I carry one of those coughlan's clear collapsible pales for collecting water to let the floaties float and the sinkers sink and i don't get my knees wet when i'm collecting the water

Trekking poles are a godsend to anyone with knee and/or ankle problems

Just a few words please use the rubber boots available over the carbide tips except when needed on slippery wet rocks, also ditch the baskets unless you're snowshoeing. Doing so decreases pock marks and erosion along the trails ...