Has anyone picked up a Walkabout stick yet?

upnorth

upnorth

Joined
Nov 25, 2006
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I got an African walking stick to basically knock my way through tangled brush while metal detecting, looking for old bottles etc, and I have a rough lower back. But I hated the big club head on it so I ground it down. Now I see the Walkabout (smaller head) and I'm bummed that it didn't come out earlier. Furthermore. I am 6'2 and 250 lbs. When I place the African down for use as a cane it jiggles\vibrates irritatingly. I am wondering of the Walkabout does the same thing, or is sturdier ? From the specs I read the shaft seems a little thinner ? I'll likely get a city stick one day but my back isn't that shot yet and I just want a bush whacker, literally, :D.
 
I weigh in at 200 lbs, and when I had a kid in my backpack rig I was pushing 240 lbs. If I wasn't using a homemade walking stick (everybody needs a hobby), I used a Cold Steel Slim Stick and it didn't flex at all. I don't know how it would work for your bushwhacking because it is rather light, so you would need to take a bigger swing. It can really land a hard shot, and plant gunk cleans up really nice with just a damp cloth. I take it hiking with a Leki tip. The dragon cane has a lot of heft if you want to keep with the polypro, and the curves and head worked good for pushing branches out of the way so they didn't hit my son in the face. Again, no flex, and not really any jiggle, but there are pointy bits on the teeth that need to be ground down for comfort. I say go right for the better cane, that way you can smite the vegetation and still look stylish doing it.
 
Hmmmm, funny how a comment can rearrange our thinking. Maybe I should just go for the City (pistol grip) as I was half planning to do anyway. The thing is tough, which is what I want, and I can use it in both environments with a cleaning. I'll have to review the Slim Stick again, not ruling that out yet. Thanks for the insight but the Dragon cane is a bit too martialist for my comfort level.
 
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The pistol grip stick is on my list, too. I didn't get one when they were around last, so I may have to act this time. The Slim Stick comes at a length that is a bit more walking stick than walking cane on me, but you are 4 inches taller so it would be about right. I, too, wouldn't have gotten the dragon at first, but I was walking around Barnes and Noble and this older man came walking through with one. In person it looks a bit more exotic than clubby, so I picked one up. The only reason I bring it up is that the serpentine shape actually provides a number of secondary handles, both for choking up while against a steep hill and for using that big flat head for pushing or pulling things. When I had a kid strapped to my back, I was paranoid about balance and not very nimble. Those S curves were so useful that I am using the cane as a template for a shaft topped with an antique ice axe head--if I can ever get enough garage time to actually finish cutting the darn thing out. If you end up with the pistol grip, drop a post with your impressions, I would like to hear what people think.
 
Theres always the blackthorn ..
It's great for moving things out of the way and it doesn't wiggle at all..
 
Thanks for the replies fellas. I gain insight through the experience of others.
 
I did a quick check of some of the places that I've bought Cold Steel sticks from in the past and none of them have it listed. It doesn't show up on ebay or amazon either.
 
I think it was the new version of the Walkabout that they brought back recently.

This one was originally made of wood. The new one is now being made of polymer.

It was announced first on their Facebook page.

But anyways, it sold out rather quickly. I doubt very many of them made it to any dealers at all.

It was the very first batch, and there probably wasn't that many of them.
 
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