My husband is in the early stages of Parkinson’s and has 2 artificial knees. I bought him a pair for our trip to Spain and Portugal last May. He said they really helped him. He felt more balanced and stable. Before we went to Spain, we loaned one to an elderly friend who was climbing Mount Suribachi. He like using it. My at the time 7-month pregnant daughter took one to Lanai. She is seriously fit. She said she will never again go hiking without hiking staffs.

I bought a pair of Komperdell Trekking Poles from REI (no longer available, of course). Because we were going to be using them in cities, I bought the appropriate rubber tips to cover the woodland spike.

I also contacted TSA through Twitter (@AskTSA) and found that there is no problem carrying them on if you are using them as medical devices. DD discovered that she could take them apart to fit into her suitcase. They collapse enough to fit diagonally in a 25” bag, but she wanted them to fit straight for some reason.

We have trekking poles that we use individually for hiking (not in pairs). I will not hike without a pole, and can absolutely see how using two is beneficial as well.

I have some inexpensive poles that fold into thirds for packing. They have been fine. I do not do heavy climbing. They are helpful going up steep hills. It’s important that they are adjustable to fit your height. I think your arm is supposed to be at an L at the elbow.

By the way, I bought some Lancôme eyeliner on a whim at lord and Taylor. Never, ever googled it. Now I am getting ads for L&T cosmetics and for Lancôme. Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence.

Hmm, maybe I’ll go to REI and see what they have, try them out at least. Or another outdoor store around here. I’ve used a hiking staff but I find it’s too tall, and tiring to use. DH likes his, though.

I don’t hike these days, my walks are generally less than 5 miles. But if poles can keep me walking, and I imagine they’re good for the posture and upper body, to, then that’s good.

I find they are also a great way to keep the swelling of my hands down on hikes.

Ded was right about the adjustment in height. The correct height for the grips is when your forearms are parallel with the ground. That was an issue for the pair I bought DH. He’s quite tall and it was hard to find a pair that were long enough.

Another vote for Pacer Poles. You can't buy them in the - you have to order them from England, but they are worth it. Instead of standard hiking poles that began as modified ski poles, Pacer Poles were designed by a physical therapist with an ergonomic grip that works with your body mechanics.

I've used them on five Camino walks in Spain and Portugal for over 2000 miles.

Has anyone used the Pacer Poles in snow? I noticed that they show it being done on the site. I’m just wondering ...I’m always trying to think of Christmas gifts for dad who is active but in his 80’s.

Justerrilyn, he uses snow shoes, right? We’ve used our x-country ski poles with our snow shoes, but I think there’s Probably a better option. I’d think that in snow, your foot will sink to a different level than poles, which would go deeper.

Dragonfly, good point about the hand swelling. When I walk with DH or a friend, I slow my pace so my arms are not pumping, hands are more down.

Thanks bpath! I’ve only been in snow once since 78’. I don’t do vacations that involve snow so am out of touch with gear. I would like to get him something nicer than he would buy for himself. He has all the basics.

I have used them. I find them distracting.

Stan, thank you, that’s what I’m worried about. I suppose that one can get in the groove of using them, but I’m not sure I would. Maybe they require a certain type of coordination? And I imagine one has to get into a rhythm of walking with them. When I’m walking with someone else, especially someone without poles, would that be difficult? (Not to mention, I don’t want to stab anyone in the foot!)

It’s a great way to work your upper body a bit at the same time.

bpath, yes, you have to learn to use the poles correctly. I watch the folks passing by here using poles and probably one in seven or eight is using them in a way that provides any benefit. (Your pole moves with the leg on the opposite side; most people move the pole with the leg on the same side, which makes them mostly useless.)

But it's like anything else, once you get the rhythm of it you don't think about it.

ETA As far as stabbing anyone, I never bother to take the caps off the points of the pacer poles except very rarely in extreme situations.

There have been incidents of a scary nature on our bike/running trails lately, so I would definitely take the caps off sometimes! I’m usually with a friend when I’m not on the neighborhood sidewalks, but that doesn’t mean anything anymore.

So, for all who use them, do you find they alleviate stress on your knees or legs? How do you use the poles for that? Or, do they assist in finding your rhythm, kind of like adjusting the pendulum on a clock?

They are fantastic for taking stress off knees. They take many pounds of pressure off with each step. I also love them for going down steeper hills, which I find harder on my knees than going up.

The reason I first bought the Pacer Poles is that I had read that it's next to impossible to use them wrong. There's barely any learning curve, and they feel very natural to me. However, I only use them when I wear my hiking backpack, and my center of gravity is different.

Going up steep hills you can use them to sort of push you - and you can feel your triceps working at the time. Downhill you can use them as "brakes" to reduce stress on your knees. On the flat I can really get into a rythym where they propel me along a little faster.

I used them after an ankle injury as a way of getting back walking/hiking and then running again. I found them really useful and helpful. They're easy to use and because you're actually using your back in the arm movement with the planting and lifting of the poles you get an extra workout. You're not going to stab anyone in the foot unless you now hit people with your arms when walking.

Your elbows stay close in to your body. Just, as mentioned, make sure you get them set properly for your height. You want to use them as support for balancing your gait so that you don't wind up limping and putting all the weight on the good knee and then putting out your hips and back.

Wow, thank you so much Everyone! I’m going to give them a try. First I’ll go see if I can try out a set, then it sounds like the Pacer poles are the way to go. I really like the look of the handles, they seem much more suited to walking than the Earthtrek poles I originally linked, which look more like ski poles.

I use them all the time on the trails around here, which can be very steep and often rocky. We store them in Kevin's pickup so that we won't forget to take them with us.

I used to have pain in my right hip and right knee, but that went away after I lost some weight, but I still have a bit of trouble with my equilibrium, and the poles help when climbing up cliffs. Younger people use them here as well. Depending on the terrain, I will use one or two, but sometimes it is essential to have two.

Here on the shores of Lake Michigan, our family joke is “the big hill” is the Interstate overpass lol. More likely are the changes in elevation where there’s a creek or river, and your feel those more on a bike than walking.

We’re currently in Portugal and DH has had bad knees for ages. This is the walking stick he uses (from REI - don’t remember when he bought it,) He said it really has made a difference with all the hill climbing we’re doing!

2pups where in Portugal are you? I'm in Porto until Friday.

We are in Combria - taking the train to Porto this morning.

Are you on the Camino, or walking a lot sightseeing?

Just arrived in Porto - sightseeing the next couple of days. DH presents at a conference Saturday morning, then home on Sunday. And you?

I just finished walking the Portuguese Camino. Flying home tomorrow. Wish it was sunny today! But at least it's not too hot.

Congratulations!

Today, my walking will be mostly up and down Rua de Santa Catarina...and a little shopping :)

We should have met up for lunch!

Just got back and saw your post. That would have been fun. Safe travels back to the states!

I have Foxelli from Amazon. Like them very much. Take a look at the reviews.