Took my white stick to Ecuador in 2003. It was non-folding and I almost missed the flight out of Spain due to a prolonged altercation with security (I won in the nick of time). The only times it was useful were crossing busy streets in Quito and as a balancing aid climbing Cotopaxi. After the first week I dumped it with a friend and went without. I felt much happier when not having to consider where to stow it so that I didn't poke or trip someone.
Dave
Hi Zosu:
I have the same kind of sticks as you which didn't fit into my small case. Then I discovered I could pull them apart (3 sections) and they fit perfectly and no problem assembling them.
Why didn't I think of that. The airlines smashed mine together so tightly I couldn't separate the sections. The sticks made of carbon fiber are less likely to bend during transit than the aluminum poles. Worth the extra expense.
I've used them for years and strongly recommend them. Packing can be a nuisance, but you may find it possible to pack them on a diagonal, as often they fit that way. Put socks on both ends so you don't pierce the pack On smaller packs that carry on, I have affixed them with backpack straps after putting rubber indoor cane attachments or safety covers (both of which which come from the manufacturers and are sold in outdoor stores) to the tips. Most recently, as we are in our 70's and are considered infirm old ladies, we merely walk on with them as canes and have had no questions. Also, my newest sticks (Leki antishock Makalu )collapse even shorter than my old ones, making packing easier.
They really just don't work for me. I've been told a thousand times from the day I first started hiking as a teen in 1970s that walking sticks are the you-know-what, and I just can't make them work. You cannot use your binoculars, camera, etc. Your hands are taken up, and if you can't see (and for the artist/photographer in my soul photograph) then what's the point of the trip? I can walk for the sake of walking on a treadmill. I want to see/photograph the sights!!!
I haven't been able to figure out a solution to this problem. There have been occasions when the guide had to cut a walking stick for me where we stood but, unless I truly need it to get out of the rainforest alive, I'm still going to do without it because it's amazing how much it slows down your ability to get your binoculars up and running.
I have one very dominant hand and foot, the right. So I have to use the walking stick with my right hand. But if I have a walking stick in my hand, then my binoculars, cameras, etc. -- can't get to them in time. If I ever find I have become dependent on a walking stick, I'm going to fight it and try to see if I'm a candidate for knee replacement before I just give up and accept it. But that's just me.
Most walking sticks have a loop of some sort so that you can have it around your wrist. If you can let go of the stick (because it is still attached to you) then it will not interfere with cameras, binoculars, etc.
Peachfront - replacements are fantastic but they do come with some downsides and one is the pain immediately after surgery and the other the length of time they last. Some say ten years - others more and at present there are also concerns as to how many can be done. At the moment my knee replacement is being held off for those exact reasons. If I can manage without for a limited time and without damaging the other leg too much I have been advised to wait a little longer.
