Posted on Jun 1, 2015
Are hiking staffs/poles ever authorized for use in military uniform?
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I've often wondered about this. In civilian organizations such as Scouting, hiking staffs or poles are encouraged when hiking uneven terrain and especially wearing a loaded backpack or ruck. If I were rucking in uniform while holding my weapon, I can see where a staff or pole would be impractical. But are there times or locations where hiking staffs or poles might be authorized, to decrease chance of injury on steep terrain? Just wondering. And wondering when the last time such poles or staffs were authorized or even issued in uniform.
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
Why would you want to "hike" in uniform? Hiking is for recreation. A "ruck" is a form of transportation. Is it not?
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I’m an Army Ranger Instructor. We use walking sticks anytime we are on patrol with students. It’s not mandatory, but it is encouraged and sort of an icon of our job. Most often we make our own and personalize them with patches or unit crests from units we’ve deployed with and other items to make them our own. Mine has the skin from a timber rattlesnake I killed and ate when on my first patrol as a certified instructor.
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