The Crawford staff is just a tad on the pricey side. Somewhat cheaper was the mop handle I found on the beach of San Miguel Island a few years ago. Although besmirched with blobs of tar, it was a wonderful find because i had tweaked my wrist in a recent tumble from my bicycle and I definitely didn't want to slip on the wet and slippery trails (it was winter). I scraped off the tar, drilled a hole for a cord loop, and that was my "on island" hiking staff for several years. The money saved went for all sorts of high minded endeavors, as you can well imagine.

For a little more money, I really like the collapsible three section poles. Properly tightened, they work quite well and go nicely into or on the pack when the going gets steep. But this is all just details - Any staff is better than no staff, any day...