A pair of typical trekking poles.

Trekking poles are a common hiking accessory. When in use, they resemble ski poles as they have many features in common, such as baskets at the bottom, rubber-padded handles and wrist straps. Unlike ski poles, however, they are made in three sections and can be extended and retracted as necessary for use. Their maximum length is usually 135 cm (54 inches). Beautiful natural scenes are common hiking destinations Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. ... This skiers poles are tucked under his arms. ... Rubber is an elastic hydrocarbon polymer which occurs as a milky emulsion (known as latex) in the sap of a number of plants but can also be produced synthetically. ...

Descendants of the common walking stick, trekking poles are usually used by hikers for the same reason — to provide some rhythm to their walking pace. On flat, smooth terrain, that is indeed all they do, and they really aren't necessary. Using them that way can increase the exercise a hiker gets from the trip, and some do want to do that. Some even come with spring-loaded tips to aid walking under normal conditions. A walking stick (or two) is a tool used by many people to ease pressure on the legs when walking. ... Springs A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical energy. ...

But on less certain terrain, or steep slopes, they provide useful lateral stability. They can be used as aids when climbing rocks or boulders, to probe the depth of mud or water and facilitate a crossing. When traversing steep slopes for long distances, some hikers make one pole shorter than the other to make those trips feel more as if they were taking place on level ground. Some can even double as tent poles on backpacking trips. A tent is a shelter, consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles. ... Backpacking in Carpathian Mountains, Poland Backpacking (also tramping or trekking in some countries) is the complete combination of hiking and camping. ...

Hikers who take to snowshoes in winter find trekking poles especially useful. For the town and ski resort in West Virginia, see Snowshoe, West Virginia. ... In many parts of the world, winter is associated with snow. ...

When fully retracted, they can easily be stored in the side pocket of a backpack. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Knapsack. ...