How Do You Make A Walking Stick?
The next time you go hiking, why not take along a walking stick! It make it easier to balance on tougher trails and push away roots and branches. Also, they’re fun to make and can be personalized just for you. • Find a suitable stick. Ideally, the perfect stick should have measurements about as long as the distance between your feet and your shoulders, and 1-2 inches (2.5cm – 5cm) wide. Always source your stick from fallen tree stock, not direclty from a living tree, in part because damaging the trees hurts the environment you and others hike through, and because walking sticks need to be stiff, dried out and firm. • Push a fingernail into the stick and see if it makes an indentation. If it does, select a new stick, because the indentation signifies that you have chosen is too fresh to be useful. • Strip off all of the bark. Use a pocketknife to do this. Take short, sharp strokes. Let the stick sit somewhere to dry after this procedure for about a week. • Sandpaper the dried stick unti
You can make a walking stick yourself from wood or bamboo, and then enjoy your new handmade equipment outdoors. Walking sticks come in handy when you are hiking, because they help you keep your balance and gain leverage on inclines. Select a Stick Step 1 Choose a stick that is comfortable in your hand and will support your weight. Wider sticks will bear more weight, but may be too heavy to lug around after long periods of walking. Step 2 Opt for a bamboo stick. Bamboo is lightweight and hollow, so you can even carry items inside your walking stick after sealing the end. Step 3 Pick a stick that is well aligned. When the top and bottom of the stick are on the same axis, the stick will be well balanced, even if there is a bend in the middle. Step 4 Suit the stick length to the activity. Hand-height sticks may be more comfortable for walking, whereas shoulder-height sticks help provide leverage when hiking up or down hills. Prepare the Stick Step 1 Put your gloves on to protect your hands
• Find a suitable stick. Ideally, the perfect stick should have measurements about as long as the distance between your feet and your shoulders, and 1-2 inches (2.5cm – 5cm) thick. Always source your stick from fallen tree stock, not directly from a living tree, in part because damaging the trees hurts the environment you and others hike through, and because walking sticks need to be stiff, dried out and firm. Loading… • Push a fingernail into the stick and see if it makes an indentation. If it does, select a new stick, because the indentation signifies that you have chosen is too fresh to be useful. • Strip off all of the bark. Use a pocketknife to do this. Take short, sharp strokes. Let the stick sit somewhere to dry after this procedure for about a week. • Sandpaper the dried stick until the surface becomes smooth. Start with fine sandpaper (marked 100 or 120). Once the surface is relatively smooth, finish with very fine sandpaper (marked 150-220). This step removes any splinters
