I remembered my walking stick that spends most of its time out in the garage waiting for me to take it out in the woods once again, where I found it. I picked it up a few years ago at a Christian camp in Northern Michigan. The walking stick is still much like I found it in the woods except for the fact that I coated it with some clear polyester lacquer to smooth out the surface and to make the stick last longer. It is some kind of hardwood, although I’m not sure I could tell you precisely what type of tree it came from. The walking stick fits my height just about perfectly, that was one of the reasons I picked it. I know some other people who have metal walking sticks, but it always seemed appropriate to have a wooden stick while walking in the woods. I got to thinking about some other uses that I might use my walking stick for someday, and here is a list of potential applications that I came up with.
1. You could use your walking stick to help prop up your tent, or canvas shelter that you might be using when you camp.
2. You could tie a string to one end of your stick and another to a tree and make a clothesline to dry out your clothes if they got wet.
3. Someday you might need to use your walking stick for defense, especially if you come across a wild animal on your walk.
4. If you ever dropped something in the creek that you were walking beside, maybe you will use your walking stick to ‘fish’ whatever it was you dropped out of the water.
5. A sturdy walking stick can be used as a fishing pole, in a pinch, if you have a little fishing line in your pocket or backpack.
6. If you ever cross a shallow stream or walk across snow in the winter, use your walking stick to gauge the depth of the stream or the snow that you are going to cross.
7. If you are carrying a backpack, then using a walking stick can give you extra endurance and stability, essentially adding a 3rd or 4th leg to the 2 legs you already have.
8. The stick can also be held out in front of you to brush aside heavy undergrowth, or vines that might trip you.
Some folks may decide to go to the store and buy their walking poles, and then they would probably have a strap around the top to go around your wrists. Their poles would also most likely be made of metal. These poles look something like ski poles. Let us know what kind of walking sticks or poles that you decide to use by writing in the comments below.
