Should you use one or two trekking poles? Well, the quick answer is: two trekking poles will be better in most situations. However, a single trekking pole might provide enough support in milder situations. Additionally, personal preference is a big factor.
Why are two trekking poles better than one
The main reason why two trekking poles are better than one is that one trekking pole will not provide you with the full benefits.
Two trekking poles will give you a bigger boost uphill and they will absorb more of the shock while going downhill. Also, they will give you more stability on difficult parts on the trail. However, the most important thing is probably that 2 hiking poles are more beneficial for people who have pain in their knees while going downhill.
Now, if you use only one trekking pole, you will still get some of these benefits, but only partially. For example, you might increase your stability by a bit, but your increased stability would be smaller than if you were using two trekking poles.
So why would anyone bring one trekking pole instead of two? Well, there are 2 main reasons
- Because of the weight
- Because they prefer to hike with one trekking pole
The second point is obviously personal preference, but note that this might get better over time. You might simply need some getting used to.
The weight argument, however, is a good one. Some people claim that the additional weight is negligible. But I disagree with this statement, especially if you are an ultralight hiker, this is a big negative.
For the average hiker: I feel like the positives outweigh the negatives pretty hard. Also note that if weight really is an issue, you might use your trekking poles as your tent poles as well. I will cover that topic later in this article.
When should a single trekking pole be sufficient
Two trekking poles are almost always beneficial, but that does not mean that they are always absolutely needed. Especially on shorter and milder hikes, a walking stick might be sufficient.
To be honest, this mainly depends on how you feel. If you feel like you don’t need the additional support of a second trekking pole when you are walking on an easy flat trail then you probably don’t need it. It’s as simple as that.
Pay special attention to your knees. If your knees hurt when you are hiking, this is probably a sign that you should start using two trekking poles. This will be very beneficial for your knees.
Trekking poles buyers guide
Maybe you already own trekking poles and you just want to know whether you should use both of them or if one is fine. However, some of you might be looking to buy some trekking poles and there are a couple of things you should know before doing this.
Size
Obviously, size is one of the most important things. The right size trekking pole will hit the ground when your elbows are at a 90° angle. Make sure the poles are pointing straight down when you are measuring this. That said, most trekking poles nowadays are adjustable in height.
Material
Another important factor is the material of the trekking pole. There are two main options: aluminum trekking poles or carbon trekking poles. For the average hiker, I would always recommend aluminum trekking poles. Aluminum will be slightly heavier than carbon poles, but they will be cheaper and more durable than the lighter alternative.
However, if you are an ultralight hiker, you should probably buy the carbon trekking poles instead.
Shock absorption
Some trekking poles offer internal springs that will absorb more shock than regular hiking poles. This is great, but it does come at a price. They are generally more expensive and heavier than the standard trekking poles.
I would recommend this for people who have a lot of complaints about their hips, knees or ankles when walking downhill. If this is not the case, you don’t necessarily need the shock absorption.
Grip
The most basic trekking poles come with a rubber grip. This kind of grip will insulate your hand from the cold, shock and vibration. However, if you feel very sweaty and the handles start to irritate your skin (you might even get blisters), you could consider switching to a cork grip.
Cork is a lot better at resisting moisture from sweaty hands. Therefore, you could consider a cork grip for hot weather hiking as well. It’s also considered more comfortable than rubber.
Another option are foam grips, these are supposed to be more comfortable than the rubber grips.
Recommendations
Now you should know what to look for in a good trekking pole. This also comes down to personal preference. However, I can include a couple of good options in case you don’t want to browser the entire internet before finding a good trekking pole.
Note that you can easily pay a couple of a couple of hundred dollars for some high-end trekking poles. I would never use something that expensive myself, so I will not recommend it to you guys. Instead, I will search for the best value for money products.
TrailBuddy Trekking Poles
The first trekking poles I will recommend are the lightweight aluminum Trailbuddy Trekking Poles.
These poles are made from lightweight aluminum, which is supposed to be tougher than carbon and weigh less than regular aluminum trekking poles. I was skeptical at first, but Trailbuddy does seem to keep its promise, these poles are both lightweight and durable. This is why they are my number one recommendation!
They have everything you need, adjustable height, a cork grip and a padded strap. All of that comes at a very reasonable price. You can check it out on amazon if you want.
Foxelli Trekking Poles
These trekking poles are made from carbon. They will be slightly more expensive and less durable than the aluminum ones. However, they do weigh less.
As I said before, for the regular hiker, I think aluminum is the right choice. That said, ultralight hikers, thru hikers and hikers who care a lot about making a lot of miles in a short period of tile, going with the carbon trekking poles might be the right call.
Once again, these trekking poles have everything you need, they are collapsible, they are shock-absorbent, they have natural cork grips, etc…
Keeping in mind that these are carbon trekking poles, the price is actually not that bad. If you want to check out the latest price you will have to check it on amazon.
Using trekking poles as part of your tent
One way to eliminate the disadvantage of the additional weight of the second trekking pole is to use your trekking poles as part of your tent system. Your trekking poles could perfectly replace your tent poles, it makes total sense.
Certain established brands like ZPACK and MSR have these kinds off tents. However, they are crazy expensive. I will give you two recommendations that are actually good value for money.
Edit: I have actually dedicated an entire new article about this topic, for the best trekking pole tents check out this article: best trekking pole tents.
MountainSmith shelter
This 2 persons shelter is basically just a tarp that you can shape like a tent by using your trekking poles. Note that this is only an outer tent, this might be an issue for some of you. However, if a tarp-like tent is what you are looking for, this should be perfect for you. You can check this shelter on amazon.
Paria outdoor Mesh tent + tarp
If you are looking for an inner tent + tarp, this option will suite your needs. The paria outdoor mesh tent seems to be too light and cheap to be of good quality, but it is in fact pretty high quality.
Note that the inner tent and the tarp are sold separately. Feel free to check them out on amazon: click here for the tarp or click here for the inner mesh tent.
Conclusion
By now, it should be pretty clear that two trekking poles have a lot of advantages over a single trekking pole. However, if you prefer to hike with a walking stick and you don’t have complaints in your knees, hips or ankles, you don’t necessarily need to switch to two trekking poles.
My last piece of advice would be: go with two trekking poles unless you have a very good reason not to. If weight is an issue, keep in mind that you could switch to a sleeping system where you use your trekking poles as tent poles.