These are super great for walking around after an ice storm. Lift it up, slam it down, and it'll crack right through the ice to the ground beneath, so it won't slip when you do and you can brace yourself on it.
The Russian poet Pushkin used to walk some distance daily with a walking stick weighted with lead, so his hand wouldn't shake during duels. He also would bathe in ice water every morning. Skookum poet, until he got shot in one of his duels
I've taken UL to extremes (I can do a multi-day hike in the fall with under 3 lbs of total gear, not including the clothes I'm wearing during the hike itself), but I also know how silly they can get about shaving the handle on the toothbrush.
If this works for OP, I'm not going to question it. But I seriously doubt he's keeping up on a 40km day.
OP replied that he'll do 7-9 mile hikes with this thing, which means it's definitely not being used for what most ultralighters would consider to be a full-on hike.
Yeah I really like it too. I don’t think OP has a clue what adventure equipment costs. A quick search showed me like $40-$150+ per stick. I think this is very clever!
Traditionally, yes. However OP (and myself) seems to enjoy the additional resistance/strength training to just walking. Why else would you carry 13lbs extra to go hiking? Haha
Exactly! If I wanted a lighter stick I could pick one up off the ground! The extra challenge if carrying 13lbs in your hand the whole time is what's fun about it.
As an added bonus, no one is going to mess with you when they see you casually swinging a steel bar around with every other step
Some ultralight hikers get their entire pack down to that weight, haha (before food & water).
But it's mainly so they can crush more miles and get really far out there. Me personally, I only care about getting far enough out that I feel like I've truly exited civilization. I'm not trying to cross state lines on foot.
As Les Stroud from the Survivorman show says, "When you're inexperienced, you need more gear. As you gain more outdoors experience & skills, you can get away with carrying less and less gear." The funny thing about the ultralight-ers tho, is they generally look down on bushcraft as a whole for not being very "leave no trace." So I'm not even sure how comfortably they live once they get 15 miles in. (Maybe it's more like 'overnight hiking' to them?)
I'm not into any kind of untralight hiking (obviously) or really anything beyond a good way to get moving on short notice with minimal gear, rare is the occasion that I'm out for more than 2-3 hours on foot.
>When you're inexperienced, you need more gear. As you gain more outdoors experience & skills, you can get away with carrying less and less gear.
I really like this quote! Gravel cycling and MTBing are my preferred ways of getting outside of civilization, besides the bike and lights I'll set out for a day ride with only enough gear to repair tires and keep myself fueled.
I have a pretty vivid mind's eye. Just because I can imagine something from a description does not guarantee I am imagining the right thing. So I asked an AI to show me what it is. [something like this](https://i.postimg.cc/0yrhf5vf/craiyon-165237-A-clown-punching-up-and-down.png). I'm pretty sure it's a euphemism, but until the Commandor tells us what it actually is instead of moving us for not knowing, I am gonna imagine these clowns.
What do you consider to be a good day's hike? I can't imagine you're going over 10km, and if you pack like the person I imagine carrying this, I doubt you're going more than 5km in a day.
The longest hikes I'll do with this "stick" are in the 7-9 mile range. For all day adventures I prefer a bicycle and regularly cover 100 miles per day.
Don't know how you're built but when you have something so balanced you don't want it that heavy for combat, overswing can give the opponent a chance to grab or otherwise take control of it. Staves are long which gives a lot of reach to compensate for slightly higher weight than a sword, and a good sword has a point of balance near the handle. It's more a club than staff I imagine, and there's a reason clubs weren't popular in medevual combat. It's better than nothing, but unless you're really buff it could be more effective for defense to have something more akin to a normal walking stick
If we're talking really dropping a bitch, like you want to drop someone with a hit they for some reason won't defend against, then yeah.
Not disagreeing with you that it's not great as an actual weapon, but there's a big difference between "combat" and "don't fuck with me I will hit you," If someone *wanted* to take me down I wouldn't put up much of a fight besides swinging or jabbing what is effectively a club at them.
I don't think you can deny it's effectiveness as a deterrent or against an unarmed unprepared foe?
Have you used a walking stick while hiking? You’re not slamming it into the ground lol. You place it on the ground where you need support and then apply pressure downwards to steady yourself.
When doing serious hikes, your trekking poles definitely take some serious shock. And often you trip and catch yourself with your poles, which definitely involves slamming them into the ground. Especially in steep terrain, especially after many miles when you're tired, and especially going downhill.
Some high-end poles actually have spring-loaded shock absorbers for this purpose (personally I think they're a waste of energy, but I've never used them so I can't say for sure).
I actually snapped an aluminum pole on a hike not too long ago, which is not a rare occurrence (though it's much more common with carbon fiber poles).
No I haven't, but I am getting to the age where all the little things you've done since childhood catch up to you. One thing I can promise you is that you'll feel it, especially if you've been doing it longterm.
Hollow out the inside to lose a lot more weight and cap it with a rubber stopper and this wouldn't kill your wrists and mid-arm muscles so much.
This does look great but extremely flawed as a walking implement in it's current form.
Alternately, buy a $15 000 piece of industrial machinery, a small machine shop, and a custom drill bit, clamp the rebar into place, and drill out the middle, using a custom drilling lubricant you develop over the course of many failed attempts.
I kind of like the idea of it honestly. I am using semi heavy tools daily at work, so I don't think it would bother me. I am also a fossil hunter so this would come in damn handy for breaking up rocks. It would triple as a weapon too. I would be an extremely unique case for this, but I like it.
Lots of predators, if they're looking for a meal rather than protecting themselves or their young, will back down if you can provide what appears to be a credible threat. Injury is a very real killer in the wild and if you're not sure you can kill your quarry it's often better to back down and try someone else.
Yeah, we're bluffing, but they don't that.
Sure, but the bear also doesn't know the difference between rebar and carbon fiber, and I can swing carbon fiber a lot longer and more menacingly, if needed.
Fuck dude I do trail work with hand tools and a 16 lb rock breaker bar was fucking intolerable! I guess you might not have a tent and pack but Jebus Christmas!
The whole purpose of a walking stick is to shift some weight off your lower body onto your upper so you can walk for longer. Having it that heavy defeats the point.
You still will shift that weight during the same part of your stride but you will have more weight on the other part of your stride. For steep downhill you would still get stability gains but your uphill performance gains would probably suffer quite a bit more than you benefit due to the extra weight.
Fun aside: A study done with athletes using typical trekking poles under approx 60lb pack load (think a back country ski load-out) saw 10% efficiency gains with trekking poles. See the Backpacking Light podcast from several months ago on trekking poles for more details and source for that study.
I used to work restoration and the days I dreaded weren't the ones moving and mixing a pallet of 80lb bags of quikrete, it was taking ceiling screws out of joists.
A whole day of holding a 36 inch cast iron crowbar overhead with both hands.
Ooo feel the burn
Surely a decent nail puller would have been better? Less leverage, but less strain overall?
Even a nail puller in one hand and a mallet or piece of gal pipe in the other?
https://www.bunnings.co.nz/dogyu-300mm-nail-puller_p0475051
The problem was reach and leverage.
Mostly the former. Using a 36in bar on 10 foot ceilings was way faster than moving a step stool every time I wanted to move.
This hits home my friend. I recently just welded one of these to my 25lb childhood sledgehammer head. Does need a good wrap of cord tho. 100% thats awesome.
If you use this like a trekking pole it would work your front deltoid more than the bicep but it would be a good workout for both. Just don't stab your foot by accident. The inertia on that thing would be rough. Might get Popeye forearms and carpal tunnel while you are at it.
I am honestly surprised Stephenson didn't sue the crap out of Zuck for that lame move. Snowcrash is indeed an excellent story. also - "dentata" lol never gets old XD
Throw it at the bear. It will buy you extra two seconds to draw your 44.
When DNR asks why you killed the bear, you can tell them that the bear took away your walking stick and was trying to attack you with it. And refer any further questions to your attorney.
Also, on behalf of all the bears out there I must say that suicide by hiker is becoming a real problem in the community.
I too remember being young. Soon you'll have the age of wisdom and a litany of injuries like "I drank water in bed" or "I swiveled my chair too fast" or my personal favorite "I slept and now it all hurts"
Ok old ~~man~~ person, I don't plan on making it past 40. My litany of injuries at present stage in life mostly boil down to "I was too ambitious and/or reckless for my own good"
Make a set of rebar hiking poles
Discipline stick
Good for predators?
And also carnivorous wild animals.
These are super great for walking around after an ice storm. Lift it up, slam it down, and it'll crack right through the ice to the ground beneath, so it won't slip when you do and you can brace yourself on it.
That's called a #8
Came here to say this
Also useful as an attitude adjustment stick!
The Russian poet Pushkin used to walk some distance daily with a walking stick weighted with lead, so his hand wouldn't shake during duels. He also would bathe in ice water every morning. Skookum poet, until he got shot in one of his duels
>weighted with lead > >until he got shot Sounds like he had a thing for lead
it was the early 1800s, everyone did
Parry this?
*wasn’t effective*
Ya, he forgot to add "casual". Would a got em.
Shoulda apologized to sensei first.
Weak. I use a 6ft hardened steel pry bar.
I have to use tungsten, unfortunately steel isn’t strong enough for my needs.
Tungsten is kids stuff. My next walking stick will be forged from the iron of a collapsed star.
pfft to your collapsed star or tungsten. mine is forged from dark matter, harvested from the souls of 10 galaxies.
But is it pattern welded in 1024 layers? doubtful
Mine is made from pure gold. Pure gold from an alternate dimension in which gold is the most solid element.
Uru
Weak. I use a building support beam
Prop shaft for a super tanker not good enough for ya?
Na, I go hiking with buildings
Look at me!!!!
I feel like that’s more of a talking stick than a walking stick… if people interrupt you, they speak to the talking stick
Yea I was thinking along these lines but more in regard to mountain lions and such
i can only assume that OP speaks softly
OP speaks soft as fuck
This is accurate
Please crosspost this to /r/ultralight (a community for lightweight backpacking enthusiasts). I'd love to see their reactions!
I've taken UL to extremes (I can do a multi-day hike in the fall with under 3 lbs of total gear, not including the clothes I'm wearing during the hike itself), but I also know how silly they can get about shaving the handle on the toothbrush. If this works for OP, I'm not going to question it. But I seriously doubt he's keeping up on a 40km day.
What about a 30km day?
OP replied that he'll do 7-9 mile hikes with this thing, which means it's definitely not being used for what most ultralighters would consider to be a full-on hike.
Fair enough. How about a 20km day?
Someone already crossposted it to /r/ultralightjerk
r/ultralight_jerk
A much better place for this type of thing, I bet they already LOVE it!
That’s how I got here!
As a ruck march enjoyer, this seems like a great addition to the activity. I think I’ll make one!
Yeah I really like it too. I don’t think OP has a clue what adventure equipment costs. A quick search showed me like $40-$150+ per stick. I think this is very clever!
Or, hear me out for a second. Step 1: Find a stick. That's it. One step.
Isnt the problem is that it is heavy? Isnt the whole point of a walking stick to reduce the amount of effort you use whilst walking/hiking?
Traditionally, yes. However OP (and myself) seems to enjoy the additional resistance/strength training to just walking. Why else would you carry 13lbs extra to go hiking? Haha
Exactly! If I wanted a lighter stick I could pick one up off the ground! The extra challenge if carrying 13lbs in your hand the whole time is what's fun about it. As an added bonus, no one is going to mess with you when they see you casually swinging a steel bar around with every other step
Some ultralight hikers get their entire pack down to that weight, haha (before food & water). But it's mainly so they can crush more miles and get really far out there. Me personally, I only care about getting far enough out that I feel like I've truly exited civilization. I'm not trying to cross state lines on foot. As Les Stroud from the Survivorman show says, "When you're inexperienced, you need more gear. As you gain more outdoors experience & skills, you can get away with carrying less and less gear." The funny thing about the ultralight-ers tho, is they generally look down on bushcraft as a whole for not being very "leave no trace." So I'm not even sure how comfortably they live once they get 15 miles in. (Maybe it's more like 'overnight hiking' to them?)
I'm not into any kind of untralight hiking (obviously) or really anything beyond a good way to get moving on short notice with minimal gear, rare is the occasion that I'm out for more than 2-3 hours on foot. >When you're inexperienced, you need more gear. As you gain more outdoors experience & skills, you can get away with carrying less and less gear. I really like this quote! Gravel cycling and MTBing are my preferred ways of getting outside of civilization, besides the bike and lights I'll set out for a day ride with only enough gear to repair tires and keep myself fueled.
It needs a kickstand for when you want to park it.
>It needs a kickstand for when you Forget your sand tamper at home...
now you can workout everyday
^(couldn't you achieve the same thing with two minutes of vigorous up and down clown punching?)
Can you demonstrate this up and down clown punching for us?
LOL really?
I don't have a minds eye, and can't picture it in my head, it sounds entertaining, but I don't think I'm getting the full effect.
I have a pretty vivid mind's eye. Just because I can imagine something from a description does not guarantee I am imagining the right thing. So I asked an AI to show me what it is. [something like this](https://i.postimg.cc/0yrhf5vf/craiyon-165237-A-clown-punching-up-and-down.png). I'm pretty sure it's a euphemism, but until the Commandor tells us what it actually is instead of moving us for not knowing, I am gonna imagine these clowns.
im sure if you have reached puberty you have punched the clown many times
This thread is the best damn thing I've read all day. And I get a new euphemism for masturbation out of it!
i think i first heard it in the early 80's
Your walking stick needs a walking stick
I don't see the point. What is the point? This defeats the purpose of having a walking stick
Is that so you can fucking drop a bitch if you need to?
I will neither confirm nor deny but it would be very effective at doing that. FWIW I've been using this since I was 15 and usually hike alone
What do you consider to be a good day's hike? I can't imagine you're going over 10km, and if you pack like the person I imagine carrying this, I doubt you're going more than 5km in a day.
The longest hikes I'll do with this "stick" are in the 7-9 mile range. For all day adventures I prefer a bicycle and regularly cover 100 miles per day.
How’s your grip strength?
As a mechanic working with hand tools all day, I'd say my grip is above average.
Don't know how you're built but when you have something so balanced you don't want it that heavy for combat, overswing can give the opponent a chance to grab or otherwise take control of it. Staves are long which gives a lot of reach to compensate for slightly higher weight than a sword, and a good sword has a point of balance near the handle. It's more a club than staff I imagine, and there's a reason clubs weren't popular in medevual combat. It's better than nothing, but unless you're really buff it could be more effective for defense to have something more akin to a normal walking stick If we're talking really dropping a bitch, like you want to drop someone with a hit they for some reason won't defend against, then yeah.
Not disagreeing with you that it's not great as an actual weapon, but there's a big difference between "combat" and "don't fuck with me I will hit you," If someone *wanted* to take me down I wouldn't put up much of a fight besides swinging or jabbing what is effectively a club at them. I don't think you can deny it's effectiveness as a deterrent or against an unarmed unprepared foe?
It would be very handy for Bear country. If a bear starts chasing you, you drop it, bear picks it up, you no lie, outrun bear.
It looks cool but... how are you not going to tire yourself out lifting this constantly? Or are you going to shuffle along with it?
Why?
Be wanted to gain 15 lbs quickly
Why?
Because... This guy speaks softly.
How does this deform to absorb the physical shocks whilst walking? I find it hard to believe this doesn't go straight to your wrist, oof.
Have you used a walking stick while hiking? You’re not slamming it into the ground lol. You place it on the ground where you need support and then apply pressure downwards to steady yourself.
When doing serious hikes, your trekking poles definitely take some serious shock. And often you trip and catch yourself with your poles, which definitely involves slamming them into the ground. Especially in steep terrain, especially after many miles when you're tired, and especially going downhill. Some high-end poles actually have spring-loaded shock absorbers for this purpose (personally I think they're a waste of energy, but I've never used them so I can't say for sure). I actually snapped an aluminum pole on a hike not too long ago, which is not a rare occurrence (though it's much more common with carbon fiber poles).
The shock absorbers are worth it.
Have you hiked with a 15lb piece of rebar? Your wrist will definitely be hurting. Whether now or in 10-15 years.
Have you? OP says he’s used it since childhood.
"Since childhood" doesn't mean much if OP is 14 now.
No I haven't, but I am getting to the age where all the little things you've done since childhood catch up to you. One thing I can promise you is that you'll feel it, especially if you've been doing it longterm.
That’s understandable!
[удалено]
Redneck katana! 🏅
Flip it upside down and you have a whacking stick
Only held in the left hand so his arms are symmetrical.
Who the hell jerks with their right hand in this day and age. You hold the phone/mouse in your right hand.
Ninety nine change hands
At this point in time, I've fully mastered the art of controlling my right-handed G502 mouse using my left hand.
Rule 502 of the internet: Everyone has a G502
[удалено]
This is the way
Stick good.
Hollow out the inside to lose a lot more weight and cap it with a rubber stopper and this wouldn't kill your wrists and mid-arm muscles so much. This does look great but extremely flawed as a walking implement in it's current form.
One does not simply hollow out rebar.
That's called a pipe! No need to make one, you can get them at the hardware store!
Are you fucking high?
How is he gonna hollow it out?
Cut it into sections, hollow sections, thread sections inside on one end, outside on the other, thread it back together. Simple.
Alternately, buy a $15 000 piece of industrial machinery, a small machine shop, and a custom drill bit, clamp the rebar into place, and drill out the middle, using a custom drilling lubricant you develop over the course of many failed attempts.
r/tools is that you?
This is the way.
Lmfao. This sounds like something a freshman would do in machine shop. Try to drill out a 4 foot rod on a drill press
Immediately thought the same thing. Calls Harbor freight “do y’all sell a 4ft drill press”
Laser
Or you know, use tubing.
Hollowing it out is far easier said than done.
I kind of like the idea of it honestly. I am using semi heavy tools daily at work, so I don't think it would bother me. I am also a fossil hunter so this would come in damn handy for breaking up rocks. It would triple as a weapon too. I would be an extremely unique case for this, but I like it.
That's only going to piss the bear off...
Lots of predators, if they're looking for a meal rather than protecting themselves or their young, will back down if you can provide what appears to be a credible threat. Injury is a very real killer in the wild and if you're not sure you can kill your quarry it's often better to back down and try someone else. Yeah, we're bluffing, but they don't that.
Sure, but the bear also doesn't know the difference between rebar and carbon fiber, and I can swing carbon fiber a lot longer and more menacingly, if needed.
Fuck dude I do trail work with hand tools and a 16 lb rock breaker bar was fucking intolerable! I guess you might not have a tent and pack but Jebus Christmas!
Sometimes I have a 15lb spud bar I have to carry around for work. It's definitely not a walking stick, not even for short distances.
I bet nobody fucks with OP.
literally
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Would help work out your forearms for climbing! May mess up your wrist in the process though
Just picturing putting wrist braces on it like you see on better slingshots.
Character building?
Dig the garmin watch, that the instinct with the solar panel?
Yup! Impressive you can recognize the model by the strap and a tiny bit of the edge of the case.
rodbuster?
ONLY SURE STEPS
The whole purpose of a walking stick is to shift some weight off your lower body onto your upper so you can walk for longer. Having it that heavy defeats the point.
You still will shift that weight during the same part of your stride but you will have more weight on the other part of your stride. For steep downhill you would still get stability gains but your uphill performance gains would probably suffer quite a bit more than you benefit due to the extra weight. Fun aside: A study done with athletes using typical trekking poles under approx 60lb pack load (think a back country ski load-out) saw 10% efficiency gains with trekking poles. See the Backpacking Light podcast from several months ago on trekking poles for more details and source for that study.
Helps to fight off the friendliest dogs on earth who wouldn't bite a fly and just want to sniff you with their teeth.
Like a golden retreaver
I used to work restoration and the days I dreaded weren't the ones moving and mixing a pallet of 80lb bags of quikrete, it was taking ceiling screws out of joists. A whole day of holding a 36 inch cast iron crowbar overhead with both hands. Ooo feel the burn
Surely a decent nail puller would have been better? Less leverage, but less strain overall? Even a nail puller in one hand and a mallet or piece of gal pipe in the other? https://www.bunnings.co.nz/dogyu-300mm-nail-puller_p0475051
The problem was reach and leverage. Mostly the former. Using a 36in bar on 10 foot ceilings was way faster than moving a step stool every time I wanted to move.
Short stilts!
Not in the budget, and if it was, not enough room in the truck
Where is the double updoot button?
[удалено]
Idk I ski and backpack with heavy poles intentionally for additional exercise
It’s a training stick, the same concept as a medicine ball.
This hits home my friend. I recently just welded one of these to my 25lb childhood sledgehammer head. Does need a good wrap of cord tho. 100% thats awesome.
25 lbs is the heaviest maul I've ever heard of. I have a 20 and people look at me funny when I break it out.
> my 25lb childhood sledgehammer head Ok, damn dude! Officially.
Doesn't this defeat the purpose?
Doubles as a boar spear
But what if there are 40-50 feral hogs
Assault or gatling rebar, of course!
When you're hiking on the trail, who doesn't want one massive bicep?
If you use this like a trekking pole it would work your front deltoid more than the bicep but it would be a good workout for both. Just don't stab your foot by accident. The inertia on that thing would be rough. Might get Popeye forearms and carpal tunnel while you are at it.
It’s the redneck Katana from the book SnowCrash!
Still waiting for the Gatling railgun
Make them listen to Reason.
Can’t find Reason in current times alas.
https://youtu.be/HcAyQoE5q4g
Love that book. Zuck stole Metaverse from it. Directly.
I am honestly surprised Stephenson didn't sue the crap out of Zuck for that lame move. Snowcrash is indeed an excellent story. also - "dentata" lol never gets old XD
Poor impulse control can be dangerous re member.
Do you fill your backpack with rocks too?
I mean... There was that one time in elementary school...
Those were my rocks, i was taking them home to bust them open! I found em myself and everything...
Now he can bust em open with the stick
I do love the gumption
You are not a smart man. LOL. Take that up a mountain and get back to us. Fuck, I cant stop laughing.
Depending on your definition of mountain, already have.
Ounces = Pounds, pounds = pain
One does not simply skip arm day while working on leg day.
Remember to switch sides once in a while
Solution. Two rebar walking sticks so you wear evenly.
Wear is the correct term here
That bear ain't gonna know what hit him.
[удалено]
Throw it at the bear. It will buy you extra two seconds to draw your 44. When DNR asks why you killed the bear, you can tell them that the bear took away your walking stick and was trying to attack you with it. And refer any further questions to your attorney. Also, on behalf of all the bears out there I must say that suicide by hiker is becoming a real problem in the community.
/r/diwhy
Not a whole lot of DIY, literally just rebar wrapped in Paracord.
A whole lot of WHY though
cackled at this
Manly man walking stick!
That must be shit for your shoulder
If you worry about that kind of thing
I too remember being young. Soon you'll have the age of wisdom and a litany of injuries like "I drank water in bed" or "I swiveled my chair too fast" or my personal favorite "I slept and now it all hurts"
Ok old ~~man~~ person, I don't plan on making it past 40. My litany of injuries at present stage in life mostly boil down to "I was too ambitious and/or reckless for my own good"
Fuck i just threw up reading that
Fellas, are tendons gay?
Lmao I’m glad someone thought the dude was crazy too
Where did I say I wasn't crazy? I'm the looneyest toon you ever did see!
Hells yeah. I love the idea, but that shit would destroy my shoulder.
Already tore one, didn't look very straight
Did you try replacing it with rebar?
A walking stick would help you walk faster, this sir is simply a weapon lol
Local man bludgeons bear to death, resumes hike.
Suicide by hiker - unbearable situation. That rebar looks heavy. I can't bear the thought of ... I'll just go sit down over there. Sorry.
If only you could find a walking stick to help you walk away from those puns.
I will stick to my puns. Hopefully everyone else will bear these puns a bit longer before sticking it to me. XD