Trends
Retailers who have provided customers with staffs have always done well with them. In the future, "boomers" are going to still want to be active, and a staff helps a boomer stay that way longer. Staffs allow a typical hiker to reduce the "foot-felt" body weight by as much as 20%. Since the hiker is leaning on the staff rather than his foot with each step he takes, the feet have less work to do. Try standing on a scale and leaning on a staff. When you lean over on the staff (that is on the ground), your body weight goes down. Switching from left to right hand with the staff balances this weight savings while evenly distributing the aerobic benefits of the upper-body exercise. You win big both ways. Some hikers are even using two staffs, although we recommend just one for safety. (Two staffs are hard for the average person to get used to.)
Future designs
We'll stay pretty much traditional, biodegradable, under $30 and Moses like - with a few variations down the road. Don't look for an AM/FM radio, a laser guided trail finder or GPS receiver in a Whistle Creek stick very soon - it's not in the cards.
Remember our motto - "When you're done with your Whistle Creek stick, please either (a) return it to the forest... or (b) pass it on to your grandchildren."
~ George Barker, Whistle Creek Walking Sticks
Dan Fry of "Raisin Cane" & Hiking Stick Company
Email: dafryz@hotmail.com dafryz@hotmail.com
I make walking sticks and canes out of driftwood I pick up from the banks of the Columbia River and the Oregon coast. I carve animals, birds and mainly Indian style,(reproductions of petroglyphs, petrographs and Chiefs heads etc...), Sometimes integrating knots, natural twists and features of the stick. I use shells, agates and several other natural features. After intensive sanding I finish with several clear coats, or will just use water sealant to preserve natural beauty. I'm really not sure if I have any words of "wisdom" for you...... I think the closest thing I have is to tell you the process I go through in picking the right stick to carve.
I begin by finding a ready supply of driftwood. Heightens the odds of finding a worthwhile piece of wood. When I find an unusual looking piece, I look it over a few minutes to see if there is something already in the wood just waiting to be carved. Then if I feel it has potential, I will find a big rock or stump and hit it over it to see if it will survive actual usage, no matter what it's being used for. If the stick survives this test,(not many do!), then I carry it home and dry it thoroughly before I even begin to consider carving on it!
I spend a lot of time looking at and feeling the stick to obtain the best weight and ergonomics of each stick. It must be lightweight and the grip carved at the right length and angle. I will even go so far as to ask my customer to send me a print of their hand by gripping a paper roll and tracing the hand with a pen. These sticks are made to endure many moons worth of hiking!!!!
Our Readers Tell About Their Stick Experiences:
Debbie: Harv and I use the sticks we have when we know we will be on a natural trail and one with some incline as well. We find them useful in both situations. We have two sets of sticks the long wood ones that we use close to home - they travel well in the van. We also have two of the folding ones and we use those as they are easy to carry when we are away from home. Great last year on the across america tour...
Bill: I use one all the time. For no physical reason. I always select a stick based on style; not anything practical. I look for a stick that has a story to tell. I have plain sticks that still have an elegance about them. I have carved sticks that tell something about the maker. I even have a very light weight but sturdy stick from a trip my wife took to Australia several years. The idea of using a stick came from a trip to Baden-Powell house in London England while on a trip with my son and a Cub Scout group. Baden-Powell was famous for using a stick and he was given many as gifts in his travels to support the then fledgling Scouting movement.
Lynne: I use a walking stick when I know the trail is going to be difficult. A woodsy walk for instance. I obtained one because a club was selling handmade ones from a club member for $5.00. That was the best investment I ever made.
