Insanely light trekking pole. The lightness (less than 4 oz) means you can twitch it really fast to catch yourself because the pole doesn’t have a lot of inertia to overcome. It means your arm and hand tire far less in a day of swing-and-place. It means when you lash it to your pack, it adds little to your burden.

This pole has proved its durability for me on a range of hikes from casual to intense, in a variety of terrains. Adjusting the length with an untwist and retwist to lock is easy and reliable. Since they’re usually sold by the pair, you have a spare in reserve. (Trekking with two poles feels like skiing without snow for me; awkward and hand-encumbering. I like to be a three-legged creature in the bush, always able to brace for stability, striding like a pilgrim with staff.)

-- Stewart Brand 09/5/12