as luck would have it, I saw that post about a walking stick, then the next
day I visited a friend of mine, who proudly showed me HER new walking
stick. So I tried it out... and liked it. Much easier and nicer than a cane.

I stopped at Dunham's today and got this one--by Coleman:
http://www.camping-gear-outlet.com/c...cgo&src2=gbase

I tried it out in the store, and it is very nice. Handy for the slippery weather here, getting to my car and back (we live on a hill and have to walk down to the car.)

Dunham's had it for $18.99 and with a AAA insurance card discount, it was
$17.20.

I already used it today shopping. It is much easier on my hand too. It seems "balance" is my enemy lately, and this helps tremendously!

So I always heed Karmic coincidences....Thanks for posting the suggestion,
David.

P.S. I have a walking stick I made from a cedar sapling, up North at our summer place...and I use it all the time there. But now I guess I need one here for the city.

I so wish I had known about trekking poles before vacation, and am so glad to have learned about them now. But I can't tell the difference between the two types. The price differencei s huge--the first link lead to a pair for $100, and this link to a pair for $24. Can anyone parse the differences?

Let's put something about these in the stickies. Like you, Mrs D, I found that balance was my biggest issue with the "hikes", which were no more than nature walks to the rest of the world.

Thanks.

Hi everyone:

I was loaned two hiking sticks a few months ago when I had a back problem from a pinched nerve, and trouble walking. My daughter brought these over and I had great luck with them. They are less "clinical" looking than a cane, and can be adjusted for height. I used both at times and just one at others.

I keep them handy - one in the car and the other in the house - for those "just in case" times.

I found that using them at a higher adjustment than the usual was much better for my balance. I recommend these highly. I think that mine were purchased at a ski sports store and were about $99. Have seen them in ads on the Internet.

Shirley H.

I've a Missouri Walking Stick (mother-in-law is in Columbia, & wife was born in Sedalia) that I got on a trip there when I broke a toe walking barefoot in the apartment (wrought iron breakfast nook chairs & table) in the dark, at night trying to go to the W.C.
Looks a lot better than a cane (made from a knarled & twisted branch of a tree that has a 90 degree bend, naturally) and I keep it handy, just in case.

The more expensive poles are lighter in weight. They have better quality adjustment mechanisms that lock more securely, and unlock more easily for adjustment. They are quieter in use, i.e. the interior tubes are shielded from banging into the exterior tubes during use. They're probably better balanced to swing more naturely. The finish is probably much better quality, and as is the aluminum in the tubes. Some of the expensive models have spring action shock absorption (which I don't like). The expensive ones probably are better contoured to reduce shock to the hands and arms even without shock absorbing spring action, i.e., they're engineered instead of being blindly and inaccurately cheaply copied. The more expensive ones also would tend to have more comfortable and higher quality handle grips to reduce shock.

On the other hand, the cheaper ones could be a great value, and the more costly ones overpriced for what you get.

Most outdoor shops rent trecking poles, so you can try before you buy.