Walking Equipment

The right equipment is essential for successful and comfortable walk. Here are some notes on clothing, boots and other gear.

Clothing

I have an excellent rain jacket made by The North Face. It is lightweight so it packs easily in luggage and has drawstring closures on the waist, cuffs and hood. Waterproof pants are also a necessity. These are readily available in outdoor stores and are usually nylon with elastic cuffs and waist.

Socks: Many experienced walkers praise merino wool socks as the best. Wool has the property of wicking sweat and keeping warm even when wet.

Boots

There are many brands of high quality walking boots but I chose Keen hiking boots. They are sturdy with excellent tread and, importantly, very comfortable.

Walking Poles

 The recommended height for a walking stick is to the top of your hand when you stand straight and have your elbow at your side and arm bent at 90 degrees. For me that would be 120cm (47¼ in).

I met an experienced walker who was traveling with a collapsible pole. Rather than the popular telescoping poles which typically only shorten to about half of their fully extended length, the collapsible ones are much smaller, breaking down like a white cane for the blind. He used a Gabel brand pole that collapsed to 37cm or 16" when packed. They range in price from €43 to €150, made from aluminum or carbon fiber.

A British walking supply company recommends the Leki brand of poles. Available from Leki Canada.

Leki Micro Vario

Black Diamond make high quality and very light carbon fiber poles that are highly rated, but are quite expensive. Their Black Diamond Carbon Z is US$190.

Black Diamond Carbon Z

See reviews on Switch Back Travel. Though they like Black Diamond they note that one problem with carbon fiber is that it doesn't bend—when it fails, it breaks!