Scout decorating ideas fro hiking stick and walking staff making

      We get many requests from scout leaders concerning ideas for walking stick making projects. Some of the best ideas how to decorate walking sticks for scout comes from badges received, individual personality of the scouts and utilities added to the hiking sick or walking staff project end result more useful in the wild.

    Scouts earn badges that symbolize certain achievements. One great way is to add the badges to the walking stick or wood burning badge achievement. For example for hiker burn a mountain image or forester wood burn trees. Wood burning is a great way to accent walking stick projects. You can even carve or wood burn the entire Boy Scout oath on the walking stick.  Remember to put your scout troop number too!

     I’m not a great painter so I usually do not paint on walking sticks. However, if you have some artist skills paint scout images on the walking stick project. Remember to put a clear coat on the walking stick first or the paint will soak into the wood and spread out as you paint destroying the image. In previous articles we discussed adding a compass, rope and other useful tools to your walking stick project adding outdoor items that you may need in an emergency.

   Adding a compass to the top of the walking stick or to the lanyard gives you an added outdoor tool. Also, weaving rope onto your hiking stick making project is a great way to carry extra rope when need. If you need instructions on these ideas and much more get the walking stick making guides. Other useful walking stick making add on include whistles, small knife and cutting wire.

Making hiking stick scouts how to make handle

One thing that makes a walking stick more unique hand is the actual weaved hand hold area. When making a walking stick you can use the standard drill a hole through the walking stick, slide a rope or leather through the hole and then tie it off or you can make a truly unique hiking staff or stick using rope weaving techniques. 

What you need for cord working and weaving:

        Para cord           Matches or Lighter       Knife
        Clear Tape         Needle                       Dental Floss (not the plastic type)

                          

         Before you start making your walking or hiking staff handle use a match or lighter to melt the end of the cord. We do this to prevent rope frays and unraveling.  Yes, it can catch on fire and drip if you are not careful. The end of the cord is hot. Do not touch it until it cools when working on your hiking stick making project.  Now using rope working weaving techniques for your walking stick making scout project to create various patterns.  If you are scout or you need instructions on how to weave a walking stick  or hiking staff handle you may consider obtaining the walking stick making guides that walks you through weaving a handle such as the one below. Weaving rope on your hiking stick project adds uniqueness. 

          The first image shows just a few of the rope colors (para-cord) available for just a few dollars. The above image and below are two different weaves. Weaving is not hard once and most people can master at least one weave in 30 minutes with proper instructions. Have fun making your walking stick and hiking staffs!

How to make scout walking sticks and hiking staffs unique

Boy Scout walking sticks ideas and projects.

Walking sticks give hikers advantages and a great project for Boy scouts is making their own unique walking stick. Beyond the basic walking stick making method of just sanding, drill a hole for a cord and coating the wood you have many unique options to make your hiking stick a real work of art.

First, you do not need extensive training and years of work to make a remarkable walking stick.  Simple decorations add much to your wood walking stick scout making project such as adding a metal scout badge to the wood, or using a wood burning tool to create images of eagles, trees or other nature item. Drill a hole on the top and add a compass.

Use rope knot techniques to make a woven hand hold rope. Learn simple wood carvings to your scout walking stick making project.  Even using different staining techniques makes an ordinary walking stick to a work of art.  Many scout masters and leaders have obtained the walking stick making guides for ideas for their scout group. Making walking sticks unique give your scouts more pride and desire to create more elaborate wood walking and high sticks.

Making walking staff, cane or hiking sticks: which one?

    There are countless number of walking sticks, hiking staffs and gentleman canes styles. The majority of articles on the internet are on hiking sticks or walking staffs usage and basic making.  Gentleman canes used for support or more elaborate evenings out are rarely covered when making sticks. Which one is best for you depends upon the usage of your wood hiking stick. The main techniques to make a hiking sticks, walking staff, gentleman cane or wizard staff are the same when working with wood.

    If you plan to use bamboo freshly cut then you will need to know how to properly heat the cane to bend it to the right shape for a gentleman cane. If you plan to make a hiking stick or staff our of the bamboo then it works similar to regular wood sticks when making your walking stick. What's the difference between a walking stick and a hiking staff? Very little. Walking sticks usually uses in-town, not on trails, usually have rubber ferrules verses metal ones for trail dirt usage. The lengths, type of wood and how to make the walking stick or hiking staff is the same.

   One option usually reserved foe hiking sticks and staffs is the need to make then portable if you plant to travel. Most people use metal screw inserts in the middle of the hand made walking sticks and staffs so you can unscrew then into two parts for packing into luggage. Store purchased metal walking sticks are collapsible.

Make your own hand made walking stick holder

Create a Walking Stick Holder

        What do your do with all your walking sticks you made? How do you display or store them? This section will give you a couple of ideas on how to display your walking sticks or staffs with a bit of class.

Step 1: The idea is simple idea of how to store your hand made walking sticks and you have two ways to do it. Find a log slice that is at least 10” thick and 20” in circumference. If you have many walking sticks you will need to get slices with larger circumferences.     

      The thickness is needed to give it some weight. When the log section dries it looses 40% or more if it’s weight due to water loss. yes, you can add weight to your walking stick and hiking staff holder to keep if from tipping over.

Step 2: If the bark is interesting then do not remove it. If it is damaged or you like to see the wood grains then strip the bark and sand the wood.

Step 3: Get a wood drill bit that is larger than the measurement of each sticks circumference. You are going to drill holes into the top of the wood section to hold the walking sticks made by you upright. Placement of the holes is critical so all your sticks fit in place and provide a pleasant arrangement. Make each hole location with a pencil.

        Do not overcrowd the holder or it will be an eye-sore. The best holders hold odd number of sticks. Create a circular pattern with the hole marks and then place 1 or 3 in the center.

Step 4: Now drill the holes 7” to 8” deep. Then test each hiking stick or walking staff to make sure it fit in the holes. Making walking sticks presentation holders is a get add-on to your hobby,

 

Step 5: Finish the wood with stain or other finish. Now you have a completed walking stick holder for the wood staffs you made by hand.

How to make hiking sicks self collected wood

    Spring is here now and its time to check your walking sticks that you are curing from the wood collected in the fall. Depending upon your location and wood type you need to cure wood self collected for making walking and hiking sticks. Curing properly greatly limits wood splitting and cracks than can destroy a walking stick making project. Most people collect walking sticks wood when the sap is not flowing because it decreases the time it takes for the wood to cure and the chances of cracks as the hiking staff dries out.

    Wood should be cured in a climate controlled environment that is low in moisture. Here in south Florida this means inside a home with A/C. We are in a tropical environment and curing walking sticks outside is not an option with our high humidity.  If you are in an arid area you can cure the wood for your hiking stick making project in a garage out of extreme heat that can cause warping of the walking stick wood. The walking stick guides give more details on how to cure wood including methods to prevent wood warping.

     Yes, depending upon the variety of the wood you are collecting you can collect during other times of the year. Collecting wood to make walking sticks is half the fun with this hobby. Whether you want to make a hiking staff, walking stick, wizard stick or walking cane it better to prevent hobby frustration and problems before they happen.

Hand made walking sticks

Walking sticks and hiking staffs are an great asset when ascending or descending hills during back pack trips. What even better is using your own hand made walking sticks and hiking staffs from wood collected during your hiking adventures.

I live in South Florida but venture to all areas of the USA exploring the national parks and state parks. Hand made hiking sticks and staffs are tolls and in many areas a fashion statement. People continually ask where they can buy hiking sticks like ones I made. I tell them its hand made.

Using the walking sticks will save you energy and possibly from injury when traveling in the back country
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With airlines travel restrictions and so forth a hand made walking stick may be to long However, there are ways to make a hand made walking stick or staff to fit into your luggage. Look for an article soon on how to split your handmade walking sticks and adding connectors in the middle of them so you can pack then in normal luggage.