Hiking and survival staff

Abstract

A trekking staff having a solid shaft portion and a hollow elongated chamber portion provides sufficient strength for allowing a user to dynamically load the trekking staff with a significant portion of the user's bodyweight with a minimal possibility of the shaft portion bending or failing. The hollow elongated chamber portion is detachably coupled to the solid shaft portion, and can include a direction finding device, a compass, a personal water purification system, a personal water collection system, a personal first aid kit, survival equipment, unidirectional or bidirectional communication equipment, a transmitter that transmits a homing signal and / or a positional information signal. A grip portion has a shape that conforms to a shape of the trekking staff and can include a strand of cord-like material. A light emitting device can be selectably controlled to emit either a constant light or a flashing light.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to walking sticks. More particularly, the present invention relates to a walking stick that includes survival equipment. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] Hiking typically involves traversing uneven or previously undisturbed terrain, such as an ascent or descent of a slope; navigating rocks, boulders and / or cliffs; and / or crossing creeks and streams. Often, vegetation is pushed aside as the terrain is traversed. It is instinctive to attempt to aid oneself with additional support while traversing terrain, such as by steadying oneself using a tree or a rock. Additional support, such as a hiking stick or a pole, is sometimes used in order that a person may maintain a normal, erect posture. It has also become common to use a hiking stick in each hand. [0005] Existing hiking sticks and poles are lightweight and made of a tubular construction and have a length that is adaptable ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The present invention provides a trekking staff having sufficient strength for allowing a user to dynamically load the trekking staff with a significant portion of the user's bodyweight with a minimal possibility of the trekking staff bending or failing. Additionally, the trekking staff of the present invention is long enough to allow a user to conveniently deflect vegetation and other obstacles from the user's head and chest area without disengaging the trekking staff from the ground. Further still, the trekking staff of the present invention allows a user to conveniently place the bottom of the hiking stick into a creek or stream of some depth when crossing the creek or stream. Moreover, the trekking staff of the present invention includes survival devices for sustaining life for a period of time without losing the utility as a balance or support assisting device.

Problems solved by technology

One drawback with conventional hiking sticks and poles having a tubular construction is that they lack sufficient strength for allowing a user to dynamically load the hiking stick with any significant portion of the user's bodyweight without the possibility of the tubular sections bending or failing.

A similar drawback with conventional hiking sticks and poles having length adjustable sections is that when a user dynamically loads the hiking stick with a significant portion of the user's bodyweight, there is a possibility that any of the length adjusting mechanisms between may fail, thereby causing the pole to collapse.

A drawback with conventional hiking sticks and poles having length-adjustable sections is that the adjustable sections terminate at a height that is at the approximate height of a user's hand.

Consequently, conventional poles lack sufficient height for allowing a user to conveniently deflect vegetation and other obstacles from the user's head and chest area without disengaging the pole from the ground, thereby eliminating the pole's utility as a balance or support-assisting device.

Moreover, the relatively short length of such conventional hiking sticks and poles do not permit a user to conveniently place the bottom of a pole into a creek or stream of some depth when crossing the creek or stream without the user bending over to uncomfortable or unbalanced positions.

Most of these devices, however, are cumbersome, do not include particular features for sustaining life for a period of time while affording the additional utility as a balance or support assisting device as a hiking stick or pole.

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