One pole or two

[thomr]

Hi,
I've been reading a lot of conflicting advice on whether I should be using one walking pole or two so I was wondering what other people had found to be best?

Also is there any point in me getting one of those international student cards - will I actually find anywhere where I can get a student discount?

Thanks

[John Hussey]

The choice of poles, much like foot wear, is mostly a personal choice whether one chooses to use either one or two, or even none. Some feel that two is best and that it helps to relieve the stress upon the knees as one walks and I suppose that would be so if one suspected that they might have bad knees in the first place. Some poles have springs inside but they make an annoying noise each time they strike down, with each step, upon something other than a soft, dirt, tread. Regrettably, much of the Camino is upon a harder, and, therefore, noisier surface.

Some like just one pole and use it mostly for balance. I am in this group. I have always used just one. But, I am considering changing to two since I am beginning to feel pain in my knees on the downhills, but so far only if they are immensely steep and decidedly long, like descending the Smoky Mountains northbound which takes almost a day of pounding, rocky downhills. The Camino, fortunately, does not have much of this cruelty, though. I have researched the double poles and have decided, if I do change, to a lessor known British manufactured pole called Pacer Pole:

http://www.pacerpole.com/

Now, I suppose that most use no poles at all.

All pole choices are correct. Everyone will have his/her opinion. And each of them are correct, too. Originally, pilgrim's poles (singles all) were often chosen primarily, not as much as an aid in walking, but as a weapon of self defense. We do not need them for this on the Camino, though.

The ultimate choice is yours. You will look better with one, though