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...
Hikermore,
I have used pickup staff's many times but since much of my work has been in the High Arctic and above timberline, the availability of anything to use is poor. Thankfully a project budget helped buy the staff (I did pay well under the current price).
I also have several non-collapsing staffs. My favorite is one made from Hickory from the Andrew Jackson Plantation. It has a very good feel and was improved with a stainless spike tip. It is just a pain to carry in a Super Cub. Poles don't work well for me because I almost always have something in one hand (Brunton, g pick, sampling tools, etc.) and it is inconvinient to always have to find a place for one of them. I also like the instant ability to change the length of my staff. If they work for you, they are lots easier to use, make you a quadraped, and are easier to store. I wish I could like them better. The good ones are fairly pricey themselves though.
Respectfully,
Jerry
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