Re[4]: [at-l] Komperdell hiking poles

[Bob Cummings <ellen@clinic.net> (Bob Cummings)]

"...It wasn't until I got Lekis that I understood the value of having some slack
in the pole.  I can't explain it, but I feel much more secure with a little play
in the action of the poles... Has anyone else had this experience?

My wooden staff has a slight flex that does no harm and seems to be helpful in
some situations. Certainly the thinness of the pole contributes to its low
weight. Because it is a piece of natural wood, the diameter varies, but it
generally is an inch or less.

 Some claim woods need special treatment, but I've done nothing to mine and it
seems as strong as ever, after 10 years. I had never used a pole before. But I
was hiking with a quite clumsy 9-year-old, who persisted in falling. I found him
a stick from among the leavings of a trail crew that had cut a side trail to the
bottom of a Maine waterfall. He insisted I carry a pole too, so I found one that
seemed an interesting shape and light weight.

When he got bored on the trail I would carve AT symbols, and rings as we
completed each of the seven Maine AT maps.

I've carried my stick ever since. I find each year it becomes more and more
useful, especially on very rough and unmaintained trails and bushwhacks, like
the one Tuesday of the Redington Range.

Weary