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Hiking Stick Medallions:
Great Hiking Gifts
And Mementos For Hikers

By Diane Spicer

Let's spell out exactly what hiking stick medallions are.

Hiking stick = hiking pole = trekking pole = walking stick = hiking staff = well, you get the idea!

Add a little piece of metal, stamped with a favorite park, monument, or trail (the medallion part), and there you have it!

A treasured, and personalized, piece of trail gear.

Why hike with a stick?

A hiking stick acts as a worthy trail companion in oh so many ways:

• It's there for balance and probing the water when you need to cross a creek on a narrow log.
• It takes strain off your knee joints going down hill.
• It may help defend you from someone's misbehaving canine on the trail.
• It can act as an emergency tent pole, or prop up a tarp during a rain delay.
• Back scratcher, anyone? (Once your pack is off, of course.)
  

To jazz up a plain old hiking pole,
attach a medallion

Why?

Because hiking medallions are fun on so many levels!

• There's the "memory lane" angle. Every time you glance at the hiking stick, great hiking memories come rushing back.
• And you can hang your hiking stick in a prominent location in your office or family room, reminding you all winter long of your hiking adventures.
• Fun conversation starter with guests, too.

Hiking stick medallions make
great gifts for hikers

Do you have a hiker in your life? I'll bet you're often stumped for unique hiking gift ideas.

Consider a hiking stick, and a medallion to go with it, for the next birthday or holiday gift you need to purchase.

These medallions are an inexpensive way to commemorate a long trail or section accomplishment, or a long awaited hiking trip to a famous destination, for yourself.

Bring good memories of trail time back with one glance at your lovely little medallion.

Conversation starters

Sporting a hiking stick medallion is a fun way to meet other hikers.

Say you're on a rest break, and another hiker passes by and spots your stick leaning against a rock.

S/he may have just come from hiking in that destination, so you can compare hiking notes.

• You may meet a kindred spirit or a new trail buddy (or possible romantic interest! Just sayin'...)

Or perhaps that person has been longing to visit the place depicted on your medallion. Instant conversation!

Where can you get
a good hiking stick medallion?

Here's an example of a medallion from one of my favorite hiking destinations, Yellowstone National Park.

It features an iconic bison and a geyser.

Bison are majestic mammals, and your chances of seeing them, along with geysers, in Yellowstone are high. My spine tingles with great memories every time I see that image of a bison!

This Amazon page is a good place to get started looking at your options for hiking stick medallions.

The company called Hike America has an extensive list of somewhat obscure choices.

Browse around and see if there is a medallion that speaks to you.

And if you're a fan of Yellowstone, well, there you have it!

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