considering a collapsible hiking staff for the bug out bag, in case I would have to walk any great distance. [and since I have a small car, a collapsible is about the only option]. Good idea, bad idea? Since I'm over 50, and just recently almost had a fall, I think it might be a good thing to have. Any recommendations?
thanks

Forget the hoity-toity $100 commercial sticks, get a custom fresh stick en route every time you bug out...

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Maybe you'll find some evaluations here:

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/home.php

Look under "Trekking Poles"

Bear

I have a 8' staff which makes a formidable weapon properly wielded. I even took a cue from all those silly 'survival knife as spear' illustrations and acquired an actual spearhead <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. The local mountain lions and pagan biker gangs finally figured out my swiss army knife was mostly show. The Cold Steel Bushman economy knife also works. For vehicles I would suggest my latest acquisition- a umbrella ( brolly in english) rescued from a trashcan. Hey, it was raining and I'm still unsure what prompted the owner to discard it. The thing actually makes a spendid short cane, has a tactical pointy edge on it and is easily stowed in the back seat with the fastfood wrappers. You might also look at a pair of old garage sale ski poles. The keyword here is CHEAP, no exotic woods with hobbits carved in the top, compasses or swiss army sticks with hollow tubes full of PSK on steroid goodies. It's a stick, long and skinny, with one end in the dirt and the other one in the clouds. Like me according to the local Sierra Club <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Anybody ever thought about a cap/cover of some kind for one end of a long bow??? I'm sure that an unstrung LB in the 70-80 lb range would make a pretty fair staff, and you'd have the option of stringing it if you needed to "reach out and touch" a squirrel or two for the stew pot. While you could get by with less poundage for small game, I wouldn't dream of swatting a growling hound with my 50 pounder, and I'd hate to think what would happen to it if I tried to recover from a fall with it, but a good 80 pounder might be up to the job. Any archers out there with more knowledge/experience than me got any ideas???

Troy

A staff, by definition, gets wacked with every step, when you set it down. I've always been under the impression that you should baby a bow. I would think that it would stop being a bow within a few miles, or at least it would stop being a very good bow.

Yeah, I guess that's why I haven't tried it myself, ya put that much time into making, or that much money into buying, a good bow, and you just don't want to beat it up <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

These are nice if you want to spend the money.

Survival Staff

I agree, but that is a lot of survival stuff dollars. thanks for the link though

Check backpacker.com gear reviews the magazine does publish an issue on gear reviews. Look at campmor and rei.com ect.

Lee