How To Use Hiking Sticks Properly | The Real Techniques

Adjust your poles for a 90-degree elbow bend on flat ground and plant them in a cross-crawl pattern, opposite your forward foot.

Most hikers grab trekking poles and just swing them along. Dragging sticks behind you or planting them side-by-side skips the main benefit entirely.

Mastering a few key details — your pole length, wrist strap position, and walking rhythm — turns a simple pole into genuine support for your legs and back across any terrain.

The Right Length Changes Everything

Getting the pole length right is a quick adjustment that changes how much weight your arms can carry. On flat ground, the rule is a 90-degree bend at the elbow.

Stand with the pole tip on the dirt beside your foot. Your forearm should be parallel to the ground. That flat-ground setting is your baseline, but the trail is rarely flat.

On a climb, you get more leverage by shortening the pole an inch or two. On a descent, lengthening the poles slightly lets them act as a brake in front of you. Most modern poles have telescoping sections or quick-lock mechanisms, making these on-the-fly adjustments simple. Fixed-length poles require you to choose a compromise length or swap them for a dedicated uphill-downhill pair.

Why The Cross-Crawl Pattern Works

Your body walks in a natural cross-crawl rhythm: left foot swings forward as the right arm swings forward. The most efficient pole planting mimics this exactly. Planting the opposite pole to your forward foot keeps your walk fluid and stable.

• Natural Gait: Planting the opposite pole to your forward foot mirrors your body’s natural contralateral movement, keeping your walk fluid.
• Joint Relief: This pattern distributes your weight across four points of contact, taking measurable pressure off your knees and hips.
• Forward Propulsion: Each plant gives you a slight push into the next step, reducing overall leg fatigue on long days.
• Balance: The three-point contact (two feet, one pole) provides a stable base on uneven or slippery ground.
• Steady Pace: The rhythmic plant sets a natural cadence, helping you maintain a consistent speed without thinking about it.

Skipping this pattern and using a “picket fence” style — planting both poles together — wastes energy and disrupts your natural flow over the trail.

How To Adjust For Steep Ground

When the trail tilts upward, your goal is to transfer weight from your legs to your upper body. Shorten the poles slightly and plant them a few inches behind your feet. This positioning turns the pole into a lever, helping you push your body weight upward and taking a noticeable load off your quads and glutes.

Downhills are where poles shine brightest for knee protection. Lengthen them slightly so your arm angle opens past 90 degrees, and plant them ahead of your feet. Proper descent pole placement acts as a natural brake against the ground, absorbing impact that would otherwise hammer your knee joints.

On sidehills or rocky scrambles, shorten one pole and lengthen the other to match the slope angle. Keep the uphill pole shorter and the downhill pole longer to maintain even weight distribution. This asymmetrical setup keeps you stable on angled terrain.

Terrain Type	Length Change	Pole Placement
Flat	90-degree elbow baseline	Opposite foot
Uphill	Shorten by 1-2 inches	Slightly behind foot
Downhill	Lengthen by 1-2 inches	Ahead of foot
Sidehill	Asymmetrical adjust	Uphill short, downhill long
Snow / Mud	Add large basket	Standard placement

Matching your pole setup to the terrain is the fastest way to get real performance out of them. A one-size-fits-all length leaves benefits on the table.

The Wrist Strap Trick Most Beginners Miss

The wrist strap is not just a safety tether. Used correctly, it transfers force directly from your arm into the pole, allowing you to keep a relaxed grip and avoid blisters.

1. Enter from below: Reach your hand up through the strap from underneath. The strap should cross the back of your wrist.
2. Grip and release: Pull your hand down onto the grip. The strap now wraps around your wrist and the heel of your palm.
3. Relax your hold: You can loosen your fingers slightly on the grip. The downward pressure from the strap keeps the pole planted without a death grip.
4. Tighten the fit: Most straps have a sliding buckle. Adjust it so the strap is snug against your hand but not cutting off circulation.

The common mistake of putting your hand down through the top of the strap makes the strap useless. It forces you to grip the handle tightly to maintain control, leading directly to hand fatigue and blisters.

Choosing The Right Pole And Maintenance

Hiking sticks generally come in three materials. Aluminum is durable and bends under stress, making it a great choice for general use. Carbon fiber is lighter and stiffer but can shatter under extreme side load. Composite poles fall somewhere in between for weight and cost.

Keep the locking mechanisms clean and dry. Sand or grit in the twist-locks can cause them to slip mid-hike. Setting your poles to the correct length provides the most stable platform, and REI’s guide on 90-degree elbow bend setup is a good reference for finding that baseline adjustment.

Swap pole tips based on the surface. Tungsten-carbide tips bite into rock and dirt. Rubber walking tips are better for pavement, and large snow baskets are essential for soft, powdery ground.

Pole Material	Durability	Best For
Aluminum	High (bends under pressure)	General hiking, budget
Carbon Fiber	Moderate (can snap)	Weight-conscious hikers
Composite	Moderate	Casual walking

The Bottom Line

Using hiking sticks properly is a small mechanical skill with big returns on the trail. Focus on the 90-degree elbow baseline, the cross-crawl pattern, and letting the wrist strap do the work of supporting your weight.

Your perfect setup depends on your height, arm length, and the typical terrain you hike. A knowledgeable staff member at a local gear shop can help you fine-tune the length and grip style for your specific body and local trails.