How Often Do You Use Ski Pole Straps? (Poll)

Just about every ski pole on the market comes equipped with a seemingly innocuous feature: straps.

At face value, their inclusion makes sense. Who wants to ski a narrow, icy chute after losing their grip and watching one of their poles skitter away downhill? No one, we’d venture.

Yet, despite helping to keep your gear all in one place, pole straps can also be dangerous, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. In a blog post, the forecasters recommended, outright, that you shouldn’t wear them while you’re skiing in avalanche terrain.

According to the post, ski poles—if they remain attached to your body—can pull you down into the snow during a slide. 

“They are almost like a boat anchor. You want to be able to let go of your poles and have your skis come off your feet if you are ever caught in an avalanche,” the post reads.

That concern may not apply to the millions of skiers who visit resorts and ride avalanche-controlled terrain each season. Still, plenty of people ditch their straps, even when riding stable snow that has a very low risk of sliding. Why? Horror stories abound of poles getting hooked by trees and, because of a strap, yanking skiers backwards and causing injuries. And falling into a tree well with poles glued to your wrists during a powder day could present similar risks as an avalanche, too.

Look around next time you’re on the mountain, though. Plenty of skiers prefer the security provided by the pole strap. Some poles also have releasable straps, complicating the equation.

That brings us to our newest POWDER Weekly Poll: How often do you use pole straps?

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About the POWDER Weekly Poll

We launch our weekly polls at 3 p.m. EST every Monday. They remain open until 12:00 p.m. EST the following Friday, with the results dropping on Sunday at 9 a.m. EST (schedule changes around holidays are possible). You can participate and see the results right here on our website or by visiting our Instagram page.