Trekking Poles: Do You Really Need Them? A Beginner's Guide

Walk behind almost any group of hikers and you'll spot them — two thin poles tapping rhythmically along the trail. They look like extra gear for a simple walk, and plenty of people quietly wonder if they're worth it. The honest answer: on a flat city path, usually not. On anything with hills, a backpack, or tired knees, they can be the best money you spend.

The strongest reason to carry poles is your knees. A study in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that using poles while walking downhill reduced compressive and shear forces on the knee joint by 12 to 25 percent. Every step that lands through a pole is a step your knees don't have to absorb on their own.

Poles do more than protect your joints. A 2023 review of the biomechanics of pole use found they shift some of the load from your legs to your arms and trunk, improve side-to-side stability on uneven ground, and reduce the muscle soreness you feel the day after a long walk. They also raise your heart rate a little — using poles burns more energy without making the walk feel harder.

The most common beginner mistake is sizing. Poles that are too long push your shoulders toward your ears; too short and you hunch over. The fix takes a minute: stand on flat ground in your walking shoes, plant the pole tips beside your feet, and adjust until your elbows bend at roughly 90 degrees. That's your baseline. As a starting point, REI's sizing guide suggests 100 cm under about 5 ft 1 in, 110 cm up to 5 ft 7 in, 120 cm up to 5 ft 11 in, and 130 cm for 6 feet and taller.

The 90-degree setting is a starting point, not a fixed rule. For long climbs, shorten each pole by 5 to 10 cm so you can push down without lifting your shoulders. For long descents, lengthen them by the same amount so the tips reach the ground below your feet and act as a brake for your knees.

Technique matters as much as length. Slide your hand up through the bottom of the wrist strap, then grip the handle so the strap rests across the heel of your palm — you push down through the strap, not through a white-knuckle grip. As you walk, plant the pole roughly opposite your forward foot in a relaxed rhythm. Use two poles, not one.

You don't need poles for a flat stroll through the park. But if your walks include hills, a backpack, or knees that remind you of yesterday's miles, a pair of adjustable poles is a small, simple upgrade that makes every step a little kinder.

Sources: REI — How to Choose Trekking Poles and Hiking Staffs · Schwameder et al., Journal of Sports Sciences — Knee joint forces during downhill walking with hiking poles · A Review of Biomechanical and Physiological Effects of Using Poles in Sports