So, this has been a long time coming, but I finally broke down and bought a walking stick. I have an issue with my knee (both as a matter of fact) that cannot be cured or relieved by any over the counter drugs/meds, braces/compression sleeves, supplements (and I've tried MANY for several months) or R&R time at an attempt to heal. Y'all know I complain about it enough, so this seems to be something that I will just have to live with. The idea for buying this however came from a friend whom I hang out with sometimes during photography sessions. He often uses a trekking pole on hikes and figured I'd at least give them some research. After looking around for awhile I came across this company that makes these rather robust poles made out of T-6 aircraft grade aluminum (not sure which grade exactly as there is more than one grade of 6 but it's one of the better options never the less for outdoors).

So, first impressions receiving the box in the mail is that this feels rather heavy; at only 3lbs you wouldn't think much of it, but it's actually rather hefty - Definitely a lot heavier than your average walking stick/trekking pole which are virtually weightless. Now, keep in mind, I enjoy my tacos just like many other native New Mexicans, so a light duty stick simply isn't going to cut it. Realistically though, experience has taught me to ALWAYS opt for the rugged gear otherwise it will never last on my adventures. However, just assembling this pole, I can immediately tell that it's not only going to survive the brutal elements, but probably out last my own longevity as a human (in fact, I think I just invested in an awesome walking stick for my old age assuming I even live that long) - It seriously really is a rather robust piece of precision machined aluminum alloy. If you're also wondering, yes it does come with internal attachments/tools (I'll put a link below if you want to check them out but will not picture or list them here as I will most likely never use them; or at least hope I never need to).

Regarding the stock pole itself, though, I of course felt the need to customize it a little bit. First thing was to lightly dust some synthetic grease on the threads (completely unnecessary but it will preserve the threading while giving that smooth interlocking feel). Next up, I busted out ALL the paracord gear, gave myself a quick refresher course on pattern weaving and went to town on the grips. Super tight, super clean and very professionally done - Ok, maybe not exactly quite Samurai professional status, but good enough on my own terms (especially if you've ever seen me attempt to wrap xmas presents). This however has a custom wrap (as in I kinda wrapped my own design; was actually rather fun trying to figure out) and had used two different size chords (2mm & 6mm) with a traditional weave pattern for the carry handle that also doubles as a lanyard. I didn't time how long this took to accomplish simply because it was improvised and you can't exactly rush results; but it was roughly around six hours to complete (A long time right?! But also know GC, my cat, felt the need to help as she loves paracord). As mentioned above, this pole having threads, it actually breaks down into 8 sections - So the paracord wrap also at least had to be styled for this to be broken down in half AND into individual sections (ex; if storing into a pouch which is included) or backpack, and mix match if need be. If you look up the tools for this, it also works very well as grip points for the stick as a whole or individual sections. Walking around with this so far feels different (never having used a walking stick/trekking pole before) but I can already tell its going to come in handy for difficult hikes, especially the uphill and mountain trails. It doesn't cure my joint pain (to be honest nothing will either), but it takes a huge load off my knees and I'll most likely be using this quite often. Today I was using this for normal walking and also to pole-vault over small arroyos; but what I REALLY loved about it was using it to rest in a standing position and also using it to bring myself back up from assessing low pictures in which I have to lower myself to the ground - Just that one use alone makes it worth the entire purchase. Conveniently enough, this also fits in my tripod bag, so it's coming everywhere with me.

All details aside, these guys seem to be a genuinely good company though and am glad I bought through them directly; feel free to check them out for yourself if you'd like or are interested in such gear.