First off..yes, I would recommend getting a pair of trekking poles. I believe Santa got mine at Wal-Mart. Swiss gear brand, collapseable, cushion grip,wrist strap, multiple ends and it's even got a cheap compass in the handle..and it was accurate! They were cheap to or my Santa wouldn't have picked up two of them.

I used them this past weekend on the 19 mile Greenleaf state park trail. Pretty rought terrain, lots of ups and downs. These poles saved my knees and kept me upright on the last mile of the first ten mile day, but didn't blister my hands. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Not as conditioned as I once was.

Hiked Robbers Cave State park when Rita cut through the corner of Oklahoma, used same two trekking poles that a buddy has to create a very adequate wind break using a heavy space blanket and some para cord.

The poles come with a removeable rubber tip so that if you need to use them as tent poles, you have a narrow point to go through a grommet. Very nice set up and I am quite happy with them.