Your hiking stick will be your number-one companion on the trail.
If you are an avid hiker, a hiking stick can serve you in many ways. By transferring some of the exertion of hiking to your arms, it allows you to increase your endurance because your legs won't get as tired. A stick can help you move up hills, keep your balance and maneuver around obstacles on the trail. You can easily make a walking stick that will last for your entire hiking career.
Instructions
1. Select your stick. Its height should reach your shoulders. Some people cut live saplings of maple, cedar, alder, birch or ash. Saplings are young trees that are about the same height as an ideal hiking stick. You may see them growing alone or off a tree stump. Use an identification key or guide book if you are not sure you can recognize the desirable tree species. Some people prefer to avoid killing a live tree and instead find their stick on the ground while hiking. This can be the best way to select a stick, as you have a chance to walk with it and test whether it is a comfortable fit. Make sure the stick is not rotten.
2. Dry your stick in a cool, non-humid spot, particularly if you have selected a sapling. This could take several weeks, and some professionals will let a stick dry for several months. If you are working with maple, clamp or tie it to a board, because maple warps as it dries. Whatever wood you have selected, making sure the stick is completely dry and seasoned will result in a stronger finished hiking stick.
3. Remove all, some or none of the bark, depending on your preference. For comfort, you should leave at least a portion of bark where your hand naturally sits. Sand and trim the stick to get rid of any unwanted knots and bumps. Carve designs in the stick if you wish.
4. Apply a coat of varnish, stain or linseed oil to preserve the wood. Allow sufficient time to dry, as directed by the finishing product's manufacturer. You can add a rubber cane tip, available at pharmacies or medical-supply stores, to the bottom of your stick to protect it against wear and tear.
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