Trekking Poles in a Thunderstorm

[Bob Kittredge]

So you're above treeline and see a thunderstorm approaching. As you hightail it down the mountain, what do you do with your metal trekking poles?

Leave them behind?

Tie a string to them and drag them along behind you?

Collapse them down and carry them low and parallel to the ground?

Use them as normal?

Wave them around in the air over your head?


( Scattered thunderstorms expected on Mount Washington this weekend.)

 

[Blue]

Mine collapse, so I'd toss them in my pack.

NOAA says that there's a 50% chance of showers Saturday. In their weather discussion, they note that weak disturbances and conflicting models are making for difficult predictions.
There is no current talk of thunderstorms.

-Liza

partly cloudy partly cloudy partly cloudy fair sunny fair sunny

 

[CatskillsYeti]

fatal attraction?

Metal objects "attract" lightning only when they offer a good electrical path to "ground." A pair of collapsed poles dangling from your pack or stuffed in it would not qualify. I wouldn't use poles during a thunderstorm when walking on wet rock surfaces, as a nearby lighting hit could create ground currents that could in turn travel up a metal pole that was in contact with wet rock. But then, you could just as easily get zapped by a ground current through wet boots or shoes.

 

[RDP]

I was thinking the same thing this morning. I am hiking to Eisenhower, Pierce and Jackson tomorrow.

Collapse them and toss them in my pack

 

[Jim lombard]

The only thing you can do (poles or not) is get as low as you can so you're not the highest point around. The lightning in Colorado was just amazing and the trip leader always said to hunker down.
I've never had a real problem with it in NE.

 

[hillman1]

I got stuck in a pretty bad lightning event on couchie on the 9th. I had one hiking pole with me. I got to a sheltered area, and tossed that pole down the trail as far as I could. I figured it wouldn't make much of a difference, but it did wonders psychologically...

 

[SherpaKroto]

I'll got with Hillman1 on this one.

A few years ago I was on Hamlin Ridge (rather appropriate as I'm headed up there tomorrow). My buddy Tony and I had waited a long time for our friends to cross Knife Edge, so we finally left Baxter summit to do Hamlin. When we reached the summit, clouds formed in a matter of minutes and we could see lightning on the Brothers. We high tailed it and made it below treeline just as the lightning hit above us. I threw my poles away, but kept going back to get them as it felt like leaving a friend behind. Closest strike was 30 feet overhead. Rather unnerving. Did it help to throw them away? Yes, mentally. Was it foolish to keep retrieving them? Probably.

 

[Seeker]

Advice from the experts:

www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/outdoors.htm

Note they say avoid metal (!). I think tossing poles is the way to go. The most important thing is to avoid being out in the first place.

Thanks for the heads up Bob, I'm leading a trip to the Baldfaces this w/e and will be extra careful!


www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/overview.htm

 

[CatskillsYeti]

Not holding on to metal objects is good advice, but stashing a pair of poles in a pack is not that same as holding on to them. The advice in the NOAA piece is to not be in direct contact with metal, and not to go near larger metal structures. The latter can cause injuries from flying molten pieces if struck by lightning.

With my knees, I'll make every effort to not give up my poles.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

Give them to your hiking partner

 

[Seeker]

I'm not sure stashing poles in a pack is really all that different than hiking with a backpack with a metal frame. I remember a news report about a woman who was hit by lightening, and her gold necklace left quite a burn on her neck.

You can always get new poles, or hide them and retrieve them another day. Just my .02.

IMO, lightening isn't something to underestimate.

 

[ADackR]

run as fast as you can off the ridge with the poles.. if you can not get off the ridge, seek the lowest point W/OUT the poles & metal framed pack....

 

[spider solo]

...um....I suppose using a hiking stick....ahh ...never mind.

 

[Ridgerunner]

An old one iron

If you carry an old cut off one iron (golf club) and hold it overhead during a storm, you will be protected.

 

[sbear]

B ecause even god can't hit a one iron

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes !

Rigth on !

 

[TomEske]

And now a word from the VFTT Engineering Department:
Keep in mind that in order to 'encourage' lighting to come your way you must provide a workable path to ground. Most hiking poles do not do that because they have plastic (delrin) tips. (Don't forget about the rubber, plastic, or cork handles to protect your from the pole.) Also for the hiker, most are wearing boots with rubber soles. (See numerous references and books by/about N. Tesla and his coil experiments). Next to that it is the size of the object, and it's ability to 'accept' the energy. Your body scores higher here than the poles or a pack framehowever, any metal in DIRECT contact with the skin will become a 'hot spot' of electrical concentration (I don't know why this is).
Having experienced a ground strike which incapacitated my right arm for a few hours, I can tell you the experience is exhilerating. I was holding a support cable which was laying on the ground when the strike hit about 50 feet away.
Keeping low is important when you are in the field of fire, but throwing away your poles doesn't help, except to placate your peace of mind. Put them in your pack and crouch low. Get off the high ground ASAP, this will help you the most. One other tid bit I picked up from my Skywarn training: if you notice a build up of static electricity in your immediate area (hair stnading on end, nylon clothes clinging to each other, etc.) GET DOWN NOW BECAUSE A STRIKE IS IMMENENT! The weather service has a photo of 2 people taken on Mt. Grylock (I think) with their hair standing on end. 2 seconds after the photo was shot, they were struck.
Happy Hiking,
Tom

 

[Grumpy]

Incident on Algonquin?

If I recall, a couple (more or less) years ago somebody was zapped by lightening while descending from Algonquin’s summit (Adirondacks). Non-fatal, and the victim was able to continue back to Adirondack Loj with assistance, if I remember correctly. Seems to me the fellow’s trekking poles were damaged, and possibly implicated, but my memory is imperfect.

Anybody remember this incident and have details to correct/add?

G.

 

[Seeker]

Morbid curiosity

Where is that picture?

(I'm still ditching the poles.)

 

[TomEske]

You'll have to go take the Skywarn training from the Albany Office of the NWS, they have it in the presentation on identifying thunderstorms and summer safety for observers.
Tom