Trekking poles / hiking poles / hiking sticks or walking poles are a common hiking accessory. When in use, they resemble ski poles as they have many features in common, such as baskets at the bottom, rubber-padded handles and wrist straps. They are made three sections and can be extended and retracted as necessary for use. Switch Sticks poles come with spring-loaded tips to aid walking under normal conditions and to reduce wrist strain. Trekking poles are made from lightweight aluminum. When fully retracted, they can sometimes be stored in the side pocket of a backpack.
Descendants of the common walking stick, trekking poles are usually used by hikers for the same reasons - to provide some rhythm to their walking pace and for added support. On flat, smooth terrain they really aren't necessary although using them can increase the exercise a hiker gets from the trip, as well as the speed. But on less certain terrain, or steep slopes, they provide useful lateral stability, and many turn to them for help with knee pain. They can also be used as aids when climbing rocks or boulders, to probe the depth of mud or water and facilitate a crossing. When traversing steep slopes for long distances, some hikers make one pole shorter than the other to make those trips feel more as if they were taking place on level ground.
