Check out Pete's Pole Page for some usefule tip. Especially the section on Using your poles as proper techniques makes the difference beyween carrying a stick or sticks around vs. have a useful tool to aid in stability and transfer load from your knees to your upper body.

I bought a pair prior to my trip to Philmont in the mountains of New Mexico. I was a skeptic at first but am no a firm beleiver. I have two bad knees and they did not cause me any discomfort during the 10 days on the trail. And they saved me from doing a "face plant," as one of our youth members descibed falling forward on the rocks in full pack, more than one time. I would not do any serious back packing without them.

For short walks on level terrain or well groomedpath, I usually take my basswood staff. I doesn't provide the same load transfer, but that's not needed without the backpack. And it does provide stability and balance, especially when crossing streams over rocks or logs. (I also use it to point out different plants to the Scouts. That's especially useful when the plant is Poison Ivy when I don't want to wave my bare finger around it. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />)