Need a friend to lean on when you are out on the trail?  Consider the sturdy walking stick and its many uses.

It will help you over rough terrain as well as good terrain.  Lean on it when you climb a steep hill.  Lean on it when you descend a trail that is steep, with loose rocks, gravel, or dirt so that your feet stay on the ground and not in the air.

Relieve muscle tension by placing the walking stick across your shoulders for a while as you walk along the trail.  It is great for keeping your hands occupied and reducing the swelling in your hands and fingers.

Us it as protection, such as warding off unfriendly dogs, or other foes.

There are a number of things to consider in choosing a walking stick, or sticks, best suited to you.  The sticks come in various weights, some light weight, some heavier.  Some are longer lengths, some shorter.  Some are slender in diameter, some wider.  It is important to test the various sticks and choose one suited to your height and hand grip, with a weight comfortable to you.  Also, there are more professional walking poles, which come in pairs, and some of our walkers prefer using two walking poles rather than a walking stick.  With regard to price, you can spend as little as two or three dollars, or purchase more expensive ones, according to your preference.

Some walkers prefer to place a rubber tip on the end of their walking stick for better traction over rocky surfaces, while others prefer a metal tip, or no tip at all.  I prefer a rubber tip myself, which I purchased at a pharmacy.  Additionally I took my stick with me so that I could find the correct size tip of the diameter of my stick.

And especially important!  A walking stick is perfect for displaying all those cane shields you have collected at walks, parks, and other places of interest.

(Note:   Jimmie Eisen has been a member of the Texas Wanderers since 1986 and began volkssporting around 1980.  She has held the office of Secretary and Treasurer and is currently responsible for club publicity and takes care of the River YRE Box.  In 1991 and 1993, Jimmie received the Chuck Stuehm award for her contributions to the Texas Wanderers and Volkssporting.)
 
 

If you have questions or wish to find out more about The Central Coast Peregrine Pathfinders or about volkssports, please e-mail Bill Uttenweiler.