Now that's a hiking staff, bsmith!

Like others here I have used a hiking staff (NOT poles) for more years than I want to count. I have used all sorts of them, wood, bamboo, metal, fiberglass, etc. I carry them while hiking, hunting, and working in the field. I use it for stability, to set up my pack as a rest (see The Complete Walker), for photography (as a length marker), as a jacob staff for precise compass work and as a monopod for my camera. Plus probably a hundred other things. One of those don't leave home without it tools.

My preference is for wood but I do have an aluminum one (a custom Crawford Survival Staff, without all the extras (like the knife). that I like very much because it will collapse (22 inches max) and go in my luggage for trips and where I might need to pack it up (climbing, etc.). It is much easier to carry in the car as well. It is a superb tool and finds use more often than most because of travel restrictions.

My all time favorite is a hickory one made from a tree from the Andrew Jackson (Ole' Hickory) estate. It is a little short (I like a 6 foot staff, this one is only 5), but I have used it for almost 30 years. I recently replaced the old crutch tip foot with a stainless steel spike/rubber foot from Lee Valley woodworking. I had colored tape on it for measuring and as a reference in photographs, but as I refinish it I am going to change that to different color wood stains.

My martial arts staff is a 6 foot chunk of Ipae made for me by my son. Although I have used it a few times, it is a little heavy for most field use (although it would be VERY hard to break.

I don't like poles (although my wife does) because they take two hands (Have to set one down to do anything and hard to use as a support for shooting) and are not instantly adjustable for length as Denis noted.

For around town, I carry a cane by Canemasters - provides lots of the same assistance and does not look so out of place (old grey guys are often seen with canes).

Respectfully,

Jerry

BSmith's gets my vote - love it!

Now need to find some wax wood....

During a trek down the Pariah Canyon a few years ago with my missus, we took some Leki poles and found them to be very useful for supporting the weight we were carrying. The flash flood that took everyone (including Rangers/some local hikers) by surprise brought the poles into their own, especially when navigating post flood and avoiding (mostly) the settling silt which acted like quicksand. The very deep hole that I wondered in to and spent some very long seconds finding my way back to the surface also wrecked the poles. The fine silt worked it's way into the spring mechanism and I was never able to get them to work again, although I never threw them out as they are a reminder of that eventful trip.

thanks! it was a work in progress for a while but i'm very happy with it now.

thanks, i did too.
it broke its legs in transportation and i had to retire him. i have a rooster up there now until i can find another 'pinky'.

i might mention that fellow hikers have recognized the staff many, many miles from home. not me, the staff.

thanks!

you can find for purchase online, just search wax wood staff. about $20.00.

or, try martial arts supply stores near your home. they are known as a "bo". if you can see in person before purchasing, you avoid the possible 'not straight' issue.

totally agree.

and that's why i changed over to trekking poles for some of the hikes.

Around here at least, I've found decent staffs are pretty easy to find along maintained trails & camp-sites. You get the little saplings that grow for a little while and then get cut down as they start encroaching on the trail / site.

Personally, I found one I liked and held on to it instead of trying to forage for one every time I wanted to use one. I've had the same one for quite a while now, but its not really finished or anything. I just found one I liked and cleaned it up (took the branches & bark off, cleanly sawed the ends). One good thing is if you decide the one you picked doesn't quite work for you can just grab a different one and not really be out anything but a little time. The same holds for if/when you loose or wreck it somehow.

My favorite for a long time was one I found along the trail - a nicely ergonomic handle and just the right height. Another foundling was the mop handle I found on the beach at San Miguel Island. I really needed that one - I had banged up my wrist a few days earlier, the trails were wet and slippery, and I really could not chance a slip and fall.

One thing to be said about the adjustable hitech poles - their smaller diameter makes a significant difference when fording fast flowing streams. They are definitely easier to maneuver and place. The other situation where any stick, any stick at all, really shines is in rattlesnake country. I just whisper the famous Indiana Jones line - "It looks dangerous, you go first" - and away we go, my stick leading the way.