Pros and cons of trekking poles

Moxie, this is certainly a matter of personal choice. Do trekking poles provide an extra element of balance and reduce pressure on the knees? Absolutely! How important is this to you? Do you use them at home?

I have always taken them with me and used them in Europe for hiking or rough terrain. This year I am carry on only so I plan to purchase some upon arrival.

I have a pair and rarely use them. If say you're hiking between mountain huts with a sizeable pack they do provide for excellent balance. If hiking mountain ledge trails I find them restricting and sometimes even downright dangerous. If hiking beautiful alpine meadow trails with no more than a fanny pack or small day pack, I find them unnecessary. And if you're using them while exploring the streets of cities and towns, put the rubber tips on - a pack of wanderers with their click clacking poles drives me crazy.

It's clearly a personal preference thing.

Do you use them for domestic travel?

Do you plan to do something you do not do domestically?

Are trekking poles recommended or discouraged?

In a church or museum, I expect they would be discouraged. On a mountain trail, they could be helpful

Where are you hiking? How challenging are the hikes you like to do?

I started using them after too many sprained ankles. They are essential for me. Any particular reason you are thinking of using them?

I agree with everything Carol said.

As I get older, I become more inclined to pack at least one trekking pole if I have any steep hikes on the itinerary. They definitely take some stress off my knees. I don't use them in cities.

I found them very useful in the Alps. I wouldn't have made some of the trails had I not used the poles. I checked them in.

When purchasing them, unless you plan to use them only once in your life, make sure you buy well made ones. I have two sets: one was a $20 set made in China and another was an $80 set made in Austria. There's a big difference between them. The first set broke after one hike.

I like having one on steeper downhills to take some weight off the knees. But anywhere else, I find them unnecessary. Yes, they should be checked so if you aren’t sure about them, carry on a bag and pick up a cheap one wherever you’re going. With the stories coming out about checked bags, I wouldn’t risk it for a pole unless you are doing serious hiking and have some good ones you wanted to use.

There have been several occasions for me where they would have been helpful such as the hike to the Mer de Glace on Chamonix and some hiking some trails in the Dolomites. I had a hiking pole in Machu Picchu which helped with the uneven risers. For just walking in Europe, no. I guess it would depend on the state of your knees for everyday walking. I have collapsible poles that fit in my luggage which is being checked for our trip to Antarctica for the hikes there.

Big con for me is they can't be carried on. I always carry-on my bag so I never bring poles. They'll also need to be checked at museums, churches and most sites with security (these days most sites), which slows down the process of entry and exit.

Big pro, if you need them, you need them. I have friends in their 60's who are currently hiking the Camino de Santiago. I suspect they may be using trekking poles (although I haven't spotted them in their photos). If your vacation is about hiking, they will probably be useful. If your vacation is about visiting museums in cities, they'll be more of a hindrance and make you look and feel out of place.

IMO the best way to handle the issues poles are designed to help with (balance, reduced stress on the knees, etc.) is to reduce the weight you're carrying when you're hiking. If you have to carry a sixty-pound pack on ten-mile hikes, get some poles. If you're carrying a daypack with snacks and water on a 1/2-mile trail, you probably don't need them.

Be careful as I inadvertently jabbed a few people as I swung the poles around in my backpack.

But when you're in a crowd and people are stopping in the middle of a walkway then they come in handy.

These responses are really helpful. Thank you all so much.

We are planning to spend five days in the Swiss alps in September, prior to joining our RS Southern Italy tour. I really want to bring my hiking poles to help out with the bad knees. So I contacted the host of our AirBnB and asked if she knew where we could rent hiking poles, and she gave me the name of a place very near the lodging. This will make it sooo much easier than trying to carry my own around in my luggage.

I'd get them there, if you're really doing a lot of trail hiking. If you're doing mostly city walking I wouldn't want trekking poles. More stuff to carry and keep track of. But I often (not always) use a single walking stick (collapsible, rubber tip), at home too. I have a bad knee and It helps with stairs and uneven pavement. But also, its something you can lean on when you're standing in a queue or listening to a guide at a museum, for example.

I have a bad back and knee, so having some sort of walking stick is very helpful for balance. To avoid the need to check, I purchased a collapsible cane, a medical device, which is allowed as carry on. It really helped on the Best of Poland Tour I took in May.

Reach out to your lodging. For our upcoming trip, one of our hotels has poles that guests can use and the other has an arrangement for discounted rentals at a local sporting goods store. This is in the Swiss Alps.

If you do plan to use them, please practice in advance in a non-crowded area. Once in Venice I walked by a whole group who had their poles out, but clearly no idea how to use them. They were a tripping hazard for passersby, including us.