The Spirit of the Staff

A staff is a basic tool for the outdoor traveler. For thousands of years, the walking stick has been symbol, weapon, record, and support for the tired feet and legs of the wanderer. Even today, on the trail or in camp, it has a hundred uses.

For centuries, labourers used the staff to support loads and defend themselves against man and beast. Egyptian hieroglyphics picture travelers with sticks in hand. The Bible is full of references to staffs. The ancient Druids, who believed each copse had its own living spirit, apologized to a tree before cutting it for a staff. Banned from owning conventional weapons, the poor of many countries traditionally turned to the staff for protection.

The staff is also a symbol of authority and power. Moses used his to part the sea and to get water from a rock. In Egypt, the staff and the shorter rod were the Pharaoh's symbols of office. Today, the mace, an ornate and stylized version of a staff, symbolizes the power of parliament. At the same time, the staff, especially a staff with a crook, has always represented the humble shepherd. Truly, this is a stick for all men.

In B.-P's day, the staff was considered an important part of a Scout's outdoor equipment. Today, a stylized figure with a staff marks trails in many modern parks and is often used to indicate the availability of hiking trails in recreation and wilderness areas. In many countries, the same symbol indicates a hostel - a place of rest for a weary walker.

As a weapon, a stick or cudgel was once a match for the sword, at least in legend. Sensei (master) Frank Lee of Martial Arts International says two major forms of the staff are used in modern oriental martial arts, but he also says that "unless a person is trained to know the spirit of the staff, it is just a stick."

Record keeping is one of the oldest uses for a staff. The ancient Norse used a notched stick called a skor to keep track of numerical information, and the word stuck around to become today's "score". Some native American peoples carried coup sticks decorated with carvings and feathers to commemorate victories in battle. My wife and I first encountered a modern version of this kind of record keeping in the Alps, where every town and tourist attraction sells little metal crests to tack onto a walking stick. We came away with dozens of tiny tin memories of the places we hiked. Now, you can buy the same kind of metal plaques in Canadian holiday areas such as Banff.

On the Trail
People tend to personalize their walking sticks. Frequently, they are ornately carved. Many Scouts "keep skor" by carving a mark for every so-many kilometres hiked or inking in the names of trails covered. At the 1971 World Jamboree in Japan, for example, Scouts who climbed Mount Fuji were issued a staff at the bottom. At each checkpoint along the way, it was marked with Japanese characters.

Decorated or not, a staff belongs on the trail. "A hiking stick helps make the miles glide by," wrote Robert Birkby in Boys Life magazine. "It swings comfortably in your hand, offering balance and a rhythm to your gait."

In dense overgrowth, use the staff to push aside brush and cobwebs and to prevent branches from whipping into your face. If the trail is wide enough, slip it behind your hips and hoist your pack to give your back a break. You can lift up underbrush to search for berries or pry up logs and rocks to satisfy your curiosity about what's underneath. When it's time for a rest, put your pack on the ground and brace it with the staff for an on-the-spot easy chair.

On more adventurous terrain, the walking stick is even more useful. It is a handy balance aid when crossing log bridges. Used as a brace to lean on, it can be a life-and-sprained-ankle-saver on hills, rocky ground, and slippery- bottomed streams. Marked with a measuring scale (zero at the bottom), it is useful for measuring water depth and the size of specimens. And, it's much safer to poke into holes and behind rocks with a staff rather than your hand.

A staff is handy in many emergency situations, as well. Two staves make a quick litter or stretcher. One can be a reaching aid for a comrade struggling in the water. It will support you if you fall through ice. You can use it as a crutch if necessary, or make it into a mast for a sail on a canoe. Whenever it saves you the time of having to find and cut a pole, you will appreciate having it handy.

In camp, especially above treeline, the staff can become a makeshift ridgepole or tentpole. It is instantly available for lifting hot pots off the fire or propping up a billy of tea. With a few staves, you can produce a flagpole or a camp gadget. Weighted with rocks, snow, or dirt, it becomes a "deadman" to replace those lost tent pegs.