I have purchased a decent hiking staff and have been using it on my training hikes to learn how to use it. I plan to use it on my upcoming rafting / hiking trip, next week, and hike as much as the trip will allow. However, the outfiiter I will be going with, discourages (not forbids) the use of poles, stating that people become too reliant on them and a misplaced pole plant could result in a fall. Is this a common train of thought or is it just a way to minimize space and weight on the rafts? It seems the consensus on this forum is heavily for the use of poles.