When you plan a hiking trip, ask yourself a few question: where the trail starts and ends and how long it will take to finish the route, what walking pace you are comfortable, what ground the route cover, how far you can walk within certain time. There is a Naismith’s rule that helps you to plan how long a walk will take. Assuming average walk speed is 3 miles per hour and add half hour for every 980 feet of climbing steep hills up and down and take off 10 minutes for every 980 feet of downhill. You can calcuate the total amount of time you would need to finish the trail before the dark. If you take kids with you, then you probably extra 20% time. So plan well.

Here are some walking sticks for sale on eBay.