[at-l] my 2 cents re boots, poles, saws, etc.

[icw at esisnet.com (Clark Wright)]

1)  Re poles, I'd not used them for 25 years of hiking, but bought a 
pair of Leki Makalu's in Hiawassee, GA and never put them down after 
that.  Non-spring loaded ones are quieter, as are the newer robber 
tipped ones.  Leki is great re free warranty work.  I don't think poles 
tear up the Trail much, some others disagree.  You will see less 
wildlife with them, due to the noise . . . but to me that was a small 
price to pay to save knees, make it over treacherous icy, muddy spots, 
or over one-log creek "bridges" and such.  You WILL have some episodes 
of having the pole stick in the ground (usually caught between two 
rocks, or roots) and, if you don't let go, the pole will pull you down . 
. . Most Lekis come with small baskets, which help in deep snow, mud or 
even in really rocky territory; on the other hand, the baskets can catch 
on vegetation in "green tunnel" sections of the Trail.  And, of course, 
they make great center poles for lightweight tarps . . . Since I don't 
like spring-loaded, and don't ever adjust mine, and don't use the 
straps, two well balanced hiking sticks also could work well . . . but I 
love my Lekis.

2)  Re boots - am I the only one on this list who had feet grow by a 
full size or more?  Simply put, I can't wear any of the same boots I 
once wore before hiking 1,500 miles in one summer . . . of course, once 
you have "broken in" your feet over a long distance hike, they won't 
grow a second time, so think back to your first long distance hike and 
see if your feet did not materially change shape/size . . . It may be 
that people with narrower, higher arches (like me) do more "growing" 
(i.e., flattening out, and getting thicker) - all I know is that mine 
grew a full size, and the change has remained permanent.  I sure would 
hate to have bought some $400 boots to then never be able to wear them 
again! :)

3)  Re saws for trail maintenane work . . . on the lightweight side, I 
used to use a flexible, lightweight cable saw, which had rings on each 
end, and which you could jury-rig into a curved saw with the right piece 
of wood.  That cable was sharp, and would cut 3-5 inch diameter trees . 
. . weighed about 3 ounces, and took up almost no space in a pack . . . 
not sure if anyone makes these anymore . . .

Thru-Thinker