How to Adjust Hiking Poles
- 1). Stand straight while wearing your hiking footwear. Hold the poles parallel to your legs and adjust their length so that the tips touch the ground when your arms are just perpendicular to the poles. This is your base setting, and it is a starting point for every other setting.
- 2). Shorten the poles for climbs. The exact amount will vary depending on the terrain type and steepness, but in general shorten the poles enough so that you are able to achieve a comfortable stride and still activate the power muscles in your shoulders and back to help pull you up the hill. Poles that are too long will not allow you to use these large muscles; adjust them too short, and you will have to overextend your arms to plant the poles with each step.
- 3). Lengthen your hiking poles for downhill trails. Dropping down even moderately declined paths can wreak havoc on your knees, so take care to actively use your poles to absorb the initial blow for each step. Adjust the poles to your stride and the steepness of the trail.
- 4). Adjust your poles often to vary pressure points and help with changes in terrain. Even on flat ground, your stride may change depending on trail hazards and impact. You may need to shorten one pole and lengthen the other to facilitate traversing a ridge or hill. Experiment with different heights on different terrain.
