Although a staff is hardly an immediate survival item, and wandering away from your initial location inadviseable; they are a usefull item for preplanned hikes and outings. A quick web search will reveal everyting from simple wooden affairs to hollow tube survival kits that would shame Rambo.A few notes; for level walking a staff @ 3' is fine.For varied terrain a staff that just falls short of your chin is best. a hand loop will ease the white finger strain of constant gripping. Just slip your hand UP through the loop and let your wrist support the staff in casual use. Aside from a personal support, they have a multitude of uses, from shelter poles to trail probes and lashing the Rambo commemorative to for that evening dinner of pig in the cave.<br><br>

When I go into the woods hunting or whatever there are a few things I always take. A hiking staff is one of them, whether I start off with it, or cut one. I feel they are a necessity. Sighting planes, moving bushes, expedient perch pole, critter getter, even a spear shaft if straight. I could go on and on. Funny they are hardly mentioned. But then I guess they would be hard to fit in your pocket.<br><br>Regards<br>Bruce G. <br><br>

http://www.tripleaughtdesign.com/survival_staff.htm<br>Very nice. If your into spending money.<br><br>"Audaces Fortuna Iuvat"

I use a cascade design "Tracks" aluminum 52in. hiking staff. I have owned it for about 6 years now. I paid $20 for it and it is one of the best pieces of equipment I own. I had back surgery about a year ago and It's almost a daily carry item. Before my surgery I used it for hiking, hunting to take a rest for aiming, killed several snakes with it... I didn't realize how important this thing was to me. Maybe I should give it a name. <br><br>

I don't have a survival hiking staff, but mine is almost a necessity for me. I have bad knees (torn ACLs in both knees) and my staff helps me navigate slopes. Downhill slopes are a particular threat to me. One misstep and I could become a big paperweight.<br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

Not to mention, in Maryland (here), in the buggy season (now), if the staff is light enough, waving it in front of you like an insect antenna while walking to clear what seem to be an infinite number of nearly-invisible spider webs that span the trail. Without it, you clear the (often occupied) webs with your face, among other body parts. Without a stick, some trails are nearly impassable- you spend all your time fighting webs and spiders until you give up- or run shrieking, depending on your nature.<br><br>Still, I carried a staff backpacking for 10 years or more, and I have to admit it was something of a relief to give it up. One less thing to keep track of, and hands free.<br><br>Somewhere around 1969, as a teenager, I made up a hollow aluminum tubing staff containing a “survival kit” (mostly matches, compass, and a jackknife) out of hardware store parts. The top quarter of the tube was actually a separate piece, joined to the rest by a tubing connector, and that let me fill the top and leave the rest empty, so the balance was about at my normal grip. I wrapped the top half with bicycle handlebar tape. Plug in the top, crutch tip on the bottom. Pretty primitive, but nothing like it was available then.<br><br>I’d put a bunch of Ohio Blue Tip strike-anywhere matches down there, and without thinking (funny how that phrase precedes the accounts of so many spectacular learning experiences), while sitting in the furnished basement of my parent’s house, I slid the jackknife down the tube on top of them. All of the matches ignited at once.<br><br>I’ve since heard that Russian partisans used to use match head scrapings as gunpowder in muzzleloaders. Don’t know if it’s true, but it seems feasible.<br><br>The jackknife shot across the room and imbedded itself, closed, in the wood paneling. The matches erupted in a fountain of fire, like a roman candle going off all at once, and proceeded to scorch a couple of dozen spots on the rug. I got the fires out before they spread. I had a very awkward time explaining the damage to my parents, but I’m very, very glad I wasn’t looking down into the staff when I pulled this stunt. <br><br>No real point, I guess, other than to be aware that there is some hazard with regard to these matches…<br><br><br>

>>>...The jackknife shot across the room and imbedded itself, closed, in the wood paneling. <<<<br><br>Chuckle. Chuckle.<br><br>Some of life's most profound lessons are the result of serendipity. Like you said, it's fortunate you were not looking down the "barrel" at the time. Or that they never accidentally ignited on a hike while the staff was in your hand.<br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL

Hi,<br><br>This is Bagheera (AKA scoutingdebevers) as my previous names couldn't register (login) anymore.<br>I'm using a almost 5.5 foot Ratan staff of about 1.3" diameter that I mounted with a threaded hollow stainless tube with a 6 mm inside thread cut in it (about 1/4" thread) inside diameter glued (epoxied) in the point that touches the ground.<br>I made up a hardened metal tip to screw inside the tube so I have a non-slip very strong metal tipped spike to give me a secure "grip" when I put the staff down.<br><br>I can unscrew that tip with the help of my SwissTool and attach a 3 spiked fishing spearhead also homemade.<br><br>The staffs ratan tipp is also ground to exactly fit inside the hollow handle of a Cold Steel Busman knife.<br>I shaped it in such a way that it has a friction fit and it can be further secured by a piece of paracord or a screw through the hole in the handle of the bushman.<br><br>It makes for an awsome spear, although I can't immagine ver having to use it in the Netherlands .<br><br>The handle part of the Ratan staff I made by tightly wrapping 2 mm black nylon rope around it about 25 yards of it that can be used in an emergency situation for all kinds of things. I drilled a wriststrap hole about 3" below the "top" of the Ratan staff and fitted a wristlanyard made of parachutecord but think a little wider leather wristlanyard would offer more comfort.<br>Below the grip area wrapping I wrapped about 8 feet of 2" wide military OD color 100 mile an hour tape this stuff can beused for thousands of things. I was planning to wrap 20 feet of thin stainless fishing leader wire around the staff also that I could use for snares etc. but the problem is keeping it in place.... although I just thought of a way of doing that by wrapping some of the military duct tape around it :)<br><br>Best scouting wishes from Holland,<br><br>Bagheera<br><br><br>

I too yield mine in front of me like Moses parting the red sea, just to keep the spider webs out of my face. <br><br>"Stay Frosty"

"Funny they are hardly mentioned. But then I guess they would be hard to fit in your pocket."<br><br>Check out camera tripod manufacturers (e.g. www.gitzo.com) Gitzo makes a variety of camera monopods, at least some of which are advertised as "monopod/walking stick". (Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Gitzo in any way, I don't even own one of their tripods, but I understand they have a solid reputation.) Some of these collapse down to as small as 40 cm (about 16"), most of them collapse to 58-60 cm (about 2').<br><br>I suppose you could devise a survival kit which could be fastened onto a standard camera mount (it's most likely a standard 1/4" bolt, although my Manfrotto tripod came with a 5/8" mount. Some people just have to be different).<br><br><br>

My Dad used to smoke a pipe, and carried a bunch of kitchen matches in his front pants pocket. One day they all ignited, you can imagine what got singed!!<br><br>

You guys shoulod enjoy this.<br>I do a lot of hiking, and up until recently I used a Survival Staff made by Crawford knives (Now I use Leiki poles to save my knees) It has a bunch if interesting features like a knife that lives inside the staff and can be screwed to the end to act as a spear and a hollow shaft to use as a blow gun.<br>http://www.crawfordknives.com/html/staff.html<br><br>I am a BIG beleiver in hiking sticks for a variety of uses that range from keeping me upright to holding up (or down) the edge of a tarp shelter.<br>If anyone is interested in reading about hiking staffs in depth (or backpacking in depth) try "The Complete Walker III" By Colin Fletcher. Its a bit out of date equipment wise but the theory he presents is still sound and the style is humerous.<br><br>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394722647/qid=1002381106/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3_3/102-6115715-8156145<br><br>The best way out is always through.<br>-Robert Frost