Just wondering what people think about whether or not to remove the hiking pole cups off of hiking poles while hiking on the AT?
_Fa·ce·tious_Hiking pole cups?
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#1
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#2
I'm not sure just exactly what you are referring to. (sorry grammar police) If you mean the "dome/mud baskets" which are like little ski/snow baskets, then I say no. However, if you are talking about the clear or black closed plastic tubes over the tips, then yes. Keep them for packing while traveling. If you want to "protect" the tips on roads or while doing Machu Picchu (Oy! how do you spell that?) get the rubber tips. It's a good idea to use a bit of duct tape around the top of the rubber tips. Sometimes they can get knocked off. IMHO :tongue
_Lady Di_
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#4
Keep them on, they will help stop the pole from sinking in deep mud and soft dirt. I lost one just before VT and was cursing everytime one pole would sink into the mud and throw me off balance. Of course I would also have a fit after the other side got caught in the brush for what seemed like the hundreth time at the end of a long day.
_Big B_
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#5
Yes, I totally agree with Big B above. I guess I didn't make that quite clear in my previous posting. :oh
_Lady Di_
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#6
I prefer to hike without them. They tend to get stuck in just about everything, plus it's hard to use them for tarp poles, etc. with the baskets on. But it's a personal preference. Either way is OK. Try them for a day and then try without them for a day. Don't worry too much about what other people think about your choice.
_Bear Bag Hanger_
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#7
I agree with the previous posts that it is a personal preference whether to keep them or lose them. The first time I hiked the At I had a pair of REI / Komperdell without cups. They worked fine until New York where it jammed in a rock and bent the tip. I tried to find a replacement part at every outfitter with no luck even though Eastern Mountain Sports also sold the. EMS said they could order the part and have it in a few weeks, not too helpful to a thru hiker who'll be a few hundred miles north by then. Then in the Whites the tip fell off and I lost it. I kept using the pole until it post holed into the ground and I tripped on it. I had to carry the broken pole into Gorham where I bought a pair of Leki poles. I recommend Leki because almost every outfitter sold and serviced them.
_Old Goat_