BraneSticks are hiking poles made from Ricinus Communis canes. Approximately 60 inches tall and an inch and a half in diameter, they are VERY light and relatively strong.
Ricinus Communis, castor bean plant, grows extremely fast, 15 feet tall in a season, and can be harvested twice a year. Dry canes can be stained and sanded to various colors and patterns. Seed production is abundant.
Ricinus Communis plants are poisonous. Every part of the plant is toxic to some degree but the seeds are especially powerful. It is estimated that only five or six seeds can kill a human.
The seeds resemble a tick in size and coloration hence the latin name which means common tick. The seeds are used in the production of castor oil.
Hiking poles, like any hand-held walking support (sticks, crutches, zimmer frames etc.), are designed to provide extra stability and to spread the load on your legs onto your arms. Many people feel no need for this support when hiking, but there's a substantial minority who suffer for their pleasure in the backcountry, usually from knee pain, and they usually encounter it on hills and/or carrying heavy loads. If you end your days wishing your knees or whole legs were in better shape you may well benefit from using poles, as you can lower the amount of stress on them by taking the weight onto the poles through your arms.
The typical knee has spent most of its life supporting body weight around on reasonably flat surfaces. Add additional pack weight, keep going for longer than usual and add in the additional stress on the joints and muscles caused by ascents and descents and it's not too surprising that quite a few hikers suffer from some discomfort in their knees. If you don't, you're not so likely to want or need poles, but if you do they'll probably make things better, especially coming down hill. However, also check out the Final notes on knee troubles section.
A fact not often proclaimed by marketing departments or pole advocates is that using them will increase your total energy budget. Using your arms to prop you up isn't something they were designed for, so they don't do it very efficiently. The flipside is that despite using more energy, you're spreading the load more evenly around your body, so the legs aren't doing all of the work. Thus, if you have tired legs and knees then poles can be a win, but if you have a tired body, with your cardiovascular system at its limits, then poles may be more of a hindrance than a help.
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Walk softly, carry a big stick and you will go far. - West African proverb
Handmade walking sticks.
Handmade hiking poles
Walk softly, carry a big stick and you will go far. - West African proverb
What are Branesticks?
Buy here: etsy.com
Branesticks are handmade from Ricinus Communis stalks, sanded, stained and coated with polyurethane. They are hollow, extremely light and durable and rot resistant. Ricinus Communis is a tropical plant that grows throughout the world in the equatorial belt from as far north as Florida and as far south as Brazil. They grow extremely fast and nearly as fast as bamboo. The seeds of the plant produce ricin and are highly poisonous. Because of that the plant is not permitted to be grown commercially in the United States.
Ricinus Communis, otherwise known as Castor Bean Plant, grows extremely fast and is ideal for bio-diesel fuel production and castor oil manufacturing. However, because every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the seeds, the plant is outlawed in the United States for mass production. Ricin, the highly toxic element in the seeds, can be extracted and has been used in terrorist attacks in Japan.
Branesticks are handmade from Ricinus Communis stalks, sanded, stained and coated with polyurethane. They are hollow, extremely light and durable and rot resistant. Ricinus Communis is a tropical plant that grows throughout the world in the equatorial belt from as far north as Florida and as far south as Brazil. They grow extremely fast and nearly as fast as bamboo. The seeds of the plant produce ricin and are highly poisonous. Because of that the plant is not permitted to be grown commercially in the United States.
Ricinus Communis, otherwise known as Castor Bean Plant, grows extremely fast and is ideal for bio-diesel fuel production and castor oil manufacturing. However, because every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the seeds, the plant is outlawed in the United States for mass production. Ricin, the highly toxic element in the seeds, can be extracted and has been used in terrorist attacks in Japan.
How they were made...
I've nurtured three plants in my backyard for two years. I originally harvested the seeds and discovered that by pruning the plants to obtain the seed pods the seed production increased. After abandoning the production of seeds in 2007 but still trimming off the seed pods I found that seed production increased even more. Castor Oil is pressed from the seeds. This is a perfect plant for bio-fuel. This method of producing seeds can increase the yield of castor oil per acre exponentially.
I'm now (2008) increasing the number of plants and returning to producing seeds to measure the maximum amount of oil that might be produced in a very tiny plot of land.
I must remember that the plant is poison. Every part of the plant is toxic but no part as potent as the seeds.
Now (2009) I abandoned the plants and production of the poles as the plants are much too labor-intensive to maintain and harvest. The poison is too much a concern due to its toxicity and danger to children. Commerical production of the plant, although potentially useful as an oil and fuel, also increases the danger of the poison ricin being too easily available for nefarious uses.
I'm now (2008) increasing the number of plants and returning to producing seeds to measure the maximum amount of oil that might be produced in a very tiny plot of land.
I must remember that the plant is poison. Every part of the plant is toxic but no part as potent as the seeds.
Now (2009) I abandoned the plants and production of the poles as the plants are much too labor-intensive to maintain and harvest. The poison is too much a concern due to its toxicity and danger to children. Commerical production of the plant, although potentially useful as an oil and fuel, also increases the danger of the poison ricin being too easily available for nefarious uses.