[at-l] Re: Hiking Poles - which and why?

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 11:02 AM 3/12/2005 -0500, carol1944@brmemc.net wrote:
>Anyone know how much bamboo weighs?

Very little and it is strong. I have a 47" bamboo walking stick (1" 
diameter joint at the top, one half inch at the bottom) that tips the scale 
between 3 and 4 oz. Like wood it has good sideflex. I'm not sure how well 
it would take weather on a thru-hike. Be aware that the ornamental bamboo 
grown in this country is not the same as the bamboo the Japanese use 
structurally. The Japanese variety grows over several years. The ornamental 
type dies back each fall. I've tried cutting the annual ornamental type and 
it doesn't dry the same.