Welcome to the AppalachianTrailCafe.net!
Take a moment and register and then join the conversation

serious scientific study on pole length?

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      I suspect that walking may use less energy with a shorter pole than is normally recommended... i'm 5'7 and really like using 105 cm poles -- clearly shorter than the guidelines would suggest. anybody ever hear of a serious ergonometric study? seems like lifting the arms up high enough to plant a longer pole/get more push might be a waste of energy.
      kick out the jams, bunny rabbit!

    • Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I'm 6 FT and I keep mine at 120. I like my forearms parallel to the ground.


      sure, JJ, but what if using poles was like swimming -- a skill that, with practice, could be more efficient. everyone knows what feels good for them... i'm just not convinced that what feels good actually works best.

      so, using the swimming analogy, when you swim efficiently you get used to the movements and don't feel like cr87p. i'd like to believe that learning to use the most efficient pole length would also eventually feel just fine.

      oh, and here's where LoboSolo can make his argument that the most efficient use of energy is to just walk and leave the poles home.
      kick out the jams, bunny rabbit!

    • Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      1azarus wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I'm 6 FT and I keep mine at 120. I like my forearms parallel to the ground.


      sure, JJ, but what if using poles was like swimming -- a skill that, with practice, could be more efficient. everyone knows what feels good for them... i'm just not convinced that what feels good actually works best.

      so, using the swimming analogy, when you swim efficiently you get used to the movements and don't feel like cr87p. i'd like to believe that learning to use the most efficient pole length would also eventually feel just fine.

      oh, and here's where LoboSolo can make his argument that the most efficient use of energy is to just walk and leave the poles home.

      I'm 6'6" and run my poles at 125. When swimming I reach forward as far as I can and pull straight under the body, and when it turns into the push, I push as far back as I can. I can tell when I start getting lazy and the strokes start to shorten by my fingers. The first thing to go are the fingers. They start to separate. Then the strokes get weak.
      There are tell tale signs with the poles as well. When I'm getting tired/lazy I start to drag them a little from the rear and put them down too soon in the front. The dragging from the rear is very noticeable in the soft Florida sand.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.

    • Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      I have no "set" height for my poles, I adjust them each time I go out and I know the height varies from time to time.
      I remove the straps and only use the poles on "technical" bits and for assistance on steeper ascents and descents.
      The rest of the time I hold them horizontally on their balance point and "march" with them.
      I also often walk with one or both in front of me to knock down spider webs or push aside wet or potential tick carrying undergrowth.
      For last 500 odd mile of AT and my recent Cape to Cape hike I only used one but would normally take 2.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • Re:serious scientific study on pole length?

      milkman wrote:

      1azarus wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      I'm 6 FT and I keep mine at 120. I like my forearms parallel to the ground.


      sure, JJ, but what if using poles was like swimming -- a skill that, with practice, could be more efficient. everyone knows what feels good for them... i'm just not convinced that what feels good actually works best.

      so, using the swimming analogy, when you swim efficiently you get used to the movements and don't feel like cr87p. i'd like to believe that learning to use the most efficient pole length would also eventually feel just fine.

      oh, and here's where LoboSolo can make his argument that the most efficient use of energy is to just walk and leave the poles home.

      I'm 6'6" and run my poles at 125. When swimming I reach forward as far as I can and pull straight under the body, and when it turns into the push, I push as far back as I can. I can tell when I start getting lazy and the strokes start to shorten by my fingers. The first thing to go are the fingers. They start to separate. Then the strokes get weak.
      There are tell tale signs with the poles as well. When I'm getting tired/lazy I start to drag them a little from the rear and put them down too soon in the front. The dragging from the rear is very noticeable in the soft Florida sand.


      I noticed the same thing when hiking in the snow this winter. And that I drag my heels sometimes.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Re:Re: Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      OzJacko wrote:

      I have no "set" height for my poles, I adjust them each time I go out and I know the height varies from time to time.
      I remove the straps and only use the poles on "technical" bits and for assistance on steeper ascents and descents.
      The rest of the time I hold them horizontally on their balance point and "march" with them.
      I also often walk with one or both in front of me to knock down spider webs or push aside wet or potential tick carrying undergrowth.
      For last 500 odd mile of AT and my recent Cape to Cape hike I only used one but would normally take 2.
      you're doing it wrong
      its all good

    • Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      As my knees are getting old I just recently started using poles. Much prefer my ancient ice axe passed down to me as a cane. Just somewat overkill out east. It does make digging cat holes easy!


      Scares the tourists too
      Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
      Dr. Seuss Cof123

    • Re:Re: Re:Re: serious scientific study on pole length?

      hikerboy wrote:

      OzJacko wrote:

      I have no "set" height for my poles, I adjust them each time I go out and I know the height varies from time to time.
      I remove the straps and only use the poles on "technical" bits and for assistance on steeper ascents and descents.
      The rest of the time I hold them horizontally on their balance point and "march" with them.
      I also often walk with one or both in front of me to knock down spider webs or push aside wet or potential tick carrying undergrowth.
      For last 500 odd mile of AT and my recent Cape to Cape hike I only used one but would normally take 2.
      you're doing it wrong

      I'm just content to do it.
      :lol:
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      How I use a pole in contexts other than hiking is ... not a topic for this forum.

      I don't know of any scientific work on the ergonomics of poles; it's all anecdote. (The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'!)

      That said, I find that as I switched from a staff to poles, I gradually shortened them. This seems to be pretty common: you see people who just got poles walking around with their poles up to their armpits, and the experienced people seem to use much shorter ones.

      But I don't think I can settle on a single length.It depends on snow conditions (and whether I have snow baskets on the poles!), steepness of slope, and just how I'm feeling that day. I think I run them a shade shorter than would commonly be recommended for my height, but you also have to figure in the "chimp factor" (wingspan - height): if you have the arms of a chimp, you're going to be using shorter poles.

      As others have mentioned, on a steep downgrade I sometimes wind up switching my hands to the top of the grips for a few strides. Mostly, though, I try to avoid any hand position that will grip the poles tightly. For me, at least, using the wrist straps makes a difference in how my arms will feel at the end of the day.

      I use poles more for safety than efficiency. My balance is poor, and poles have saved me a number of spills.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      How I use a pole in contexts other than hiking is ... not a topic for this forum.

      I don't know of any scientific work on the ergonomics of poles; it's all anecdote. (The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'!)

      That said, I find that as I switched from a staff to poles, I gradually shortened them. This seems to be pretty common: you see people who just got poles walking around with their poles up to their armpits, and the experienced people seem to use much shorter ones.

      But I don't think I can settle on a single length.It depends on snow conditions (and whether I have snow baskets on the poles!), steepness of slope, and just how I'm feeling that day. I think I run them a shade shorter than would commonly be recommended for my height, but you also have to figure in the "chimp factor" (wingspan - height): if you have the arms of a chimp, you're going to be using shorter poles.

      As others have mentioned, on a steep downgrade I sometimes wind up switching my hands to the top of the grips for a few strides. Mostly, though, I try to avoid any hand position that will grip the poles tightly. For me, at least, using the wrist straps makes a difference in how my arms will feel at the end of the day.

      I use poles more for safety than efficiency. My balance is poor, and poles have saved me a number of spills.


      first of all, when i asked for scientific study i was pretty sure you were the only scientist that lurks on this site, so i am glad you weighed in.

      I agree -- I think that walkers use poles for balance, mostly, and a little bit of pushing help -- but not too much. that's why i suspect that shorter poles are better because they require less effort to use. I was hoping that Al Gore would take up this most pressing of issues and bring some real science to this -- instead of anec data. oh well. and hello.
      kick out the jams, bunny rabbit!

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      I find that the length has to be short enough that you are not reaching on ups and long enough that you are not reaching on downs. I find that with your forearm parallel to the ground while standing flatfooted on level ground, if you draw a right angle with your forearm, the distance to the ground from your elbow, the pole length forms the hypotenuse. I have no idea what that length is, but it works good and feels good to me. That is how I set my pole length in the morning.

      By the way, the plurality of data to a some unmentionables equals anecdotal evidence.
      Non hikers are about a psi shy of a legal ball.

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      1azarus wrote:

      AnotherKevin wrote:

      How I use a pole in contexts other than hiking is ... not a topic for this forum.

      I don't know of any scientific work on the ergonomics of poles; it's all anecdote. (The plural of 'anecdote' is not 'data'!)

      That said, I find that as I switched from a staff to poles, I gradually shortened them. This seems to be pretty common: you see people who just got poles walking around with their poles up to their armpits, and the experienced people seem to use much shorter ones.

      But I don't think I can settle on a single length.It depends on snow conditions (and whether I have snow baskets on the poles!), steepness of slope, and just how I'm feeling that day. I think I run them a shade shorter than would commonly be recommended for my height, but you also have to figure in the "chimp factor" (wingspan - height): if you have the arms of a chimp, you're going to be using shorter poles.

      As others have mentioned, on a steep downgrade I sometimes wind up switching my hands to the top of the grips for a few strides. Mostly, though, I try to avoid any hand position that will grip the poles tightly. For me, at least, using the wrist straps makes a difference in how my arms will feel at the end of the day.

      I use poles more for safety than efficiency. My balance is poor, and poles have saved me a number of spills.


      first of all, when i asked for scientific study i was pretty sure you were the only scientist that lurks on this site, so i am glad you weighed in.

      I agree -- I think that walkers use poles for balance, mostly, and a little bit of pushing help -- but not too much. that's why i suspect that shorter poles are better because they require less effort to use. I was hoping that Al Gore would take up this most pressing of issues and bring some real science to this -- instead of anec data. oh well. and hello.

      very rarely do i use my poles for balance, on tricky terrain i find i have better balance without them. i do use them for bracing on the downhills and pulling up the uphills, and sometimes even on flats i'll use them to power thru a few miles.
      its all good

    • serious scientific study on pole length?

      WARNING - POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE - post alludes to gender specific anatomy

      To some, just swinging poles at all is a waste of energy. I guess I do it wrong. I stopped using poles shortly after I started taking multiple steps with a single pole plant.

      On the other hand, a much longer pole is helpful when crossing water on a fallen tree.

      I whittled the tops of two poles to resemble a certain other pole. I threw these poles off the trail in one of the southern AT states, so if you wander off trail and find one, you will have an interesting conversation piece. I have seen this sort of decoration (desecration?) on some of the poles in the shelters, but that was not my work.
      I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does