Hiking Poles: How to Actually Use the Wrist Straps

Most hikers use poles wrong and wonder why their arms tire out. The wrist strap is not a safety leash, it is the load-bearing part of the system, and using it right transfers the work to your skeleton.

Fix your grip and the poles finally help.

• Reach up through the strap and let it rest on your wrist
• Grip the handle loosely, letting the strap take the push
• Shorten poles uphill, lengthen them downhill
• Plant each pole at the height of your stride

When the strap carries the weight, your fingers just steer. That is the difference between poles that help and poles that are just dead weight in your hands.

Once the strap carries the load, your hands stop gripping and your shoulders stop aching. It takes one hike to unlearn the death grip, and every hike after is easier.