wading staff

[James]

Is it possible to convert a normal walking stick to become a wading staff ? .
I would like a wading stick from The stick man , but if i can save a bit of cash then great ( no offence to The Stick man ).

i know some people use hiking poles / Nordic walking poles but i am a fairly hefty person lol. and would need a stick that can collapse / un screw to pack away in a rucksack.

[Inchlaggan]

A normal walking stick is generally too short to be effective as a wading staff.
(walking stick, measure from floor to the crease of your wrist. Staff, measure from the floor to the bottom of your breastbone.)
Any stick made in sections will be weaker than one made from a single piece.
Whilst a walking stick or hiking pole are generally for balance a wading staff can be required to hold much of your weight

[James]

i might not bother with a wading staff / stick then , as i have to have it able to fold away to allow for travelling by bike.

[Wildfisher]

when I'm, not in the mood for breaking bones I use this one.

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/230801231098?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla

It folds away into the big pocket on my fishing vest.

[James]

thats why i was after a wading stick / staff. as i am still getting used to wading but i know for a fact once i manage to get full chest waders i will happily use them to full depth lol.
but i would like a little bit of back up .
just was not keen on trying to ride a bike with a 5ft wading staff sticking up in the air or out to the side and a car clips it lol.

[Buanán]

I don't do masses of wading but when I do a bit I use a hazel staff around four and a half foot long. I select and cut a fairly straight stick around the right length then drill a hole at the handle (thicker) end, around 8" or 9" from the end of the length, which serves to attach a lanyard. If I lose it I cut a new one.

[Highlander]

The main thing about a wading stick other than the length. that has not been mentioned is it "must" be weighted at the bottom. Lead or heavy copper wire is you best bet. Those replacement knobbly rubber caps you see on the bottom of walking sticks, crutches desks chairs & the like are ideal to fit over & offer cheap alternatives.
Bit of advice; I never or at least rarely "step out" when wading. It is more of a shuffle. Move one foot & "bed it in" gravel & stony bottoms. On flat rock I stay clear, then the other using the staff to make like a triangle with the weighed staff downstream at all times giving you three points of contact & if anything slightlly more weight on the staff.
Something I would be reluctant to do with the telescopic type but stiil better than not having one at all.

Tight Lines

[dazdidge]

I do as Buanan does, go for a walk in the woods and find some Hazel. I have a wee folding saw that cost me a fiver from B&Q that I bought just for that reason. I have tried using a collapsible one  but guess what? It collapsed and I went over, but in saying that it was a pretty cheap one and I can't even remember the make of it but it went in the bin.

Hazel is surprisingly strong, biodegradable and absolutely free :lol:

daz

[Traditionalist]

Get a good broomstick.  Drill a hole in it for a lanyard, and weight the bottom with lead.  It will not cost very much and works very well. You can also drill a hole in the bottom and then screw and epoxy a large stainless steel bolt into it. To reinforce that, wrap tightly over the length of the hole you drilled, ( with the bolt glued in), with either wire or strong cord and epoxy over the bindings.

A wading staff you can't lean on is useless in a lot of situations. 

TL
MC

[James]

Mike that sounds like a neat idea, but i am not keen on the idea of having something sticking out while trying to ride the bike at same time. all it takes is one of the local boy racers to clip the stick and i could be in trouble.
I once tried taking a folding tree pruning saw with me to cut some branches in the local woods , someone must have seen me and reported me to the auld bill as i was given a stern warning about carrying a saw in public and vandalising trees  :roll:.
but again the length is an issue when on a bike , that is a concern.