Maybe a little help for those with back problems.

[WV62]

I am kind of a old timer 74 and it doesn't take much to set my back off. Back at the first part of this past summer I was hunting about mid day I just could take much more. I was in the woods and I cut me limb and made a walking stick. That made a big difference for me it keep me standing more straight up while hunting. So if you to give it a try find you stick, or a old mop handle and if it works for you, you may want to buy nicer walking stick.

Hope this helps somebody,
Ron in WV

 

[jim tn]

Good idea, Ron. I think as we get older we have a tendency to stoop, anyway. HH jim tn

 

[WV62]

I added the wrist strap to the top of the walking stick and that helps with not having to grip the stick all the time and frees up that hand as needed.

 

[Ronstar]

Could this be the reason I seem to notice my shoelaces more often??

I stop at least every 20-30 minutes and more or less stand up straight and bend slightly backwards, huge help for me. Also check and see if your doctor (or another) can perform manipulations. Sounds weird but they “crack your back”, pull your legs, and squeeze your shoulders. Now thats as plain jane as I can explain it but it really helps. When I go in the first thing noticed is one hip is way lower than the other and when you leave you’re close to even. A trick the Doc showed me was to hold my index finger to my thumb and dont let him pull them apart by pulling his finger between them, he slips thru like a hot knife thru butter. Afterwards he can not do it. Voodoo I tell ya.

 

[fwcrawford]

Good idea WV62!!
I use a collapsable trekking pole when hunting through the woods and it is amazing how much difference it makes at the end of a long hike.
Never thought about using it while detecting, but being it is made out of aluminum, your idea sounds better with a wooden stick.

 

[C.J.M.]

To late for me had 12 major surgeries 4 of them on my back couple on the neck,complete right shoulder replacement and other ones. Worse part is that I am turning 82 in a few months

 

[Wild Willy]

C.J.M. I don't know how you stood all of the operations and can still walk and talk. My one back operation about did me in. I still can't figure how I lost 2" in height and still wear the same size clothes. Sure wish they had some super-duper plastic instead of the Titanium the Docs put in. I think the Titanium came from an old Russia nuclear sub. Nyet!

 

[Coin Rescue Inc]

After an hour of hunting I am looking for a place to sit down to rest my back.
I learned to dig up the targets while standing up.
If I do need to get on my knees It helps to have a 30" shovel with a D handle I can use as a lever to get back up.
72 now.
When I first started detecting it was good exercise for my achy knees. It actually Improved their condition.
Maybe a light weight 4 ft shovel would also serve as a walking stick?

 

[WV62]

I started off with a limb off that I cut while hunting one day, my thought at the time was to stay with wood because of the detector. But on another hunt I found a nice half inch conduit pipe about 5ft long sticking up in the woods. So I thought what the heck I would give it try, no problems with the metal and the detector. So I gave stick to a 84 year old lady at church to help her with balance, she loves it.
So I remembered I had a store bought adjustable metal walking stick in my deer hunting equipment that had been put away for a few years now. I got it out and that is the way to go for me, nice and light and being adjustable comes in handy for those hill sides.
Hope to get some feedback from a few who give the walking stick a try.
Ron in WV

 

[DigDog]

Anyone have upper back issues like neck, shoulders?
I think it is more of a toll swinging especially a heavy detector for me anyway. Lower back is the walking and bending but upper is the swinging and digging. One of the reasons I don’t use a shovel or sand scoop anymore. Light shallow digging with just a hand tool.
Sucks. So much for deep targets.

 

[BobOso]

I have degenerative disks, have been in chronic pain for 12 - 15 years. S1 was fused this past year, it go so I could not walk. I'm putting of the cervical disks, even though the nerve is pinched causing my fingers to curl, yet I'm told only a few more injection on the shoulder then surgery.
I'm now back to walking 1 -2 miles every day, something I was unable to do for years, getting old sucks, most of my issues were caused by hard work ,and miss use of my body. Rode motocross, even did the Barsto to Vegas run in 1972. Rolled over on the Autobahn in a VW, sisters boyfriend was driving. 7 car pile up in buzzards bay MA while hauling houses,another in Dayton OH (2 vehicles) the list goes on.

 

[DigDog]

I have degenerative disks, have been in chronic pain for 12 - 15 years. S1 was fused this past year, it go so I could not walk. I'm putting of the cervical disks, even though the nerve is pinched causing my fingers to curl, yet I'm told only a few more injection on the shoulder then surgery.
I'm now back to walking 1 -2 miles every day, something I was unable to do for years, getting old sucks, most of my issues were caused by hard work ,and miss use of my body. Rode motocross, even did the Barsto to Vegas run in 1972. Rolled over on the Autobahn in a VW, sisters boyfriend was driving. 7 car pile up in buzzards bay MA while hauling houses,another in Dayton OH (2 vehicles) the list goes on.

Yep getting old is not for the weak.
Hard work toll on my body finally caught up to me

 

[rick in mi]

I finally purchased a serrated double edged digging knife,a white I believe. I also use a very comfortable knee pad. But it's getting harder to dig wich I prefer a beautiful plug. So I purchased a small digging shovel USED only in the woods. I wish it had a longer handle. Still works nice to lean on when needed. And like ron says every 20 minutes or so I'll do a couple back bends.....hhrickinmi

 

[DigDog]

I finally purchased a serrated double edged digging knife,a white I believe. I also use a very comfortable knee pad. But it's getting harder to dig wich I prefer a beautiful plug. So I purchased a small digging shovel USED only in the woods. I wish it had a longer handle. Still works nice to lean on when needed. And like ron says every 20 minutes or so I'll do a couple back bends.....hhrickinmi

I prefer the Leshe digging tool. Cuts through the grass good which is the hardest part. After that its all sand.
Ive had 5 surgeries on my back though from top to bottom, even digging sand isn’t easy anymore