James B

For better or worse, I have to use a walking stick. I make them in my spare time and just as a hobby. After a really bad break of my right foot, I am left with less than perfect balance. I can walk on it but if I am walking slow or trying to just stand still, I have trouble with my balance. The walking stick makes me feel much more secure. Also, walking down hill without one for me is un-doable.[:@]

Alsatian

RockinGlock: I just finished a 35 mile 6 day backpacking trip in the Weminuche Wilderness area of SW Colorado, NE of Durango. Elevation ranging from 8,000' to 12,850'. Many, many of the backpackers out there used two walking sticks that looked much like ski poles. In particular, one guy who was walking the the Colorado Trail -- beginning near Denver and extending to Durango -- who had been out for 5 weeks and had 1 week remaining to complete the trail used these poles and swore by them. I did not have these devices but talked to several of these folks. They say they give much assistance and make backpacking much better. This is not a walking stick but rather a pair of light, machined metal poles specifically designed for this purpose.

Do note that you need to commit both hands to these poles, hence they won't do much good while you are trying to hunt when you ought to have your rife in your hands. But for overland hiking/backpacking, I definitely observed a concensus among these stalwart backpackers in a tough backpacking venue that these devices were a big help.