Trekking poles do the most good when you hold the straps correctly, set the length for the terrain, and let them carry real weight. Most people grip them like ski poles and get a fraction of the benefit. Here is how to use them well, from the strap up.
The strap does the work, not your grip. Bring your hand up through the loop from below, then lay your palm over the top of the strap and hold the grip lightly. Now when you push down, your weight goes through the strap into the pole, so your hand stays relaxed for hours instead of clenching. A white-knuckle grip on the handle is the most common mistake and the fastest way to tire your forearms. Snug the strap so the webbing catches the heel of your hand.
On flat ground, set the pole so your elbow bends to about 90 degrees with the tip on the ground and your forearm level. That is the baseline you size to your height (see the sizing guide). Then adjust for grade: shorten the poles about 5 to 10 cm for a sustained climb so you are not reaching up, and lengthen them about 5 to 10 cm for a descent so you can plant downhill without hunching. This on-the-fly tuning is why an adjustable telescoping pole is so useful, and why our ranking treats a usable max length as the bar a pole has to clear. Fixed-length poles skip this, a real tradeoff on steep ground.
The efficient pattern is opposite hand to foot, the same diagonal gait you already walk with: the left pole plants as the right foot lands. Plant the tip near your foot, not far ahead, and push down and back to propel yourself, actively unloading your legs. On climbs, drive down through the poles to add your arms to the effort; on descents, plant slightly ahead and let the poles absorb shock your knees would otherwise take. Measurements of downhill hiking consistently find lower knee loads with poles, which is much of the point.
The carbide tip bites rock and hard trail; most poles include rubber tip covers for pavement and to protect the tip in a pack. Small trekking baskets keep the tips from punching into mud, and wider snow baskets do the same in powder, which is why winter poles ship with both. When you reach a scramble that needs both hands, fold or collapse the poles and stow them rather than letting them dangle from the straps.
Bring your hand up through the strap loop from below, then lay your palm over the top of the strap and hold the grip lightly. Your weight presses down through the strap, not your grip, so your hand stays relaxed. Gripping the handle in a tight fist without using the strap is the most common mistake.
On flat ground, set them so your elbow is at about 90 degrees with the tip down and your forearm level. Shorten 5 to 10 cm for climbs and lengthen 5 to 10 cm for descents. Size the baseline to your height first; the sizing guide has a height chart.
On descents, yes. Planting the poles ahead of you shifts load off your knees to your arms and the poles, and measurements of downhill hiking consistently show lower knee forces with poles. The benefit is largest going downhill and under a heavy pack.
Use a natural opposite-arm-to-leg rhythm: the left pole plants as the right foot lands, and the reverse, the same diagonal pattern as normal walking. Plant the tip near your foot and push down and back rather than reaching far ahead.
This guide explains published standards and industry specs, illustrated with figures drawn from the 500-plus products in our database. It is educational reference, not a substitute for matching gear to your own conditions. We take no sponsorships and run no paid placements.