Hiking Staff Monopods for $30

[orionid]

Originally inspired by this, but turned off by the price tag, my gears went to work.

My first thought went towards modification of an old-school Boy Scout wooden hiking stick – the kind that any outdoors store worth their salt when I was in scouts would have carried dozens of in a wooden barrel for $8 – but apparently Eastern Mountain Sports doesn’t take this approach. They were more than happy to show me to Aluminum and Carbon Fiber “trekking poles” that started at $140 and went up from there. A phone-internet check of REI showed that they were the same way.

Then it dawned on me. Since I had to go to Home Depot anyway, I perused through the lawn tool replacement parts section, and settled on a pair of wooden shovel handles for $6 apiece.

Lacking my usual step-by-step build pics, here’s finished product shots, followed by some quick descriptions.

DSC_2343 by Orionid, on Flickr

I cut the top 2 inches or so off with a chop saw, drilled out a hole for threaded inserts in both the top section and the long handle, and a wider counter-sink hole.

Then I ran a threaded rod through the insert so that the finished end was poking approximately 1/4 inch out of the top, test fit it on several cameras, and marked it. I moved the threaded insert out, laced it with red threadlocker, put it back in, then cut it flush with the bottom of the insert. I then put a fair amount of JB Weld in the hole and countersink area, and tapped the threaded insert in. Then I repeated with the other staff and the other finished end of the threaded rod.

DSC_2346 by Orionid, on Flickr

The caps then also got a threaded insert so that the top of the staff can look better than straight redneck, as well as protect us from poking our eyes out with a 1/4-20 skewer if we trip while hiking.

DSC_2340 by Orionid, on Flickr

Then I added a super-comfy hippie deer suede grip.

DSC_2344 by Orionid, on Flickr

….Aaaand, op-check sat.

I’m also considering adding one of these or one of these in line.

Total time, 90 minutes. Total cash money, $30. Total badass, yeah….

[sleeping]

I replaced my mini ballhead with one of these and found it a significant improvement: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554096-REG/Manfrotto_234_234_Swivel_Tilt_Monopod.html (I always wanted another hand with the ballhead)

[Plamadude30k]

My dad wants to get one of these for our backpacking trip in early August. I’ll be interested to hear how it works out-I’ve never known anybody with one.

[CauseISaidSo]

That’s pretty cool, orionid. You really are a MacGuyver of the camera world. I especially like the extra touch of the screw-on cap.

[Curious]

I then put a fair amount of JB Weld in the hole and countersink area, and tapped the threaded insert in.

threaded inserts don’t work that way. did you mean t-nuts?

yeah i’m being picky, sue me 🙂

they really are nice. you had mentioned needing sealed shafts/sticks. are these handles sealed to the tip or did you have to seal them there?

[orionid]

I then put a fair amount of JB Weld in the hole and countersink area, and tapped the threaded insert in.

threaded inserts don’t work that way. did you mean t-nuts?

yeah i’m being picky, sue me 🙂

they really are nice. you had mentioned needing sealed shafts/sticks. are these handles sealed to the tip or did you have to seal them there?

They were actually tap-in inserts.. I’ve seen them before, and similar, in the parts drawer with furniture hardware.

The staff’s aren’t sealed to the tip, but they are enough to pass Hawai’i’s agriculture inspection. It just has to be obvious that it’s a finished product, and I didn’t just pick it up out of the woods while I was walking along.

I replaced my mini ballhead with one of these and found it a significant improvement: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554096-REG/Manfrotto_234_234_Swivel_Tilt_Monopod.html (I always wanted another hand with the ballhead)

I see your point. I like how you think.

My dad wants to get one of these for our backpacking trip in early August. I’ll be interested to hear how it works out-I’ve never known anybody with one.

I’ll let you know.

[Curious]

They were actually tap-in inserts.. I’ve seen them before, and similar, in the parts drawer with furniture hardware.

hadn’t seen tap in inserts before. the far left ones are what i was thinking of. i had to repair a stool at work that has those. some toothpicks (or the whittled equivalent) to repair the hole, a bit of elmers carpenters glue and presto — the inserts hold again. the t-nuts to the right of the inserts work ok for some applications but probably not for this one.

and i have no idea why they far right things are included in that photo.

[olavf]

A buddy of mine made me a found oak walking staff, but it’s a bit short for me. I could do this…

[Author]

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