stick it to the man!

Walking through a forest often presents ample opportunity to find a companion in the form of a dead branch, otherwise known as a walking stick, or a staff.

A good walking stick is strong and straight, comfortable to hold, and takes some weight off the legs, helps with up and down hills, provides a balancing point when crossing streams, and can even be used as a weapon I suppose, if something came up...

I have several, usually of the length shown (short ones can end up stabbing you in sensitive areas if, for example, it gets stuck in a rut on the trail)

When I have lost a favourite walking stick, I have felt the loss as though it were a good friend, having travelled many kilometers of trails together.