Sticks, and knackered knees

Buchan

Well-Known Member
I stalk some quite rough and steep ground where extraction can be savage amusement. When out on the fells without a rifle I use double sticks to take some weight off my knackered knee, so I've been wondering about using them when recovering a carcass. The current thinking is to have the walking poles in the sack, walk with the shooting sticks, shoot the deer, out with the poles, collapse the shooting sticks and into the sack with the deer or into the sack and I pull the deer.
Has anyone done this? I'm aware it's carrying more weight, but I need stability to avoid twists that then flare up the knee.
Considering Viper, but have been reading about the Fenris and 4stable.
 
I share your pain, its a good idea which I think you have to at least try, the additional weight carried would I think be outweighed by the benefit. Myself I just use a cheap £75 set which I do lean on a lot over some ground they are still sound but if they did buckle I would cry less than if it were a set of more expensive ones
 
A Knobloch three leg fully adjustable set can be found where the legs can be detatched from each other, two then can be used as/like walking poles, third one carried in the sack. Around 890gr for a three leg set.

Not everyone seems to consider the advantages of greater manoevreability, speed of setting up etc with a three legged setup but that's a horses for courses thing.
 
My knees are Ken ackered, too many bike ride miles.
I use my 4stable sticks and the pop buttons mean they break down quickly for stowage.
But they do support my ahem " sturdy frame 🤔🤣" very well .
I like your idea of deer in the sack and proper walking poles supporting you with the load on your back .
And yes the 4 stables to me are well worth the money for easy assembly/ disassembly and being lightweight.
 
I broke my back and knackered left knee in a fall from Scaffold. Other knee also suffered from sports etc I used to get ridiculous inflammation on the left knee that could be seen even when I was wearing jeans etc
I started taking CBD ( THC free}. Game changer never had a swollen knee in the 8 years I have used it. Coming down off the fell still hurts but a stick does help
 
I broke my back and knackered left knee in a fall from Scaffold. Other knee also suffered from sports etc I used to get ridiculous inflammation on the left knee that could be seen even when I was wearing jeans etc
I started taking CBD ( THC free}. Game changer never had a swollen knee in the 8 years I have used it. Coming down off the fell still hurts but a stick does help
I swear by Turmeric and Black pepper pills.
Kb.
 
You could invest in the Spartan tripod system as the legs unscrew individually and you can get handles to turn them into trekking poles. This may be an excuse to replace your existing trekking poles and get a new tripod or bipod system too. It's all incredibly lightweight and very strong.

The system was designed for mountain hunters who need to keep weight down so one set of carbon fibre legs does the trekking poles, the tripod to mount your spotting scope, tripod for rifle if you're standing or shorten the legs for kneeling bipod shots or even prone if the terrain allows. Then use the legs as trekking poles while descending the mountain carrying a backpack full of meat.

I took two of the Spartan legs on a hike up Helvellyn over the summer and they were very useful and much stronger yet lighter than previous trekking poles I've used.
 
I got the hyaluronic shots in both knees - stops the swelling after use but still doesn't allow me to bend the left one properly. They'll still be sore at times as well but definitely not as bad.
Don't know if you have the Chemist Warehouse in UK but they do a hinged neoprene knee brace for around 25 euro. I find them to be brilliant - so stable yet you can move fine and also takes a lot of pressure off the knees.
 
I stalk some quite rough and steep ground where extraction can be savage amusement. When out on the fells without a rifle I use double sticks to take some weight off my knackered knee, so I've been wondering about using them when recovering a carcass. The current thinking is to have the walking poles in the sack, walk with the shooting sticks, shoot the deer, out with the poles, collapse the shooting sticks and into the sack with the deer or into the sack and I pull the deer.
Has anyone done this? I'm aware it's carrying more weight, but I need stability to avoid twists that then flare up the knee.
Considering Viper, but have been reading about the Fenris and 4stable.
Codeine?

Very light and suddenly everything seems better.
 
I too have knackered knees with very badly worn inner meniscus on both. Depending on your problem, pain management is one thing but preventing further damage will maybe prolong the time you have until you need something major done. You say you use sticks when out walking so maybe thats the way to go. There are plenty that weigh under 500 grams. That doesn't seem like a lot extra to carry when they can do so much to take the extra load.
 
I've gone with a set of Viper Flex that I can break down. The walking poles fit nicely in my rucksack.

Sadly I've got nowhere within range of a deer all season!
 
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