Hi Tilly,
I completed the trek in november (TREK 354). All you need is the trekking stick provided by KTL trekking. If you are going with a company who does not provide this then prepare to be stuck with a couple hundred dollars for a top of the range trek pole (each).

Belive it or not, i took 2 trekking poles. But i did not use them at all, not even once! The trekking stick was more then enough and i belive better because you will put alot of your weight on it especially going down hill. By the end my knees were very very weak and some of the decents got very tiring and negotiating the slope required the skilled use of my stick. I say it is important to have, as i my knees were really weak by the finish (and i am a 21).

In summary, having a pole is very important. Use KTL trekking and the stick they provide is strong and all you need!

kind regards,

jp

I agree, always go the best with these things.

Hi Tilly

Walking poles are very much a personal choice based on a couple of factors , what may be right for one person may not suit another.

The pole supplied by ktl is a great keep sake and will definitely get you over the trail but you will not be able to practice with it until you get there. it is also heavier then a modern walking pole.

Things to keep in mind when looking at walking poles are the ease at which they extend or contract, when you walk up hill you need a shorter pole than going down hill. Look for a non slip tip on the pole so it will grab on slippery rocks and smooth surfaces. Ideally you want to be able to set the pole at an optimum length for your height so it will require minimal length adjustment when you are on the trail.

Look very closely at the ergonomics of the handle, the reputable and experienced manufacturers put a lot of time into designing a handle that will adapt for every wrist position depending on how you need to grip the pole for the particular obstacle you need to get over.

Your wrist is going to be doing all the work with the pole, having a handle that is designed to help pull up a hill but can also quickly adapt to bracing you when going down a hill is a tremendous advantage.

I have a pretty basic leki pole that I have had for years But I bought my wile the Leki makalu that "phantom" mentoned in his post and she swear by it for all of the above reasons. We are both experienced walkers and have done Kokoda twice.

We both only use one pole but as I said before it is a personal choice. Start with one and see how you go.

Also a tip – you can use the pole to steady your camera when the light levels are low.

Good luck
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Hi Tilly

As per another Post question and receive different responses and again all I can suggest is that you train with both types and take what is most comfortable for you. I trained on Middle Brother Mountain on the NSW Mid North Coast and picked up good Australian hardwood branches and used those and went through about 15 before I got the right one, a stout pole, up to about my shoulders and about 1.25" in diameter. I sanded it back and gave it two good coats of clear varnish, drilled a hole and put a shoelace through it and then put a Squash grip on it and it served me perfectly, both up and down and you can use two hands on the pole for extra leverage. It holds pride and place in my Kokoda collection but I had to sweet talk my way back through Customs. I was 61 when I did my Kokoda Track Trek.

Cheers

Waza