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Camping, Hiking and Outdoor Activities Camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities within. |
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Salty's Simple Stick (DIY Hiking Staff)
Thought I'd share my latest project with everyone. It's a very simple, yet strong, light, and easy to make hiking stick. You should be able to find all of the parts in just about any town I've ever been to, if not already laying around unused in your home or garage. I'm especially stoked on the shovel handle because the dang thing is as tough as nails and once you chop a few inches off the top, it's really not much more heavy than one of those new fangled aluminum hiking staffs and definitely lighter (and less flexy) than the pre-made wood staffs I tried at my local sporting goods store.
If you chose to make one of your own go ahead and post up some pics. Other ideas to expand upon the original: -Make a "survival bracelet" style lanyard out of paracord. -Use a fiberglass shovel handle? -Drive a thick wood screw into the bottom and cut the head off to make a spike. -Wrap the handle in hockey tape or handle bar tape. -Epoxy a bolt into the top to use as a camera monopod. -Secure a beanbag to the top to use as a firearms monopod. -Sipe the rubber boot for more traction? -Use a cane boot or a screw on table leg boot for a different approach? -Build a horde of these with your scout troop, summer camp, etc. |
#2
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Well done Salty.....hope I never need one but that's cool
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#3
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nice project, looks pretty durable!
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#4
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I like it.
There are allot of uses for a sturdy walking stick. Mine are the new fangled aluminum ones What are the notches for? So that cord doesn't slip when tied to that area?
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#5
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Very nice Salty....I did one pretty similar. I added about 20 feet of paracord by making two seperate decoratively wrapped handles. Under the paracord are six thin steel rods (think wire hanger thick) about 12 inches long. They fit into small holes drilled into the tip of the cane to be used as a fishing/frogging gig. I also added a magnesium fire starter, a button compass and tiny LED light to the lanyard. It stays in my truck at all times!
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"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams |
#6
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Quote:
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#7
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I don't really "need" it so much as I "want" it. A hiking stick or treking poles take some of the strain off of your lower body, give you a third or forth limb to push with on accents, and help stabilize descents and rough terrain.
I brought it out on a four mile Saturday with some muddy grades and some rocky terrain and being able to put my full weight on it in those situations REALLY made a huge difference in effort, speed, and stability when compared to a random stick on the trail or an ultralight aluminum pole that may fail under that kind of stress. |
#8
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Nicely done. Lots of other great ideas too. I like your notching idea, maybe to measure the depth of snow, water, or whatever you're trucking through.
I guess if you start adding a lot of stuff to it, it just might go from your Simple Stick to your Utility Stick. Hmmm - wonder if Batman ever made one ...
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#9
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I've always been a big fan of "hiking sticks". I've always found mine while out hiking. I will find something that gets my attention, usually a small tree or branch and that will become a project. Many have been passed on to friends. I never thought of adding extras to the stick other than a wrist strap, great ideas!!
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#10
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I stuck this on my kids walking stick. I need to upgrade my tip (he laughs at my big5 stick w/cheesy tip) ...
Attachment 122937 I also sunk these on the top of our sticks... Attachment 122942 http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=19564
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Last edited by joea; 07-05-2015 at 6:06 PM.. |
#12
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Well, I've put about 15 miles on the stick, including a couple of water crossings, some light scrambling, and a variety of grades. So far my thoughts are:
1) Would have liked to have cut the top flat, or carved a concave slot for my thumb. I know that sounds odd, but on longer hikes I find myself wanting to change up the hand positions. 2) Ocationaly I feel like my hands would prefer the grip section to be wrapped in hockey tape, other times I prefer the feel of the sanded and varnished wood. I have the tape, but am still up in the air. 3) I'd like a good way to strap this to my pack, but I'm not really sure how to go about that. A second hole below the grip might have been handy to lash it to one of the compression straps on my pack. Some kind of grip would probably help prevent it from slipping through the compression strap as well. 4) Overall extremely sturdy and handier than I thought it would be. In the past I had just picked up random sticks along the trail, but none were strong enough to trust with my full weight. Being able to put a lot of weight on it is handy in a lot of situations. |
#13
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I LOVE your stick and the detail you went to to post it. Thank You! However, I prefer what the "Pale Rider" liked to use...
"...there's nuthn like a nice piece of hickory." -The Preacher
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It`s funny to me to see how angry an atheist is over a God they don`t believe in.` -Jack Hibbs -ΙΧΘΥΣ <>< |
#15
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^^^^^ Ya...thats cool bro. Thanks for the input.
__________________
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams |
#16
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Quote:
1) It's a cheap fun little project that just about anyone can do regardless of your experience level, where you live, etc. (my main reason for sharing) 2) It's much stronger than the vast majority of the "found wood" in my area, and you can't really (legally) take home sticks or cut branches off trees at any of the local hiking spots. 3) It's way cheaper, way stronger, and not that much heavier than those aluminum staffs and poles that are all the rage right now. 4) Making things out of random stuff that said things aren't normally made out of is fun. 5) A certain bond is formed with a hiker and his staff. 6) When no one is looking, you can pretend to be a wizard. 7) It's great for taming lions and keeping your hiking partner in line. 8) Ron Paul loves the idea... Or at least I assume he would. |
#17
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Neat idea, thanks for sharing. I used to go backpacking and if I ever start again or even just for occasional hiking I'll definately make one of these beforehand. Plus the trendy metal ones are expensive and look douchy and I wouldn't be caught dead with one.
What did you use to attach the boot to keep it from coming off? I like the idea of the notches at different intervals. I'd get a woodburning tool and make a mark every inch for at least 2' (24") and then put the urethane coat over it. |
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