How to Make Trekking Poles
Making a Set of Hiking Poles is Fun, Fast and Economical
Mar 6, 2010 Nelson Shogren
Trekking poles are a great for mountain and back-country hiking and backpacking. They provide stability, better weight distribution on wearied knees, and are just plain fun to use for fitness, comfort and performance.
While commercially made trekking poles look high tech and work just fine, a hiker can make a nice pair of wooden poles very cheaply in no time at all. Here’s how.
How to Size Up a Trekking Pole
Trekking poles can be made from broom-handle dowels, straight limbs from trees or saplings or 3/4-inch (2 cm) quarter-round moldings glued into a shaft. Whatever the material, the key component is the length. To mark the length of the proposed hiking staff, a person should have arms straight down by their sides while bending their elbows forward at 90 degrees so the forearms are parallel to the ground. Place the bottom of the shaft in front of the feet and grip the shaft so it is perpendicular to the ground. Mark the shaft just above the thumb and forefinger and saw off the excess.
Shaping the Taper
The next step is to taper the lower half of the pole to look like a ski pole. A plane or Stanley Sureform will taper those poles very quickly. If using a sapling or tree branch, the taper is already included, just put the narrow end of the shaft toward the ground. Once tapered, the shafts may be sanded, stained and varnished for a nicely finished look.
Getting a Good Grip
Adding a non-skid handgrip is the next step. Wrapping the hand-portion of the pole with twine or jute makes a great grip for winter or summer. If the pole diameter is too thin for a comfortable hand grip, double wrap the grip. Seal the ends of the wraps with waterproof carpenter’s glue.
The next step is adding the wrist strap. Using 3/4-inch (2 cm) webbing or duct tape folded over a few times, place one end of the webbing on the top of the shaft with the rest going down under the hand, across the back of the hand, then back under the hand back up to the top of the pole. Use both a bare hand and a gloved to measure the minimum and maximum lengths. Cut the webbing at the maximum length that fits over a gloved hand. Place metal grommets in fabric webbing or just punch holes in duct tape so the webbing can be secured to the top of the pole with a screw. One hole or grommet in one end and two or three for various glove thicknesses at the other end will make the strap adjustable for all seasons.
The Best Tip Yet
The next process takes place at the ground side of the shaft. A metal point or bit needs to be placed to provide good ground gripping and to prevent wearing down of the end of a wooden shaft. A sheet metal screw with a hex head or an aluminum insert for an archery field point can be placed at the tip. Replace the sheet metal screws when they become warn and an archery field point makes for excellent gripping on ice.
Custom handmade trekking poles look good and perform well on any trail. Keep in mind that they are a fixed length and cannot be collapsed like aluminum trekking poles. The advantage is that wood is strong and durable and not likely to rattle around or bend while bushwhacking or descending a talus slope.
