[at-l] Hiking poles - On Topic

[jmmiele at optonline.net (joe miele)]

Hi Folks - 

I have yet another question for y'all who have your PhD's in the AT.

Hiking poles - love 'em?  Hate 'em? Why?  Do they get in the way or do they assist in the journey?  I' figure that I'll hear a little of each, but I'd like to hear what people think.

If I'm going to be trying out poles for the first time should I begin with some cheap-o poles until I figure out if I like them or not and then switch to better ones?  Should I get decent ones that have been used (from Ebay or whatever) rather than cheap new ones from Target or K-Mart?

What are the important things to look for when selecting poles, and what is the proper height that I should adjust them to (I'm 5'9").

I know I've asked a lot of questions, but you folks have been so helpful in the past with my questions about boots and foot pain that I thought I'd throw this one at you too.  FWIW, most of the thruhikers I've run into have been using two poles.

Peace,
Joe