Eddie Bauer Hiking Pole

Solid, inexpensive hiking poles that have served me well for over 7 years. Zero failures, breaks, warps or anything bad at all. Sturdy for up and down hill hikes and a little extra oomph crossing a stream or two.

I started hiking around 2006.  I picked up some cheap Nike trail shoes then over to Target to get some hiking poles. All they had were Eddie Bauer Hiking Poles. In gold and silver colors.  So I bought 4 at $15 each.  

I have used these poles for 7 years and a few thousand hiking miles as well as urban walks.  I tend to use just one, the same one and occasionally two. The main pole has served me extraordinarily well these years.  The cork handle is still in tact though a little worn. The wrist strap has no sign of stress or failure.  The length adjustments are still fine and always lock in place and easily twist to unlock.

These things have served me well on a number of occasions. When my knee gave out a few miles from the trailhead, I use two like a crutch to support my weight and get me to safety. There was also that time when I was sure a cougar was about to strike and I spun around and about skewered a mountain biker. 

These things give you great confidence that you can defend yourself as well and limp out to safety. I jab the carbide tip in the stream and leap across with nary a drip upon me. I swat tick infested grasses along my path to fling them great distances away from me (and sometimes towards my hiking pals.  Shhhh).  I cut down tendrils of poison oak reaching out into the path lapping at my bare skin. I poke, regrettably, into bees nests. I explore, with great trepidation, around rock and logs where rattlers tend to await my thoughtless fingers.

I am delighted with these hiking poles. I have no idea if you can still get them but since I have 4, I am in no rush to replace them.  I think, if treated as poorly as I treat these, they are still around, they are a great inexpensive pole to start out with.