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Canes are considered the most widely used and popular mobility device in the U.S. with some 4.8 million Americans using a cane to get around. However, just like keys and cell phones, a walking stick or cane may get left behind at various locations. While it's possible to retrace your steps and re-locate missing canes, not everyone is able to remember where they left theirs.

This can be incredibly frustrating. After all, your cane helps improve mobility, and replacing it every time it becomes lost may not be in your budget. That's especially true if your canes, such as extra tall canes, are customized or hold sentimental value. Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent canes and walking sticks from getting lost in the first place.

How to keep from losing your cane

Because canes are often there for mobility assistance, many people are unaware they've left their cane behind until they need the assistance. Consider the following tips to help you keep track of your cane no matter the situation.

Have your cane engraved

Some cool walking canes come with the choice of engraving. Consider putting your name, a phone number, or a permanent address on your cane. This way, if you lose your cane and someone else finds it they have a way to contact and return it to you.

Make your cane hard to forget

One of the best ways to remember your cane is to add details and decoration to a simple carbon fiber cane. If you're one for decorative walking canes consider getting a cane that's noticeable itself. Extra tall canes in high gloss metallic colors, a cane with a horse head handle, or a cane with a bright blue derby handle may be more likely to be noticed as you leave an area.

Track your cane with Bluetooth

If you're more tech-savvy or you know you're prone to losing your cane, a Bluetooth tracker may be right up your alley. With a basic tracker, you can attach the device to your cane and track it using your smartphone should you misplace it.

Attach a wrist strap to your cane

Whether you use extra tall canes or a cane with a seat, a wrist strap is able to attach to any kind of cane for walking. Place your hand in the wrist strap while you go out for a stroll or down to your favorite cafe and you won't have to worry about leaving your cane behind. What's more is you even get a wrist strap made in a variety of styles to fit the appearance of your cane.

Looking for your cane after misplacing it can be frustrating, especially because canes aren't always easily replaceable. Fortunately, by following the tips above you may be able to more easily relocate your cane so you can go about your day with improved mobility and greater relaxation.

Every 11 seconds in the United States, a senior is treated for a fall in the emergency room. These common incidents can be easily avoided by the use of a walking stick or cane. Canes, especially decorative canes, aren't only for senior citizens either. Up to 6.8 million Americans use assistive devices such as walking sticks and wooden canes every day.

Decorative canes are classy pieces of history that go back thousands of years. However, one of the most interesting decorative canes is perhaps the blackthorn walking stick. Keep reading to learn some of the history behind these fascinating mobility aids and fashion statements.

Blackthorn canes: made for more than just walking

Elegant walking canes made from blackthorn, also known as shillelaghs, originate in Ireland and the British Isles. Blackthorn, a resilient and hearty wood, has been used to make weapons for centuries because of its resistance to warping. Although the shillelagh is thought to be Irish, according to Anthony Bluett, it was an English writer who coined the name for Irish walking sticks.

Irish stick fighting

However, while the name of the walking stick itself may not be Irish, but the use of the blackthorn stick as a weapon certainly is. When the British controlled Ireland, the Irish weren't allowed to carry weapons.

To get around the policy, the Irish and Scottish began using bata, short for bataireacht, Gaelic for "stick fighting." However, it should be pointed out that bataireacht has existed as a form of Irish martial arts for centuries prior to its more modern use for self-defense. These walking sticks were and are made from resilient woods such as blackthorn, holly, oak, hazel, and ash.

Modern bataireacht

By the 20th century, bataireacht has mostly disappeared from common practice. However, few Irish families continue to pass down the training and tradition. Those who continue to practice this art typically use a combination of bataireacht and Western martial arts forms.

Bataireacht is currently most popular in the U.S. and among the non-Irish. This is because stick fighting offers seniors and those who use walking sticks as a form of self-defense utilizing the decorative walking canes they use every day.

Blackthorn walking sticks and canes are a great way to carry on your Irish heritage. Or, for those who aren't Irish, they're a classy way to strike up an interesting conversation on historical stick fighting.