Make a great hiking staff out of a steel broom handle

[Sandman]

I have trouble walking or maybe I just like to use a hiking stick. Newbie hikers buy these hundred dollar hiking poles found at Cabela's or REI, but I get mine from K-Mart or Meijer in the cleaning supply section. I get the Libman push brooms #00804 which sells for about $15.00 or less.

It has a red steel handle with a 14" black grooved contoured hand grip with a large hole for attaching a hand strap and Carabiner for maybe carrying a water bottle or beer.... Add a crutch tip at the place where it would normally screw into a broom and you are ready with a premium hiking staff or for personal defense. Pictures explain a lot. Here it is without the webbing hand strap. Great for moving poison ivy or a snake killer.

[Sandman]

I cropped the images, but should have made them smaller too. But you can see it better this way.

[Jason in Enid]

I've never understood why people spend huge amounts of money for a "stick". Looks like you have a durable, cheap alternative. I've always used an actual "stick", but I like to carve, decorate and modify mine.

[batcap]

That "14-inch black grooved contoured hand grip" reminds me of something I once found in an ex-girlfriend's nightstand.

[LM]

Don't forget the ability to store stuff inside the hollow tube!

A few years ago, I picked up a 'survival staff' on ebay clearance. It was a hollow, powder-coated heavy gauge (and somewhat lage diameter) aluminum staff with rubber shoe on the bottom and a slide-off rubber handle on top. It holds a number of elongated, waterproof capsules that fit perfectly inside the tube and offer dry storage for supplies- lighters, emergency blankets, ammo, knives, medical supplies, etc. I machined a threaded spud for the bottom that the rubber shoe fits over. It accepts some attachments I made that also fit inside the shaft (a three prong spike spear head for fish, a larger blade spear head for game/defense and a small eyelet attachment for 'whatever')

[Sandman]

Thanks for the survival info on the shaft, I never thought of that. The top is really on there but I can get to the bottom part of the shaft for adding some pill vials for matches and such, but not much else. It is nice for moving plants aside while looking for Morels too. I am trying to get more handles from Libman Co. but their website is behind and the receptionist on the phone doesn't know the products or model numbers.

[boogeyman]

Still using my old $1 thrift store ski pole. Took the basket off to make it more useable in the rocks & dirt. Nwvwe have, but a friend added a screw to the top of the handle to fit his camera. Makes his double duty walking stick / camera monopod.