Aside the basic "must-carry" gears described in earlier modules there are a few more "technical" gears which can helpful in tackling specific terrains or situations. One versatile gear is a pair of hiking poles. Basic use case (novice hikers) of poles is to provide more stability (4 points of contacts on ground instead of 2) on steeper terrain and support while hiking uphill or downhill: arm power complements quads (uphill) or knees (downhill) therefore spreading the impact.

For the more experienced alpine style hiker, poles are very useful in a number of situations. First they provide better stability (4 points of contact) while traversing steep slopes without proper trail (scree, landslides, gullies...). Similar, when crossing wild streams 4 points of contact provide much better stability to prevent losing balance while traversing an uneven river bed in deeper water.