Was real skeptical about using trekking poles for 10 years, now I get it

I always thought trekking poles were just extra weight for people who didn't know how to balance right, but after a 14 mile day on the Superior Hiking Trail with a 40 pound pack, my knees were screaming at me. A buddy handed me his spare poles for the last 3 miles and I swear it felt like I was walking on air going downhill. Has anyone else had a gear thing they avoided forever that turned out to be a total game changer?

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wesley8732d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah man, I had the EXACT same thing happen with a camp chair. For like 8 years I was one of those guys who said "why carry a chair when there's logs and rocks everywhere." Then my back got wrecked after a long day and my buddy let me try his Helinox. First sit down and I felt like an idiot for all those years sitting on cold wet logs. Now I won't backpack without it even if it adds a pound. It is just one of those things you have to experience to really GET why people use them. The knee thing you described is REAL though, poles saved me on a rocky descent in the Porcupine Mountains last fall, completely different world.