Hiking staff If you’re planning on spending a lot of time on the trail, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get a hiking staff.  Now, this doesn’t mean that piece of pulpy pine tree that you hacked off near the trailhead and shaved down.  Though that walking stick may make you feel like a member of the Lewis & Clark expedition, it’s not going to make your hike easier or more comfortable; in fact, it’ll probably do you more harm than good, and you’ll end up ditching it by the second or third mile anyway.  A number of manufacturers make high-quality aluminum hiking staffs, most of which resemble downhill ski poles without the basket at the bottom.  These hiking staffs are usually either collapsible, extendable, or both, and can make your hike much easier and more comfortable. A hiking staff’s primary purpose is to provide stability for your body during your hike.  Dual hiking staffs, though they may look like you’re trying to ski your way down the trail, are actually even better than a single hiking staff.  Since they provide much more stability than walking without a staff at all, dual hiking staffs can actually take up to 30% of your weight off of your knees.  Since your knees and ankles don’t have to work as hard to keep you balanced when you’re using a hiking staff or two, those using staffs will be less prone to knee or ankle injury and stress.  This can make a big difference at the end of a long day or at the end of a string of long days.  When others are complaining about sore knees or ankles you can stay fresh if you protect these important joints. When I was hiking in New Zealand I was reminded a number of times that river crossings are the number one cause of death in the New Zealand backcountry.  Though often times these deaths were due to inexperienced parties attempting to cross flooded rivers, other deaths occurred where people were crossing rivers that should have been safe to cross when they lost their footing and feel into the water, later dying of drowning or hypothermia.  Hiking staffs are a huge boon to river and stream crossings, providing a large amount of added security while your legs are shaking from the cold and trying to find purchase on slippery underwater rocks.  I didn’t have a hiking staff when I started out, and I ended up borrowing my friend’s staff anytime we had to cross a river.