Tips For Buying Seat Sticks
Seat sticks, or folding seats, are the relatives of walking aids such as walking sticks and trekking poles, and even the the traditional shepherd’s crook. For recreational hikers, trekkers, or hunters, seat sticks can be valuable travel goods. Seat sticks can also be used outside of athletic activities, to enhance the comfort of daily life.
Outdoors-men can use light, well-constructed seat sticks the same way that they’d use trekking poles. A long-distance hiker ascending a hill can use the seat stick to support his or her weight, thus conserving energy. The trekker can similarly use his or her seat stick to help stay upright while fording fast-running streams.
Meanwhile, the folding seat that graces the top of the seat stick is especially useful to those sportsmen who hike as part of a hunting excursion. A gentleman hunting ducks will need to take steady aim at the flying, terrified ducks that his dog has just roused from the bushes. A seated position helps immensely with the steadiness of one’s aim.
However, the hunter needs to remain standing in order to be able to see the ducks; he can’t just crouch. This is where the seat stick demonstrates its utility. Indeed, this is what the seat stick was originally developed for, back in the 1850′s. The man simply jabs his stick into the ground and spreads out the folding seat at the top. As the hunter uses his two legs to balance, the stick upholds the majority of his body weight. As a consequence, his aim is fair. To this day, seat sticks used for hunting are known as shooting sticks.
Five Seat Stick Buying Tips
1. First, consider your aesthetic preferences. Are you going to be using your seat stick to help you hunt quail at your estate? Do you want to adopt the look of a nineteenth century English gentleman? If so, consider buying a slim, simple lightweight seat stick, of leather and light, strong wood (or lightweight plastic). Game-bird seat sticks, manufactured in England, are some of the best-known seat sticks of this kind.
On the contrary, if you just want a prosaic but convenient object that lets you momentarily rest your legs while you’re waiting in line at the bank, consider purchasing a walking stick tripod seat. These are bulkier and don’t look as elegant, but offer more support for your body.
2. Second, ask yourself how much money you intend to spend. A top-of-the-line Game-bird shooting stick, with a fully adjustable leather seat and tips of polished metal, will cost. Do you balk at paying that much for a 30″ length of plastic? If so, perhaps you’d be more interested in purchasing an ordinary metal seat stick with a plastic seat, for a lower price.
3. Third, determine how much seating comfort you want your seat stick to offer. Are you going to be using your new purchase primarily as a walking stick, or are you going to be using it primarily as a portable seat?
During the twentieth century, seat sticks have become popular among golfers. Since golf involves both walking and waiting, many impatient golfers have started to use seat sticks to ease the process of waiting for other golfers to finish putting. Golfers are more likely to want a heavier seat stick with a comfortable seat. By contrast, hunters and hikers are going to want a seat that’s light to carry. They’re going to want a seat on which they can perch themselves at a moment’s notice.
4. Fourth, consider what accessories you’d conceivably want to buy for your seat stick in the future. Are you going to be using your seat stick while walking primarily on turf and dirt–or are you going to use it on paved city streets? If the latter is your answer, buy a ferrule to go on the end of your seat stick. A ferrule is a blunt metal or rubber tip that covers up the pointy end of your stick.
5. The final tip: be a cautious buyer, especially if you’re going to be purchasing your seat stick over the Internet. Make sure your vendor is reputable, and ask the vendor for references if you have any doubts.
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