A pole of wood or bamboo used to carry a load. It usually has equal amounts of weight hanging from both ends. The weights are often, but not always, buckets of water or milk, or baskets of fruits and vegetables. A character may balance the pole across both of their shoulders, carrying the loads beside them, or on just one shoulder, carrying the loads in front of and behind them.

Sometimes the pole has one load in the middle, and is carried by two characters walking in line, with one end of the pole on each character's shoulder.