I'm glad I bought these!
These are the first pair of poles I've bought. I got them for a trip to Iceland, and I used them during a couple of multi-day hikes and some shorter journeys, up mountains, down loose rock trails, across wet grassland, and over a couple of fast streams, all with a very heavy backpack. I also needed a pole to erect my minimalist tent. I'm not an experienced hiker. Hikes that scare me might be as nothing to more seasoned adventurers, but while carrying a heavy pack up trails that would scare me if I were burdenless, these poles kept me safe (and sane) when the track got steep, slippery, and sheer on one or both sides. I can't compare these poles to any others, it is true, but I wouldn't want anything less than a trusted brand like Black Diamond when something very bad could happen if a pole gave out with one's weight on it. These never gave out. I did bend one, when a heavy loose rock crashed into the pole while it was stuck in the ground; the aluminum bent enough that I had a tough time compacting it all the way afterwards, but it's still usable, seems strong, and could probably be corrected if needed. The flick locks work well - quick and easy (especially important for use at a tent pole and for storing on a backpack). It's a good idea to check the locks now and then to make sure they haven't loosened from use, but we had no problems with the locks. The handles were comfortable, and the straps too. Also, the poles compacted just enough to store in a suitcase. Perfect! Overall I think these are a good first pair of trekking poles, good quality at a good price; knowing what I know now, I would never cheap out on poles for any serious hiking. I'm sure glad I had these Black Diamond's this summer!

Great poles for the AT
I bought these poles for my trip into the Canyon next month and wanted to test them on a good hike. They preformed great. I really liked the lock in place and the hight markers. They helped me decide how tall I liked the poles quickly. The only thing I may have liked more were a set of cork handles.