No Products in the Cart
Short answer: not for every hike. But for the hikes where they matter, they matter more than almost anything else in your pack.
I resisted poles for a full season. They felt like gear for other people. Then I did the descent from St. Mark's Summit on tired legs, felt my knees complain for three days, borrowed a friend's poles for the next trip, and never went back.
They unload your knees on descents. Studies on downhill hiking consistently show poles transfer a meaningful share of impact force from your legs to your arms. On BC trails, where a typical day involves several hundred metres of steep, rooty descent, that's the difference between finishing fresh and finishing wrecked.
They add two extra contact points. Creek crossings, muddy boardwalks, loose scree, snow patches in June. Four points of contact beats two every time your footing gets questionable, and on the North Shore your footing gets questionable a lot.
They put your arms to work on climbs. On sustained grinds like the Garibaldi switchbacks, pushing with poles takes real load off your legs. You feel it at kilometre 14, not kilometre 2.
Flat forest walks, short trips like Quarry Rock, and well-groomed gravel paths. Poles on Lynn Loop are just something to carry. If your hikes are under an hour with minimal elevation, spend your money elsewhere first, a headlamp and a decent pack come before poles.
Anything with 400+ metres of elevation change. Any hike where you'll descend on tired legs. Anyone with knee history, past injuries, or a heavy pack. And shoulder-season hiking, when BC trails turn into mud and snow lottery tickets.
Here's the good news: poles are one of the categories where the expensive version buys you very little. Carbon saves maybe 200 grams over aluminum, costs three times as much, and snaps where aluminum bends.
The Overmont 7075 aluminum trekking poles are what I recommend to friends: aircraft-grade 7075 aluminum (the strong stuff), a metal flip-lock that doesn't slip mid-descent, EVA foam grips that don't get slimy when your hands sweat, and they come as a proper pair, not sold individually like some brands sneakily do.
Check the current price on Amazon.ca
Size them so your elbow sits at 90 degrees on flat ground, then shorten for climbs and lengthen for descents. And actually use the wrist straps: hand up through the loop from below, then grip. That's where the power transfer comes from.
If you hike real BC trails more than a few times a season, poles are the best money-per-comfort upgrade available. Your knees are the one piece of gear you can't replace on Amazon.
Find them alongside the rest of our picks in the Hiking & Trail Running collection. One tree planted per purchase.
Ecomely is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
