Spring Cleaning Your Gear: Trekking Poles

So how many of you actually clean your trekking poles after every use? *insert oooopsy look here* Yeah, neither does Tim. I don't have trekking poles, but Tim uses two Leki Makalu Ultralite Titaniums (discontinued now). I use one of his occasionally, but I usually just deem anything extra in my hands as unnecessary. I am a photographer after all, and a camera is a permanently attached appendage. That doesn't leave much room for a pole or stick.

After last weekend's hike, Tim decided that the filthy things needed a good cleaning. So yesterday, during the gloomy, cold weather we were having (as opposed to the weekend's near 90's), Tim embarked on the retractable-pole-cleaning-quest. I thought it best to sit back and enjoy watching him clean something for once, then attempt to describe to you what I observed.



First things first: gather all the things you'll need one item at a time. This includes a pole cleaning kit, a towel, a thin old rag, a piece of fine grit sandpaper, a large bowl, water, fabric softener, and some mild detergent and a sponge (or go the quick route and use baby wipes). Make sure when you're fetching these items that you become engrossed in a rerun of SNL and promptly forget what you were after, twice per item. Add a few miscellaneous items into the mix to confuse anyone looking at the pictures.

After being reminded four times, put the towel down so your wife doesn't kill you to catch the mess and protect the table surface. Better yet, have her give up and do that part for you. Next, wait for the pizza to be ready. A man needs fuel, and this is going to be a half-evening job. After that, be a hero and disassemble your poles.

Once you've accomplished this daunting task - which I'm sure is easier if they're not as filthy as Tim's - you'll need to remove each retainer clip from the plug and screw. Fiddle with this about six times just because it's a neat little contraption.

If your poles are like Tim's, they'll be four screw sets total, and each will be two separate parts. It could be one piece on yours, in which you will remove it from the screw and treat it the same way. Clean the threads of the screw thoroughly in between ginormous bites of pizza.

Next, sand the top of the clip (or your one piece plug/clip) a bit with some fine grit sandpaper and place it back on the screw. Realize you were supposed to sand the plug instead, and sand it too. This provides a better seat for the screw - so says Tim. It also improves friction and the performance - so says Leki. Honestly, I can't see how it made that much of a difference.


The next step will require the trekking pole cleaning kit, but a gun cleaning kit may work just as well if you happen to have one. You'll want to use this to clean the insides of the shafts after you've smeared more pizza on your cheeks.

Notes on this: If you have titanium poles like Tim, then it's probable that the insides have been anodized for anti-corrosion and wear-resistance properties. The cleaning kit came with brass cleaning brushes, but I wouldn't recommend using them on anything. They will damage the anodized surface of titanium, and will shred carbon fiber. I would suggest you use the loop attachments that come with the cleaning kit and a soft piece of fabric, like a handkerchief.

So, cut a small piece of fabric to fit the shaft cleaner loop attachment that took you ten minutes to find the adapter for, then run the cleaner up into the shaft. Realize that you may have cut the fabric a bit too large, and ascertain that the cleaning wand and the pole have now become fused as one. Point the metal tip at your belly, and puppy-eye your wife into a tug-o-war to get the wand out. Let her remind you that you're going to stab yourself in the gut, move the pole to your side, then laugh hardily when she nearly topples over from having to put all her weight into pulling the cleaning wand out.


Cut the fabric into a smaller piece, rethread it into the loop attachment and then clean throughout the shaft making sure to "dump" any dirt out that has become loose. Repeat this step a few times because it's just too darn fun not too. Grin at your wife in the middle of the pumping motion. Give her the eye. She'll love it.

By the way, never use a lubricant on your poles - inside or out. I have seen some people recommend using WD-40 to wipe down rust, but it would be better to call the manufacturer and discuss replacing the section that has rusted.


Next, clean the entire pole with the mild detergent and sponge - or do like Tim did and use baby wipes. They are mild, easy to use, disposable, and we have a ton of them lying around because Q likes to sleep in baby wipe boxes houses.







Make sure to wipe the grip, too. Then, eat more pizza (is this humanly possible?!) while you allow the sections to dry.




While the bottom sections are drying, soak the straps in a bowl of warm water with about 1/4 cap full of fabric softener. Put the Hercules-death-grip on the cap of the softener so wifey can't get it open on laundry day. Let them sit for 10-20 minutes while you finish off the pizza.



Then rinse well, squeeze out the remaining water, and hang to dry on your wife's kitchen curtains which has become a catchall for anything outdoorsy that needs to dry out.









Wipe down all the parts in their entirety once more with a dry, soft rag, then reassemble the poles. Stand back and be proud. You may have cleaned some poles, but be real - you just devoured a whole pizza!

Now get out there and work it off with a long walk in the woods.

Happy Cleaning!

Robin & Tim

Trail Fun: 9 Ways to Keep Kids (and Teens!) Entertained

One of the toughest things about hiking and parenting is learning how to mix the two. On the one hand, you have this beautiful weekend with nothing you'd rather do but walk for miles, and on the other, you have a child who isn't as enthusiastic about riding your coattail the whole way. A surefire way for a trek to go sour fast is to listen to a child complain, and whine, and moan, and groan for hours on end.

When Ashby was little, we never really had this problem. She was always eager to go along, to walk for miles, to hop on rocks, and skip stones in the rivers. It has evolved over time. More or less during this time that the aliens have stolen her brain (aka the teen years). She doesn't complain while we're out there, just mainly the days before when she hears about the plans for hiking. And she doesn't hate hiking. She just firmly dislikes anything that doesn't include spending money or chasing boys.

So how do we keep her entertained? That's the easy part! Keep her distracted!

1. Tapping into curiosity. Kids are naturally curious. Utilize your hiking time to tap into this. Asking questions is the best way to get them started. "Hey, wonder what could live in that tree hole?" "Have you ever seen a mushroom that looks like THAT?!"


2. Observe your surroundings verbally. Just like you don't know what your teen is thinking, they don't know what you're thinking either.  Initiate a light conversation about what you see. Verbal observation will get them talking to you, too, and seeing through your child's eyes is the best trail experience.

3. Use your imagination. Get creative! Make up a funny story on the spot. Even Ashby's not too old for this. Also, use your observation skills (and theirs!) to find everyday objects in other things. Example photo: Picking a tree's "nose".







4. Feed that baby! We all know that food is more fun to eat when you're in the wilderness. Pack in yummy treats, lounge on some logs, and snack away. Really kick back and enjoy the experience. Let them play with their food. Oh, and the 30 second rule reigns supreme! A little dirt never hurt anyone.





5. Make it a solo date. Have more than one child? Momma and daddy always together on the trail? Make it special for your youngin' by making it a date, just you and the babe. Take the whole day if you can. Add in a playground trip, a picnic, a swim in the summer. Remember to take lots of bad pictures.





6. Bring a friend. I know this one works wonders for us. If we bring along "the Joders" (Jodi) then Ashby is content. They have a ton of fun together, and find a million faces to make things to do.




7. Pick an interesting trail. Just because you're bringing the "babies" doesn't mean the trail has to be boring. Sometimes the most interesting trails are rated "moderate" instead of "easy." Read reviews and do your homework. Your children will have more fun crossing rocks and streams than meandering concrete paths.

8. Go at their pace. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen the "Speed Hiker" out on the trail with his family in tote practically dragging them along by the ears. You know who I'm talking about: Mr. 30-miles-in-one-day. Usually he's up ahead hollering for them to catch up, or he's in the back badgering them to move on. Might as well put them on a leash and drag them. Don't do this. If your babies are little, go at their pace. Let them have time to explore, rest, and absorb all of their surroundings. Remember, there's a lot of new things out there for them! If they're older, allow them to try your pace, but don't expect them to be marathon trail runners.

9. When all else fails, resort to bathroom humor. Need I say more?

Going Bananas

Okay, so I know this is an Outdoors blog, but we are really missing bananas here. Bananas are THE super fruit. We put them in lunch boxes, throw them in the daypack, mash them in the oatmeal, stick them in our ears, talk to each other on the "banana phone," and even crazy unheard of things like eat them! They fill our bodies with a glorious amount of B6, Vit C, and potassium; and at ~200 calories, they make a yummy low cal, on-the-go snack. They maintain blood pressure, heart health, soothe ulcers, protect eyesight, and build stronger bones. Plus, they're the perfect reason to pretend we really are part-ape!

But lately, I've not found one. single. banana. in any of our local stores! It's been nearly a week (and that's big time for us) that we haven't had bananas on our kitchen fruit stand. Last week's grocery trip turned up zero on the banana scale. They had NONE... not even an overripe one!  This week's grocery trip was the same. They did have some plantains, but if you've ever accidentally tried to eat one of these like a ripe, raw banana - you know, bright yellow sweet goodness - you're in for a big, starchy, bitter surprise.

Tonight, I thought for sure I could score some bananas on our weekly Big Box Mart trip... but alas, all they had were a few bruised and battered, black and brown, tiny little baby bananas that wouldn't even make for a good hamster snack. *insert Miss Coo's frowny face here*



But I hadn't heard anything about a banana shortage. I'd heard there was a strawberry shortage, and we've certainly seen the likes of that (they've been MIA, too!). So as soon as I got the enormous amount of cat and dog food put away, I ran straight to ask my boyfriend (Google!) about a possible banana shortage. Turns out, I couldn't really find that much information on a banana shortage. All I seen was the Cyclone Yasi had destroyed three-quarters of the Australian banana crops back at the beginning of February. But Australia isn't even listed in the top 10 banana producing countries according to Wikipedia.

So, I'm confused. I thought maybe - just maybe - I actually do live under a rock and something major happened to the world supply of bananas. But unless the U.S. only imports bananas from Australia (and I know this isn't true) then we should have SOME bananas. Right?

So... What am I missing??


I tell you what. The first person to help me solve the Mystery of the Missing Bananas wins... A BANANA... when I find one. No promises it'll be edible upon arrival. :-)