubber tip is a perfectly sensible think to do, and protects the track surface from the damage caused by the bare metal tip.

 

[Maxie]

I bow to your vast knowledge Doug. You'll not catch me wearing leather boots in spring/summer/autumn or using shock absorbing poles though.

 

[dougfitz]

I bow to your vast knowledge Doug. You'll not catch me wearing leather boots in spring/summer/autumn or using shock absorbing poles though.

That's interesting. I must admit I try not to get too wound up by people who follow form rather than function, and, for example, put their poles away just because they are in a town. But like many of these things, what equipment one has, what distances one walks, etc are mostly personal choices rather than hard and fast prescriptions. Rarely do I feel the need to suggest something is unnecessary or a bad option these days, just that there might be other good options or other ways to think about them based on my experiences.

 

[Angie94]

My feet love my Keens, they are just a bit heavy and big for fitting into my pack when I want to wear my walking sandals. Thanks.

I am experiencing the same issue...my feet definitely prefer my leather boots as opposed to anything else I have tried on my training hikes - but they are heavy and take up quite a bit of room in my backpack, (I have Keens hiking sandals to wear also)
but the way I look at it - if my feet aren't happy - it will be hard for me to enjoy this wonderful opportunity.

 

[Maxie]

I prefer to walk through a town/village quietly . For the sake off 10 mins without using poles the locals will thank you. No need to come out with the old chestnut about using rubber tips, poles still make a noise especially the shock tip versions. A little consideration for the local residents goes a long way .

 

[dougfitz]

I prefer to walk through a town/village quietly . For the sake off 10 mins without using poles the locals will thank you. No need to come out with the old chestnut about using rubber tips, poles still make a noise especially the shock tip versions. A little consideration for the local residents goes a long way .

It's good to hear that you are so considerate. I have been using both sprung and un-sprung poles for over a decade, and in urban environments they (almost) always have rubber tips on. In all that time, the small amount of noise the pole makes when coming into contact with the ground has never seemed sufficiently loud or disruptive to warrant this unusual behaviour.

 

[Maxie]

I agree one person making a little noise is no big deal, but over a period of time with the amount of pilgrims dragging, slamming and generally leaving poles lying anywhere they deem fit gets a little old after a while. Every little bit of relief helps the locals out, even the vastly experienced who are as light as feather with their poles can at the very least put their poles away for 10 mins.

 

[dougfitz]

... even the vastly experienced who are as light as feather with their poles can at the very least put their poles away for 10 mins.

You might fairy tap your poles. I believe in getting the full benefit from their use and tend to plant them firmly. That is much more beneficial than the alternative.

 

[Maxie]

Depends on ones experience. Banging a pole down firmly tends to shock the joints. Try using steady pressure you wont need to use shock poles anymore.

 

[dougfitz]

Depends on ones experience. Banging a pole down firmly tends to shock the joints.

I'm sorry to hear that you have had this happen to you. I find the when the poles are firmly planted one doesn't get this effect. I find it hard to imagine how you were banging your poles down to achieve this, but I hope you have found a way to avoid it now.

 

[Maxie]

I'm finished in this thread. If it wasn't for the comedic value of your posts I would put you on ignore.

 

[wayfarer]

I think the OP's question has been well and truly answered along with several other questions so we'll leave it there.