Thanks for your thoughts so far. Keep 'em coming.

Length is a concern for a six-footer like me, even though I have long arms. It looks like 75cm (30 in) is the longest in the $100 category.

But I have often shortened an extendible ski pole to use in "alpenstock" mode on flatter trails, with the top of the grip in the palm of my hand, mostly marking time with it except when I need a little push to get over or around some obstacle or protect my knees. I need to measure that length for comparison.

Edit: By the way, when walking on icy trails, you have to bend your knees to maintain balance and traction. That makes you shorter, a little, and keeps you from landing on your backside more than necessary.