Why Pole Length Is About Your Elbow, Not Your Height
The single rule that matters with trekking poles is the 90-degree elbow. Stand upright on flat ground, grip the handle with the pole tip on the floor by your foot, and your forearm should be parallel to the ground with your elbow bent at a right angle. If the angle is open and your arm hangs low, the poles are too short and you will hunch. If your hand is up near your chest, they are too long and your shoulders will burn within a mile. Every other adjustment starts from this neutral position.
Because most people share similar arm-to-height proportions, that 90-degree position lands at a predictable fraction of your standing height. A length of about 0.68 times your height in centimeters puts the grip right where your forearm goes level. A 183 cm (6 ft) hiker lands near 124 cm, while a 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) hiker lands near 112 cm, which is why poles are usually sold in roughly 110 to 130 cm sizes.
How We Calculate Your Length
Pole length (cm) = Height (cm) x 0.68 + terrain adjustment
Adjusting for Grade
Terrain changes everything once the trail tilts. On a sustained climb, shorten each pole by about 5 cm so you can plant below you and push your body upward while keeping that strong 90-degree drive. On a long descent, lengthen each pole by about 5 cm so you can reach down to the lower ground ahead without folding at the waist, which is what protects your knees. Many hikers set the poles to the flat baseline for rolling terrain and only re-clamp the lower section when they hit a stretch of real, sustained grade. If your poles have a flick-lock, mark your flat number with tape so you can reset it instantly after every climb or drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should my trekking poles be?
For flat ground, set the poles so your elbow bends to 90 degrees when the tip is on the floor beside your foot. For most people that works out to roughly 0.68 times your height, so a 6-foot hiker uses about 124 cm and a 5-foot-5 hiker about 112 cm.
Should I shorten poles going uphill and lengthen them downhill?
Yes. Drop each pole about 5 cm on a sustained climb so you can plant beside or below you and push upward with a strong arm, and extend each pole about 5 cm on a long descent so you can reach the lower ground without leaning forward. On short or rolling grades it is fine to leave them at your flat setting.
What if my poles only come in fixed sizes?
Most adjustable poles cover a wide range, but if yours are fixed-length, pick the size closest to your flat baseline number and round to the nearest available length. The calculator gives you a snap-to-marking figure for exactly this, since being within a couple of centimeters is plenty close for comfortable hiking.
Does grip height matter more than the elbow angle?
The elbow angle is the goal, and grip height is just how you reach it. On steep climbs many hikers choke down and hold the pole lower on the shaft instead of re-clamping, which is a fast way to get the same shortening effect. Re-adjust the lock only when the grade is long enough to be worth the stop.
Practical Guide for Trekking Pole Height Calculator
Start by sizing for flat ground, because that is your reference point for everything else. Stand tall in your hiking shoes, set the tip on the ground next to your foot, and clamp the pole where your forearm is dead level and your elbow makes a clean right angle. Wrap a strip of bright tape at that flat number on the lower section so you can always return to it after fiddling with grade adjustments, and confirm both poles match before you set out.
Treat the uphill and downhill changes as small, deliberate tweaks rather than dramatic resizing. Five centimeters shorter on a climb and five centimeters longer on a descent is enough to keep your arms working at a strong angle without throwing off your rhythm. If you are on rolling terrain that alternates every few minutes, do not bother re-clamping constantly; either leave the poles at your flat setting or choke up and down on the grip to fine-tune on the fly.
Match your fit preference to your hiking style once the basics are dialed in. Hikers who like a fast, light cadence often run poles a centimeter or two shorter than the textbook 90 degrees, while those who want more reach for stability on rough ground go slightly longer. Both are valid, but make small changes and test them on a real trail before committing, since even a one-centimeter difference is noticeable over thousands of plants in a day.
Quick Checklist
- Size for flat ground first, with your elbow at a true 90 degrees in your hiking shoes.
- Mark your flat-ground length with tape so you can reset both poles instantly.
- Shorten about 5 cm on sustained climbs and lengthen about 5 cm on long descents.
- Snap to the nearest size marking if your poles only adjust in fixed increments.