I recently made hiking sticks as an incentive for my Scout’s Hiking Club. This project is very economical and turns out looking pretty sharp. What follows is a step by step on how to recreate these hiking sticks.
From the local hardware store I purchased 60” tapered wood handles, as would be used to replace the handle of a broom. These handles are solid, made of oak, prefinished, and cost around $5 each. I then purchased 5/8” rubber chair tips for approximately a quarter each. These tips fit snugly and prevent splintering of the end during use.
Apply a small amount of wood glue inside the tip and attach it to the end of the hiking stick.
Wipe off any excess glue and allow to dry.
When dry, secure stick in a table mounted clamp. Be sure to protect the stick from the clamps grips by using a shop towel or something similar.
Then holes are drilled down the stick. These holes will allow for a leather wristlet to accurately size for the child and as the child grows. Starting from the foot end, measure 32”, 36”, 40”, 44”, 48”, and 52”.
When drilling your wristlet holes, clamping a drill block or jig paired with a level can help give you consistently straight holes.
Drill holes with a 5/16” bit. After drilling holes, follow with a countersink bit. The countersink will allow your leather or paracord wristlet to last longer, as well as clean up the appearance if there was any splintering.
Sand the countersink holes with 300-400 grit sandpaper.
After all the wristlet holes have been cleaned up, adding customization is a relatively quick and easy task that will give identification as well as pride to the Scout. You may want to put first name and pack number, or name and date hiking stick earned, or any other combination of your choice.
I use a wood burner with letter/numbered stamps. For consistency, measure 12” down from the top of the stick before starting. A small loop of string or twine makes a good reference line after measuring.
Practice each letter on a scrap piece of wood prior to attempting on the hiking stick.
After all wood burning personalization is completed, wipe off any remaining dust with a dry rag. Make sure all holes are smooth. Then add a light coat of polyurethane to the entire hiking stick, including holes, and allow to adequately dry. A single coat should work fine, but if there are any bubbles or other imperfections there is nothing wrong with lightly sanding and applying another coat.
