Tungsten Carbide Hiking Tips

Hiking for many people is a way to get outdoors, get exercise and feel a little closer to nature. A hiking stick with a tungsten carbide tip can be an important piece of equipment to take along on a hike. The tungsten carbide gives the tip of the hiking stick a great amount of strength and durability. With it a hiker can move faster and with more confidence over most types of terrain.

  1. Tungsten Carbide

    • Tungsten carbide is a chemical compound made primarily of tungsten and carbon particles. The material is extremely tough, durable and resistant to wearing. The material is roughly three times more rigid than steel but retains roughly the same level of impact resistance, not becoming brittle as most high rigidity materials do when impacted. Tungsten carbide is also approximately 100 times more resistant to wearing than steel, such as against abrasions and corrosion.

    Purpose

    • Hiking, even on relatively flat ground, can be dangerous. It doesn't take much to trip and twist an ankle or lose balance while navigating rocky terrain. To help avoid a misstep, a hiking stick is a good way to regain balance or add stability when walking on rough ground. Hikers using a stick or staff with a tungsten carbide tip can increase their speed while hiking due to the added stability and balance from the stick and may have less of a chance injuring themselves from a trip or sprain.

    Advantage

    • Tungsten carbide tips are used in hiking and walking sticks because of their toughness and durability. Rubber, another common type of tip used in the sticks, is prone to wearing out quickly. The tungsten carbide tip offers a solid grip on most surfaces encountered while hiking. The toughness of the metal tip means that it is not prone to breaking and will rarely become scuffed or worn. This adds to the longevity of the tip, meaning the same hiking stick can be used for long periods of time without having to worry about it breaking during a hike.

    Disadvantage

    • Using tungsten carbide tips may have a negative impact on the environment. If the tip of the hiking stick is sharpened, there is a greater chance of leaving scratches and scars in stone surfaces while hiking. While a specialized rounded tungsten carbide tip can help elevate the problem, virtually all carbide tips will punch holes in the surface of the soil, possibly disrupting local plant life. Sharpened carbide tips can also accidently stab the hiker's foot, or injure somebody standing nearby, if the hiker slips and loses control of the hiking stick.