[at-l] False Sense of Security

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

> I  suspect  that  the advantage of two poles
> is that they give the hiker a false sense of
> security, allowing faster hiking, but not
> necessarily safer hiking.

I don't care much about speed hiking. I do care about falling down at whatever speed, particularly as I age.

I've fallen down whilst hiking without hiking staffs.

I've fallen down whilst hiking with one hiking staff and with a pair.

I fall down less whilst hiking with a pair of hiking staffs than with one; and I fall down less whilst hiking with one than without any. I have also prevented falls with two hiking staffs which with one or none would not have been preventable.

This is my experience. 

Whether I was dreaming or living an illusion or a delusion, I shall leave to shrinks, shamans, and self appointed AT authorities to debate and write treatises at will.

This is my experience. 

My experience agrees with what my high school physics teacher, an engineer, taught me about stability of legged structures, three legs providing more stability on more surfaces, than two or four.

It also agrees with my experience with other two, three, and more legged structures besides myself.

That's enough for me.

Now, if I could just figure out how to keep my thumb in my mouth while carying two hiking staffs, now THAT would be TRUE security ...