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A Very Happy Cane Customer

Posted on by Posted in Hiking Thoughts of the Day .

A great smile was brought to my face today when a customer emailed me a huge cane reaction about the Sassafras Hiking Stick.

“I had to tell you personally how much my husband LOVES this stick. He had a stroke 12 years ago and whenever we have seen walking sticks in antique shops or other specialty shops here in NY he has wanted one. I always thought it was so random and silly. He couldn’t explain to me why he wanted it (can’t talk very well) and I would always say you have a cane. That’s a lot to pay for something you’ll never use and where are you going to put it. But we started doing easy rail trails recently and somebody had one and I thought hmm….. Then last fall he fell on a trail. He was just badly bruised, but I really wanted to get him one after that, but then we couldn’t find them anywhere — not even online. After seeing this really cool looking one soon after in CA at a little village up in the mountains, and not knowing how to get it home, I tried to get one from them to surprise him, but they wouldn’t respond to my calls or emails. So with new search words — sassafras and whistle, I found yours. Oh, my gosh! It looks exactly the same, but nicer because the wood is rustic and not all shiny like a fancy showpiece. I put a big bow and jingle bells on it and on Chrismas Eve our son came down the stairs with it, and my husband was like a little kid. He was soooo happy! After 48 years of marriage it’s the first time we ever saw him get so genuinely excited about a gift. It was the best! So thank you very much!!! Happy New Year!”

Hiking-Stick-Sassafras-Whistle

Hiking-Stick-Sassafras-Whistle

Fall Walking Stick Season

Posted on by Posted in Hiking Thoughts of the Day .

There is no argument that Fall walking stick season is on its way. It’s getting a little bit chillier each day. Grab your jacket and head to the trails!

Fall Walking Stick Season

Fall Time Hiking

I know that we all love to see the leaves change to their brilliant oranges and yellows but hate to see the sunlight go away so fast in the evening. So, lets make sure to live without limits. Our motto can sometime give people a little bit of a puzzled look, but it is truly simple if you just don’t over think the three little words. A lot of us will allow the first thought of “I can’t” stick in their mind, but I hope we can quickly get over that thought and move on to a real thought like “doing what you want”. But lets get back to the topic at hand, walking sticks or trekking canes.

A walking cane can definitely help you live without limits on so many different levels. The first being that it will aid in your mobility. Sometimes you just need that little bit of extra support to make sure you remain stable. When you have something to lean on when one leg is less then 100 percent can be the difference of falling down or staying upright.

The second reason a walking stick can help would be it’s ability to light the workout just your legs would take if not aided. A lot of your Fall trails are going to be uphill and downhill which can create extra resistance. Your leg muscles need to strain that much harder to pull your weight uphill, but a you can ease some of that by using your upper body. You’re trekking pole will help push you up the hill with each step when you firmly plant it and lunge forward while pushing your arm back. Think exactly like skiing. Pushing off with you poles gives you momentum. Going downhill gets a lot easier with a walking stick as well because it will brace your acension and take strain off your knees.

I hope you are all looking forward to the leaves changing! Happy Hiking!

-Antonio

Wooden Hiking Sticks Are Earth Friendly

Posted on by Posted in Hiking Thoughts of the Day .

When it comes to walking staffs, always look for wooden hiking sticks. There are a few major reasons why wood trekking poles are far superior to any other type. I’ll begin with one of the most important reasons. They naturally decompose! I know people don’t intend to destroy the environment, but non-organic materials don’t do our planet any favors. A lot of canes are made from fiberglass, metals, or plastics. At best, these types have to end up in landfills when they are broken or no longer wanted, at worst, they end up in our beautiful hiking trails.

One of the most common mistakes is simple forgetfulness, nothing malicious, but can still be damaging to the environment. Have you ever misplaced or forgot your hiking stick? I know I have. Most of the time I remember and I’m able to just hoof it backwards and pick it up, but there have been times when I have my tent all setup and my sleeping bag rolled out when it dawns on me that I left my hiking and I’m now 20 miles further up a mountain. OOPS! Thank fully I’ve always used one of my wood sticks.

Hiking-Stick-Sassafras-Whistle

A lot of wood hiking sticks come with a rubber tip because that has become the new norm in the industry. If you have the option, ask your artist to finish the piece of with a simple rounded bottom and no rubber. One less piece of potential litter created and one less piece of rubber that needs to be made in a factory.

I have an interesting story of another use for a wood hiking stick.

We were on a five day hike up the Andes Mountains when we started approaching our campsite. One of the people on our hike had already been to this campsite and mentioned that we need to keep an eye on our hiking staffs. We smiled and thought he was joking because we’re 12000 feet in the mountains and nobody else was around us to steal them.

We got our dinner ready and then noticed the person who maintains the campsite was putting together a bon fire. After we cleaned up, we headed over to hang out by the fire. A few minutes passed and my buddy noticed one of the pieces of burning wood looked a lot like his hiking stick. We both looked closer and to our surprise; all of the hiking sticks were on fire. Stunned, we thought about pulling them out, but noticed they had been broken into pieces.

Burning didn’t even cross our mind when it was mentioned to keep an eye on the trekking sticks.

Later we thought about the situations and it actually made sense to us. They can burn. That thought can sound incredibly simple, but really think about the aspects involved. We were hiking in the rainy season, so most timber that can be gathered is going to be water logged. Our sticks had been perfectly dried when they were being made. And they were free to the person who lives there. Sounds like perfect tinder wood when they’re broken into pieces.

Live and Learn.

Cheers,

-Antonio