What was my first impression of trekking poles??
I used to think that they were canes for people in the woods, boy was I wrong.
While prepping our gear for our 2018 Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike, my setup seemed to be missing one common item; trekking poles. So I purchased a pair, simply because everyone kept telling me I “needed them” AND for at least the first 500 miles of our thru-hike, I had no idea how to even use them. My brain was too methodical about using them the “right way”, and I quickly noticed how non-dominant my (left) hand was. It was nice to have something in my hands, and to give my arms something to do all day. Although, It was pretty common to spot me holding my (left) trekking pole and just using my right one for the first few months.
Over time, I discovered that there isn’t any “right way” or “wrong way” to use trekking poles and now two thru-hikes later, they have become an extension of my body and my left hand has finally gotten the hang of it.