How to make hiking sticks? A complete step by step guide for beginners

Usually, people like hiking to cut out from boring and hectic or regular routines because it gives a lot of enjoyment and refreshing moments and re-energizes the human body for work.

Now, on this given topic, we will talk about “How to make Hiking sticks?” for yourself if you don’t like already made hiking sticks or poles available in the market.

Before moving towards the topic, let’s talk about why hiking sticks are used to make more upright while walking uphill, balance and stability while hiking, transferring weight from legs to stick, and balance on spoiled trails.

What type of wood should you choose for hiking sticks?

Note:

Please don’t try to cut a stick from a living tree anyhow, you should find a wooden stick in your house lawn, neighborhood, nearest park, or ground, and there are tons of ways to find it.

Right Wood

Almost all kinds of tree wood can use for hiking, but if you are from North America. We have some suggestions for you, such as the wood of hazel, birch, blackthorn, ash, cherry bark oak, the pignut hickory, beech, and chestnut tree.

Woods Damage by Insects/Pests

Sometimes wooden stick is infected with insects and unsuited for hiking or walking. But in most cases, it is usually wide enough to use after removing the infected part.

Height of a Hiking Stick

The stick should reach enough that it can end just below your shoulder. You can also choose a big one to cut down later according to your need.

Diameter of a Hiking Stick

The diameter of hiking should be at least 1 inch and not more than 2 inches. If your question is, “How could you select a perfect diameter?” Then our recommendation is if you are skinny, then a 1-inch diameter is enough, but if you are a healthy person, you should choose a 2-inch diameter to support your body weight.

Straightness 

A straight stick is not compulsory. Instead, you can prefer it. Top and bottom alignment are necessary when choosing a hiking or walking stick. Because if alignment is perfect, it will not be able to lift or balance your body weight while walking.

Strength

In simple words, the strength of a thing is durability and reliability against a resistance force.

A hiking stick is one of the main things for hiking. If you unconsciously take a weak wooden stick, it may be broken during hiking. Then you may not be able to continue your journey.

Now your question should be, “How to check the strength of the stick?”

The simple way to check the strength is to put one end of the stick on the floor, hold another end in hand, and press from the middle of this stick. A slight bend in it is reasonable, but a slightly more means it is not strong. After pressure gets split, you should not use such a stick because low in strength.

Weight

Now the weight is such a thing that will define how much you can hike. A heavy hiking stick means more fatigue and discomfort and demands more stops during a walk. It will be enough to ruin your pleasure of hiking. Always prefer weight according to your physique.

Gather Needed Tools to Make a Hiking Stick or Walking

Note:

Woodworking is grinding to work. If you don’t have the basic knowledge to work with these types of equipment, you should consult with experts in the field.

Gloves that carpenters use or anyone available at home, Surgical mask or N95 Respirators or Sanding Mask, Wooden Stick, Sandpaper for Wood Furniture Finishing and place it on a 2×4 wooden block or use an electrical sander, Saw Set (carpenter’s), Box Cutters Utility Knife.

Start the Process of Making a Walking or Hiking Stick

If you are thinking of selecting a freshly broken tree stem for a stick, it may not be worthful. A fresh stem is more flexible than a dry one, so whenever you place a load on it will bend, and you can’t lift your weight. The drying process of the stem can take up to months, which means the wait is not a good idea. Make sure always choose a dry, broken tree stem in good condition.

Cut the stick 

Take the cutter from the tools and remove the extra branches deep into the stick’s bark. Now adjust the stick length by trimming it according to your height.

Time to Remove the Bark

The next step is to use a box cutter to remove the bark from the stick. For this, start from one side of the bar and apply minimal force to remove all bark from the stick. Removing bark helps make it beautiful and infection-free.

Sanding the Wood

Wear a recommended mask and take sanding paper rapped on a 2×4 wooden box; use it because it’s the process of abrading wood fibers, so they are rendered uniformly rough.

Clean the wood.

Clean the wood. Don’t use a wet rag because the water can raise the grain and build the end rough again.

Oil and Finish

Put a regular screw at the rock bottom of the stick. Despite the oil you decide on, soak the rag or artifact with the oil and apply it generously to the surfaces from prime to base.