>>2456194turns hiking from a 100% lower body workout to more like 60% lower 40% upper with proper technique.
makes bombing up & down mountains faster by letting you safety take a faster pace. especially downhill.
and then backpackers will use them as a structural part of their shelter. a nice thing about them is they telescope, so you can tension your tarp/tent from inside nice and toasty dry when the material sags during long storms.
>>2456670yeah they're insanely useful for river crossings. mountain declines too. they act as 'brakes' instead of your knee joints doing so.
>>2456098depends where you're hiking and live though. my backyard is a treacherous mountain range full of alpine lakes, you kind of do have to put conscious thought into gear if you're hiking outside of a couple months out of the year.
