The MOST UNDERRATED Piece of Hiking Gear (and why you need it!)

This is one of the most underrated pieces of hiking gear... can you guess?? In this video, I show you what it is, and some reasons you need it! See the description below for more details and hiking tips!

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Amanda Outside: Sharing camping and hiking tips and food ideas so you can get outside more... and eat great food while you're at it!

0:00 Intro
0:40 Less Strain
2:03 Falls and Injuries
2:37 First Aid and Emergency
3:43 Water and Snow
5:48 Muddy Hiking
6:38 Animals
7:23 My Trekking Poles

[amanda.outside]

I'm excited to read your comments on this one! Hope you enjoyed it 😁

[nakiamarion]

Thank you! I'm so tired of being made fun of for using trekking poles by people who don't get it 🤣 They make a huge difference! I love hiking with my Leki trekking poles!

[marytuohy]

Thank you so much for this video. I really appreciate all your advice. I recently purchased Trail Buddy trekking poles. They are made of aluminum and come with a carrying case, are adjustable, have cork handles, and different types of tips to use depending on the terrain. I purchased mine so I could get into hiking while dealing with balance and lite nerve damage from a previous spinal cord injury and spinal fusion from years ago. Getting out and experiencing nature is something I have missed for many years (when my kids were little I was their scout leader). Watching your videos has inspired me to get back out where I have also felt at peace.

[raegolematis]

I love my trekking poles. They save my knees. I heard someone else say, “I use trekking poles so I can hike well into my seventies.” At the end of the day, when I’m tired, they help me to get to the end of the hike.

[laurienix]

THANK YOU for posting this video! First, my husband and I are in our late 60's and I started following you because we do tent camp and day hike. Your tips have been helpful to us. We too often hear the comments (as one person stated below) but could not live without our poles for the last 30 years. We've done the whole nine yards with tent camping, back packing, trailer, and back to a tent (call us crazy). I encourage every viewer who doesn't use trekking poles to think about a new beginning with them for every reason you mentioned. Keep up the great work with your vlog!

[celiad]

I love the added stability I get with trekking poles—water crossings feel safer, snow/leaves/puddles are easier to gauge, and the leverage I get going uphill is a huge help. Plus, because the poles make the hike more easeful, I can go farther! Thanks for another great video!!!

[bonnieruggieri]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my treaking poles! Great for balance, stream hoping, tent supports. They got your back. Never leave home without them. 🤗💕

[margaretmorris]

I love my trekking poles for all those reasons and…..when stopped to take in the view on precarious trails you can plant your poles and enjoy the beauty without losing your balance. Great for stabilizing while taking photos.

[JayD_]

Wow I’ve never considered them, now I see how helpful they can be and even important. Safe to say I’m getting them now! Thanks 🙏

[grazynachaberek]

I use trekking poles always during backpacking. reasons: additional two legs 😁; help during climbing; reduction weight of the backpack on the knees; avoiding hands swelling; central stick for my tent; laundry hangers.

[leah]

I bought trekking Poles last fall to use snowshoeing! I'm planning on bringing them on warm weather hikes as well! I bought the Hiker Hunger brand and they are great for my purpose.
Also on the aluminum vs carbon fiber: one source that convinced me to buy aluminum over CF was that aluminum will hold up a bit better in colder temps where CF might become brittle. Since I bought them primarily for snowshoeing, I went with aluminum! Another use for them is that they can help you get up if you fall or are stuck in something. If you fell in deep snow, you can hold them both in one hand in the shape of an X and push off.

[JessicaConstantine]

Thanks so much for your wonderful content! I’ve been making my way through your channel over the last month or so. I’m also a Utah transplant from New England :)

I just started using hiking poles and agree with everything you mentioned in this video! I’ve been carrying one casually and using it incorrectly for the past year.

But just a few weeks ago I actually learned how to use them (how to hold them and how to position them behind you and which to put forward as you walk on flat ground, etc) - and what a difference they’ve made!

Thanks again for being you and for sharing with us!!

[searcher]

Hey Amanda, Searcher here, I'm 74 and been hiking all my life, in my younger days I'd cut a sapling and make a hiking stick, then I used ski poles, and finally bought a pair of Trekking poles, use them all the time. Some people who don't use them look at me like I'm a wuss, doesn't bother me . your 100 % right, another tip, If I have to step over a log, good to check the other side with your pole, found a couple of Rattler's by doing that. enjoyed your video.

[daviddeleon]

Well done Amanda. I’m an older hiker who remembers when people first started using their ski poles for this. I thought there was no way I would ever use trekking poles but like you, don’t know how I ever got along without them!

[Wondering_Fireball]

Great info! I give a back country life saver class, you covered a lot of the benefits of using trekking poles. It is also great way to save weight by using them to support your tent. I use the CNCOC poles just for all the reasons you mentioned and so much more. They work great for my tent and using my ground sheet(DCF) as a temporary shelter shelter in increment weather.

[wildearthwoman]

Thank you for such an informative video! We use our trekking poles mainly to keep our balance crossing streams, large areas of snow and rock fields.

[maddieandthemoon]

Hi Amanda! I got a pair shortly after I injured my knee (after a very hilly backpacking trip) a couple years ago and now I use them for almost every hike - they make a big difference in how my hips and knees feel by the end of the hike! I also have a pair with the cork grips and they still feel stable even after my hands get sweaty.

[joeykerr]

ALL of that is why I like carrying them. They are just so useful! Especially as a hammock camper. Gotta have my porch mode!

[racheldebasitis]

I bought my trekking poles last year when I was upgrading my snowshoeing game, and decided to bring them along on my recent camping trip. Honestly I don't know how I would have done without them. We ended up on a trail that went straight up a mountain (no switchbacks!) and we had to climb over and around boulders for much of it. My poles helped me keep my balance, especially on the way down when my legs were already so fatigued. Mine are from LL Bean (local to me), and I LOVE them. I don't think I'll ever hike without them!

[LandElevated]

Awesome! We'll start sharing your channel to our clients who bought land from us near the mountain areas. They'll surely get awesome ideas from you for their outdoor activity. Thanks for this video! 😊