Any time I am off pavement/concrete, I carry a hiking staff of some sort.

Always have. Mostly, it protects my trick knee. But it also pushes wet or spiny branches out of the way, and gives me that extra push to hop over a wide, muddy puddle. Going uphill, it speeds me up; going downhill, it slows me down, on purpose.

I have used a variety over the years. Old downhill ski poles are often free for the asking, and are very sturdy. Sometimes I'll cut a staff locally; in my part of the world, willow is okay but Saskatoon/serviceberry is by far the best.

If I were in trouble with minimal gear, one of the first things I'd do is cut a good, stout walking stick.

I like the current Black Diamond trekking pole I have. It has three sections, so I can turn it into a short alpenstock on easy trails or when traversing slippery boulder patches. As comms said, the flick lock is very strong. Mine has held up to years of use.